[pdftex] FORMS of hyperref only work with AcrobatProfessional ??

[Ross Moore]

Hello Ma,

On 05/02/2004, at 9:44 PM, TW Ma wrote:

> I try to use testform.tex to collect data. Thanks to
> Heiko Oberdiek , Ross Moore , Hans Hagen , et al,
> my testform.pdf actually calls the correct action-file
> but the values of data are NOT passed from pdf-file to action-file.

PDF forms are submitted either in FDF data-format,
or as email messages.
They are *not* submitted in the same format as HTML form data.
Thus if your php-script is looking for special patterns,
it is not going to find them.

You should write the script to show you *exactly* what is
received, then modify it to extract the correct data
according to whether it came from a PDF or HTML form.


> Question#1: Do I have to ask our supporting staff
> to install certain plug-in to our server, or Acrobat?
>
No.
Adobe/Acrobat Reader is quite capable of sending form data.


> Question#2: Is there syntax in Hyperref that is
> equivalent to hidden data of HTML?
> <input type="hidden" name="hid" value="**hidden**">

Simply include  'hidden'  as an option to the \TextField :

\TextField[width=3in,name=hid,value={hidden},hidden]{hidden field here: 
  }

This certainly produces a hidden field in the PDF; however,
at least using pdfTeX, the value is not being shown by Acrobat Pro,
though it is certainly being put into the PDF file.
I'd expect the form submission to work correctly.


> Question#3: Are there any books or URL for the beginners
> to use pdfLatex-forms instead of bothering the others?

Have you been to Donald Story's  Acro-TeX  site ?
     http://www.math.uakron.edu/~dpstory/acrotex.html

There is a wealth of information there, covering the topics
that are are currently interested-in, and much much more.


> Thank you in advance for your help.
> ALL my files (only 3 in total) are included as appendix.
> Gratefully yours, twma at maths.uwa.edu.au
>

I've tested your coding, and submitted to your site.
You should be able to detect this, by studying the web-server
log-files.
My IP address varies a bit, but starts:  131.215.42.***


> -------- www.maths.uwa.edu.au/~twma/xyz/testform.tex
> It calls the correct action-file
> but the values of data are NOT passed to next file (abc.php).

I think you'll find that the data reaches the script,
but the script doesn't recognise the format, so returns
empty values for the submitted fields.


Hope this helps,

	Ross Moore

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ross Moore                                         ross at maths.mq.edu.au
Mathematics Department                             office: E7A-419
Macquarie University                               tel: +61 +2 9850 8955
Sydney, Australia                                  fax: +61 +2 9850 8114
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