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

Mon Jan 19 08:27:17 CET 2004

Thanks to helpers gratefully. I still have trouble. I do not know whether it
is my own problem or the problem with our server, or the plug-in of Netscape
and IE. I include everything here as an appendix because I believe many
other new comers might be happy to share this important tool if it works.
==========================================================
TO: Ross Moore,

I use Plain-TEX for ALL my work in teaching for more than 10 years. Thanks
to YOUR talk in Sydney in July last year that motivated me to START learning
Latex. My experience is only 6 months, qualified to be a new baby.

>I've not used php for this.
>The MacQTeX application, at the URL above, uses Perl to read and
>process the forms-data sent to a CGI-script (written in Perl).

I change the action-address according to your advice. (See appendix below).
I believe that sending out data by Acrobat Reader is MY problem. I think, it
should not make any difference for PERL or PHP to receive the data. 

     http://rutherglen.ics.mq.edu.au/~macqtex/

This site is on summer holiday. I do not know PERL at all. Is it possible to
send me a short one to replace my php-below ?? Thank you in advance.
==========================================================
TO: Hans,

>the reader plug in can handle forms, that is, you need to run the reader in

>a web browser (currently only windows and linux readers have proper form 
>plugins)

>each version of acrobat has its own small upward incompatibilities in form 
>handling and widgets, but that can normally be handled by updates in the 
>tex macros

This is beyond a simple pure mathematician. I talked to our supporting staff
but they claim that it is my problem, not their servers.
==========================================================
TO: Martin Schroder,

>They need at least a copy of Acrobat (not Adobe reader). I don't
>know which version. Contact Adobe.

Thank you. According to the above two replies, Acrobat Reader should be
sufficient. I expect that every viewer has a copy of Acrobat Reader.
==========================================================
All my source files
==========================================================

-------- www.maths.uwa.edu.au/~twma/xyz/first.htm       
                                   testing on equal ground
<html><head><title>testing-first</title></head><body>
Click <a href="testformHtm.htm">here for HTM-form</a>. It proves that
abc.php is working well.<p>
Click <a href="testform.pdf">here to test pdf-form</a>.
</body></html>

-------- www.maths.uwa.edu.au/~twma/xyz/testformHtm.htm
<html><head><title>Test Form Htm</title></head><body>
This is to test the file   abc.php by this htm-file.<p>
<form method="POST" action="abc.php">
 <input type="text" name="xname" size="60" value="from htm">
<input type="submit">
<input type="reset">
</form></body></html>

-------- www.maths.uwa.edu.au/~twma/xyz/abc.php   
                            Looking or PERL-alternative

<html><head><title>testing-abc</title></head><body>
Hello. The value of xname is<hr>  <? 
print $xname 
?>.<hr>Goodbye.</body></html>

-------- www.maths.uwa.edu.au/~twma/xyz/testform.tex
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[bookmarks=false]{hyperref}
\setlength{\parindent}{0pt}
\setlength{\parskip}{10pt}
\begin{document}
\begin{Form}[action=http://www.maths.uwa.edu.au/~twma/xyz/abc.php,
method=post] 
%% I only change the action address, nothing else 

\TextField[width=3in,name=xname,value={Bilbo Baggins}]
    {Full name:  }

\Submit{Send} 
\Reset{Clear}
\end{Form}

-------- www.maths.uwa.edu.au/~twma/xyz/testform.pdf
It compiled successfully. It does NOT work. 
Error Message:
http://www.maths.uwa.edu.au/protect%20unhbox%20voidb@x%20penalty%20@M%20%20{
}twma/xyz/abc.php

I do not know what to do? Since I attach ALL source files, it is possible
for anybody to reproduce what I have done. Do they work on YOUR server??

Thank you for your help in advance.

twma at maths.uwa.edu.au