Question
Is there a way to merge Static PDF files and PDF Forms
Hi All,
The issue I am facing is this: 1200+ PDF forms that employees will need to sign. The docs are being created in MS Word, and all have a standard signature block. We have prototyped using LiveCycle Designer 8 to add fields to static PDF files (print Word files into Acrobat, import into LiveCycle and paste in fields) but this is pretty labor-intensive to use with a minimum of 1200 forms per quarter.
The employee forms go into a CF8/Oracle library app (stored as BLOBs) and served up for 7,000 or so employees to sign. Posted data goes back into database.
Here is the issue: Does anyone know any way to use some combination of cfpdf / cfpdfform / cfdocument that will allow us to create ONE generic signature block form, 1200 static PDF files, and merge them on the fly?
<cfdocument> apparently does not allow PDF data to be included with a <cfpdfform>, as I have tried outputting PDF variables, toBinary(PDF variable), PDF served by <cfcontent> and various other combinations.
(If the non-form data were HTML, we could easily output in a <cfdocumentsection> of the cfdocument, and add the <cfpdfform source="#genericForm#" action="populate"> and be done with it. But, we can't.)
<cfpdf action="merge"> with a combination of a static PDF file and a populated form results in a flattend PDF file with no form data.
I am acutely aware that LiveCycle 8 uses the XFA schema, and regular PDF documents use a different schema. And, this may prohibit what we want to do.
If anyone has experience with CF8 PDFs and PDF forms, or has any helpful thoughts, I would be appreciatively gross. Needless to say, this is a six month project that must be live at the end November.
Thanks!
Jim Bates
Verizon Business
The issue I am facing is this: 1200+ PDF forms that employees will need to sign. The docs are being created in MS Word, and all have a standard signature block. We have prototyped using LiveCycle Designer 8 to add fields to static PDF files (print Word files into Acrobat, import into LiveCycle and paste in fields) but this is pretty labor-intensive to use with a minimum of 1200 forms per quarter.
The employee forms go into a CF8/Oracle library app (stored as BLOBs) and served up for 7,000 or so employees to sign. Posted data goes back into database.
Here is the issue: Does anyone know any way to use some combination of cfpdf / cfpdfform / cfdocument that will allow us to create ONE generic signature block form, 1200 static PDF files, and merge them on the fly?
<cfdocument> apparently does not allow PDF data to be included with a <cfpdfform>, as I have tried outputting PDF variables, toBinary(PDF variable), PDF served by <cfcontent> and various other combinations.
(If the non-form data were HTML, we could easily output in a <cfdocumentsection> of the cfdocument, and add the <cfpdfform source="#genericForm#" action="populate"> and be done with it. But, we can't.)
<cfpdf action="merge"> with a combination of a static PDF file and a populated form results in a flattend PDF file with no form data.
I am acutely aware that LiveCycle 8 uses the XFA schema, and regular PDF documents use a different schema. And, this may prohibit what we want to do.
If anyone has experience with CF8 PDFs and PDF forms, or has any helpful thoughts, I would be appreciatively gross. Needless to say, this is a six month project that must be live at the end November.
Thanks!
Jim Bates
Verizon Business
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