Skip to main content
Known Participant
December 12, 2023
Question

Add/Delete row button in Acrobat Pro DC

  • December 12, 2023
  • 4 replies
  • 4085 views

Hi,

I convert all Forms from Word to PDF. Which tool can help me to add/remove rows to the table?

 

What is the table name and properties?

 

Thanks in advance,

This topic has been closed for replies.

4 replies

Participant
March 20, 2024

Hello Neda,

I am having  what seems to be the same issue as yours. I have adobe acrobat pro and need the end user to be able to add/delete rows as needed. Have you found a solution? or found another tool that has this capaiblity? 

 

Thanks! 

Neda GAuthor
Known Participant
March 20, 2024

Hi, 

 

AEM design form can solve your problem. Unfortunately, I didn't work with it but I watched so many youtube related. 

 

I hope it helps.

Thanks,

Neda

Joel Cherney
Community Expert
Community Expert
March 21, 2024

If @TᴀW says it could be implemented in pure JS in Acrobat, then I believe it! I can even kind-of imagine what kind of code would be necessary. But I think it's a case where you would pay for a considerable number of JS-dev hours to get this functionality.

TᴀW
Legend
December 13, 2023

It is in fact possible to add and remove rows in an interactive PDF.

It would require fairly complex Javascript, and, to add any extra pages, you'd need to use Acrobat template pages, since Acrobat Javascript doesn't have sufficient permissions to add pages to a PDF otherwise.

Also, to shift everything down means that all text in the form, including static text, would have to be constructed as a text field, whether editable or not.

So, altogether a bit of a hassle to program and debug, but it is probably doable in many cases.

Certainly it would be better if the expanding table could be placed at the end of the form.

id-extras.com | InDesign tools & scripts for typesetters, form designers, and translators
Neda GAuthor
Known Participant
December 14, 2023

Thank you very much for your response. 

 

One question: I converted Word to PDF. None of the tables have a name. So how can I write the Java Script for the table that  I don't know the name?

 

Thanks,

 

Joel Cherney
Community Expert
Community Expert
December 12, 2023

I can see from your posting history that you found a thread about Livecycle Designer, which was a tool one could use to make PDFs with all kinds of inbuilt intreactivity. One of the things I did in that app on a regular basis was to make tables to which the end user could easily add or remove rows. For instance, a "List all of your family members here" might have three default fields, but in Livecycle, the end user could add as many fields as necessary and the rest of the document (if build correctly) would reflow.

 

I know of no way whatsoever to do this with Acrobat or InDesign, or really even with Word (although a user of a locked Word form with form fields in tables can, I think, add rows with the Tab key). 

Neda GAuthor
Known Participant
December 13, 2023

Hi, Thank you for your response.

First, I think about Acrobat LifeCycle design but isn't it discontinued? I converted all the forms from Word to PDF to use Acrobat Pro features to deactivate a part of a form if unable to a check box. Also for digital signature, I need to use Acrobat Pro Dc.

Joel Cherney
Community Expert
Community Expert
December 13, 2023

Yes, it has been discontinued. It's been folded into AEM Forms, but it's not really available outside of that environment. I just thought I recognized the "add a row with a button" functionality you described. I've never seen it implemented with pure JS in Acrobat, although that might be possible. It'd be beyond my own personal skillset, for sure - and not really related to InDesign at all. 

 

I think you'd have better luck in the Acrobat forum with this question.

Steve Werner
Community Expert
Community Expert
December 12, 2023

How does this pertain to InDesign? This is the InDesign forum. Why can't you add/remove rows in Word?

Neda GAuthor
Known Participant
December 13, 2023

Hi, 

 

Thank you for your response. I use PDF to have digital signatures on the forms. The form should be dynamic that end user can add / delete the rows based on the requirement. 

I asked from IT team they suggest me to use Adobe Indesign, I am not sure if Adobe Indesign can help me. Is anybody have any experience on it?