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kcaluwae
Inspiring
January 27, 2022
Answered

Checkboxes not correctly added to article (for tab sequence)

  • January 27, 2022
  • 3 replies
  • 1272 views

I'm reworking an interactive PDF and I've been updating the forms.
I've problems with new checkboxes that I've added to the forms.  When I add them to the articles they're always added as <rectangle> and not with their actual name.  It seems like I add the rectangle of the checkbox but not the interactive element itself.  
I've tried selecting them in different ways (single-click, double-click, drawing a rectangle around it) before adding it but it all gives the same result.
I've not yet tested if the tab sequencing works but because some forms contain hundreds of elements it is annyoing that all checkboxes have the same name.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer hammer0909

Thanks for your help.
Do you know if there's a way of selecting the checkbox (the interactive element) versus the square (the graphical element).
I've now started working on a next page, I'm doing exactly the same (or at least I think I'm doing exactly the same) and for this page it works.
Could it be that I select the check boxes in another way without knowing it? 


Well checkboxers are unique in that they have multiple possible states that can be modified (i.e. Normal On, Normal Off, Rollover, etc.). Make sure you're not double-clicking on the object or you'll be in the state. Also, use your Selection tool and not the Direct Selection tool to select the checkbox.

3 replies

hammer0909
Community Expert
hammer0909Community Expert
Community Expert
January 28, 2022

The fact that you're using the Articles panel tells me that your objective is to make your PDF form accessible. It's worth noting that the name of the objects have no relevance for accessibility per se. That being said, the name that you give the object in the Buttons and Forms panel is not recognized by the Articles panel. But if you rename the object in the Layers panel, it will apply to the name of the object in the Buttons and Forms panel AND will be reflected when the item is added to the Articles panel AND in the name when adjusting the tab order within InDesign.

 

Also, don't confuse the purpose of the Articles panel with the purpose of setting the tab order. Where the Articles panel sets the TAG order of PDF tags created in the PDF, the TAB order sets the tabbing order when someone hits the tab key on the keyboard. Two different things.

    K
    kcaluwaeAuthor
    Inspiring
    January 31, 2022

    Thanks for your reply.

    I want the tag and tab order to be the same, that's why I do the adjustments in both places.

     

    If I rename the object in the layers panel I can see the new name in the button & forms panel (and vice versa) but no matter where I do the name change, it never gets reflected in the articles panel.  

    hammer0909
    Community Expert
    hammer0909Community Expert
    Community Expert
    January 31, 2022

    I'm not sure what version of InDesign you are using but I'm using the latest release. What I am finding is that the Articles panel reflects what is defined in the Layers panel. Even if you rename the item in the Buttons and Forms panel afterwards, the Layer name remains and so does the name of the object in the Articles panel. See screenshot below.

    BobLevine
    Community Expert
    BobLevineCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    January 28, 2022

    How about some basic info. What version of InDesign? What operating system? Where are you testing things?

      K
      kcaluwaeAuthor
      Inspiring
      January 31, 2022

      Version 17.0.1 (Windows - x64)

      Auto updates are on so this should be the latest version.

      K
      kcaluwaeAuthor
      Inspiring
      January 27, 2022

      In addition to my above post.  Here's some extra background.

      The Object > Interactive > Tab sequence panel is still correctly showing my object names.  I know this is the preferred way of setting the tab sequences but I find that it lacks some functionality when compared to the Articles panel.
      Here's what I miss:

      - The article panel can be enlarged.  My forms have many elements and in the Tab sequence panel I constantly need to scroll and I sometimes lose the overview.

      - When you click an element in the article panel it gets selected in the document itself.  This helps to identify them when in doubt.  (I try to give each element a good name but when you have so many it sometimes is hard to distinguish them)

      K
      kcaluwaeAuthor
      Inspiring
      January 27, 2022

      I've now encountered an issue where I renamed several fields using the buttons and forms panel but I still see the old names in the Object > Interactive > Tab sequence panel.
      So now it's guessing which fields in this panel are the ones in my document as clicking on them doesn't highlight them in the document.
      I'm really not sure what is going on.  On other pages renaming a field would directly be reflected in this panel but not here.
      I would really appreciate some insight on what is going on. (or what I'm doing wrong)

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