Add current date to PDF documents

Hi Thom,
What you mean is that I can create a batch script that adds the field and the script from Msg#29 to a folder full of PDF files. This gets around the problem that the .addField command doesn't work when the PDF is printed by a Reader user, since the field already exits.
Am I stating this correctly?

Thanks,
-Tom

You can create an automation script for adding both the field and the script to any PDF that's open in Acrobat Pro.

Here's an article on an automation script for adding a button to the PDF. You'd use a very similar technique.

http://www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/2007/06/js_add_buttons_to_pdf

Search for Acrobat Folder Level Scripts and toolbar buttons. There's plenty on this exact issue already out there.

In fact, this is already a script that comes with AcroButtons, which is a tool for creating toolbar buttons in Acrobat.

Thom Parker
WindJack Solutions
The source for PDF Scripting Info
pdfscripting.com

The Acrobat JavaScript Reference, Use it Early and Often
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/acrobat/javascript.html

You mean manually add the field and code from Msg#29 to each PDF?
-Tom

Add the field and the script in Adobe Acrobat. See message #29.

Bernd,
All my users have Reader. Is there no work-around to have this script run when a user prints from Reader?
Thanks,
-Tom

Add character ';' before this.setAction.

The script will not run in Adobe Reader. Adobe Reader can't use the method this.addField.

I am using Acrobat Professional 8.1 however 99% of the users of the files I am creating are using Reader.

I have used the two sets of code from msg 78. I have tried to create two scripts; the first using the 'Professional' code, and the second using the 'Reader' code.

I have two questions.

Question 1
Using the code labelled 'Professional', I get the following error when trying to close the JavaScript Editor.

missing ; before statement 1: at line 2

It seems that the entire code when copied & pasted is on Line 1? Is this correct or should there be some line breaks inserted?

Question 2
I successfully created a script using the code labelled 'Reader'. Then I ran the script using the Batch Processing also described in Msg78. (This was all accomplished using Pro.)

So far, all this works great however, when I open and print the PDF file from Reader there is no text. However opening and printing the same file in Professional, it has worked beautifully.

Is the code in Msg 78 mislabelled? Is the code labelled Reader really for Professional and vice versa?

If this is the case, then this makes sense. However I do need the answer to Question 1 as well in order to make this work for my Readr users.

Thanks!
Phil

Hi Bernd,

Happy New Year! I tried your script and it works great!! I made my little wording changes without breaking the script. I still haven't found the difference between your script and the Msg#53 script.

Thanks very much!

Tom

var strModName = "DocMessage";<br /><br />var ofield = this.getField("DocMessage");<br /><br />if(ofield == null) {<br /><br /> for(var i=0;i<this.numPages;i++) {<br /><br /> var rectField = this.getPageBox("Crop",i);<br /><br /> rectField[1] = rectField[3] + 14;<br /><br /> ofield = this.addField({cName: strModName,cFieldType: "text", nPageNum:i ,oCoords: rectField});<br /><br /> ofield.alignment = "center"; <br /><br /> ofield.multiline = true;<br /><br /> ofield.textSize = 8;<br /><br /> ofield.textFont = "Arial";<br /><br /> ofield.display = display.noView;<br /><br /> ofield.readonly = true;<br /> } <br />}<br /><br />var strJS = 'var ofield = this.getField("DocMessage");';<br /><br />strJS += 'var theDate = (new Date((new Date()).valueOf() + 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24 * 14));';<br /><br />strJS += 'ofield.value = "PRINTED COPIES OF THIS DOCUMENT WILL EXPIRE AT MIDNIGHT ON";';<br /><br />strJS += 'ofield.value += " " + util.printd("ddmmmyyyy",theDate) + ". Do not use after this date.";';<br /><br />this.addScript("AddMessage",strJS);

Bernd,

Can you make this code work? I need to add the print date and "Uncontrolled Copy" to dozens of PDF so that the message isn't visible to users viewing the document on screen, but will be there whenever anyone prints the PDF. That is pretty close to the way the script in message #53 works.

Thanks,

Tom