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conniem95040214
Participant
April 18, 2018
Question

Calculation Form Field Picker Not Working Acrobat DC

  • April 18, 2018
  • 4 replies
  • 4919 views

I am creating a form in InDesign CC and exporting as an interactive PDF. I want to make some of the fields calculate a sum. When I select Value Sum and click on the Pick Fields, I am able to select the fields I want to include in the sum, but when I select okay, they do not appear in the window and the field does not calculate. I was reading about some bug/issues in 2015, but did not see any resolution. Does anyone have any suggestions. I tried restarting. Uninstalling and reinstalling and this did not fix it.

Let me also say that I was trying to use the add java script in the custom field under Format and I am having the same problem where my window does not display the content after Selecting Edit and entering the information in the window.

    4 replies

    Ben_KC
    Ben_KC
    Participant
    April 14, 2025

    And this is still happening. All fields have been checked for naming convention and they are fine. They use 1 letter and 1 number without spaces. 

    If trying to insert a javascript calculation, this also will not populate. 

    It flashes up for a moment though and then disappears. 

    Dodgy Adobe devs. Has been for years. 

    Aaargh!

      Meenakshi_Negi
      Meenakshi_Negi
      Legend
      April 14, 2025

      Hi Ben_KC,

       

      Thank you for reaching out.

       

      Please let us know if you tried to add a form field in Acrobat itself. You may refer to the information in the following help document: https://adobe.ly/42vR8Ya. 

      You can also check the steps suggested in the tutorial on the following page: https://adobe.ly/4cvH2Lv. 

       

      If that does not help, please share more information on how the PDF form was created and the fields added. Also, share what happens when you open the PDF form in Acrobat. It would be helpful if you could share the sample PDF form and the screen recording of the problem occurring on your end.

       

      Thanks,

      Meenakshi

      Ben_KC
      Ben_KC
      Participant
      April 14, 2025

      The fields were created in Indesign 2025, positioned and processed (as far as possible) for accessibility compliance.

      Once exported (Interactive PDF) the fields WILL NOT allow calculations to be added.

      I have checked the Tab order in Indesign and made the calculation fields to be at the end of the list. 

      If i create a field in Acrobat, then the sum and custom calc fields will populate. 

      I conclude the issue to be with the fields in Indesign and exported. 

      I have to delete the fields that were in place and order for accessible tagging, recreate and manually re-tag in Acrobat. 

       

      Need help here!

      BTW, the second link is inaccurate and i cannot see a 'preview' button. 

      D
      DigitalMedia
      Participant
      August 10, 2022

      I tried what some of the users had mentioned... I made sure I didnt have any spaces in the field names. I also quit Acrobat and started up again and then it worked.

        lindseyg26311551
        lindseyg26311551
        Participant
        September 10, 2021

        My co-worker had a 7 page document that was not working. Made in CC InDesign 2021 with interactive text, signature, and checkboxes. The last step was to calculate fields in Acrobat but there was nothing to pick from the field box.

         

        I found out that the name on a check box was the issue. There were three periods in a row. Once that was removed I was able to see the fields to calculate in Acrobat. Funny how something like that could break it.

         

        Don't make any interactive element names with ...

         

        I'm sure other names would cause an issue. Simple is best!

        Thom Parker
        Community Expert
        Thom ParkerCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        April 18, 2018

        One of the problems with the built in Sum function is that the field names cannot contain spaces or punctuation. This could be the issue. But there is a much more problematic bug with disappearing calculations. I've had this problem a few times and it usually goes away if you add a calculation to another Field, then click onto the first field that had the issue. 

        Thom Parker - Software Developer at PDFScriptingUse the Acrobat JavaScript Reference early and often
          ryanb71745436
          ryanb71745436
          Participant
          August 5, 2020

          Oh my god, thank you.  Had the same problem as OP.  Removing spaces in field names fixed my issue.

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