Skip to main content
T
Teralyn1210
Participant
October 31, 2024
Answered

How do I prevent Prepare a Form from naming the checkboxes the SAME name?

  • October 31, 2024
  • 2 replies
  • 664 views

I have a document that I wanted to make fillable, so I did, and this feature works great unless you have checkboxes. I now have 50+ checkboxes that I need to manually rename because when I check one, it takes it away when I check another. How can I prevent Prepare a Form from naming them all the same? It seems like there must be a way because this would've been caught in development. Is there a setting I need to deselect in preferences? I don't see one. I am not sure what would be the reason for wanting all your checkboxes to be named the same... I guess it would be nice if it caused them to check every NO in cases where that's what I want to do. But it doesn't even do that. It checks it NO but then unchecks it when I want to answer a different question with No. So I can only say no (or yes) to one question in that title set. I need to answer 75 questions, individually. 

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer PDF Automation Station

There are a few shortcuts you can use to create the check boxes the way you want.  You can use right-click > Creat multiple copies and copy & paste.  This article (with video) demonstrates some of these methods.  This (paid for) tool I developed allows you to quickly create a group of mutually exclusive check boxes or radio buttons with the same name.

2 replies

PDF Automation Station
Community Expert
PDF Automation StationCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
October 31, 2024

There are a few shortcuts you can use to create the check boxes the way you want.  You can use right-click > Creat multiple copies and copy & paste.  This article (with video) demonstrates some of these methods.  This (paid for) tool I developed allows you to quickly create a group of mutually exclusive check boxes or radio buttons with the same name.

try67
Community Expert
try67Community Expert
Community Expert
October 31, 2024

From my experience it doesn't do that. It gives each field a unique name, which is actually annoying as you then need to go back and rename them in order to create mutually-exclusive groups... I'm surprised it did that for you. However, there isn't any way to change how it works, unfortunately.

Your options are to rename the fields manually, or to use a script, such as this (paid-for) one I've developed that will make sure all the fields in the file have a unique name:

https://www.try67.com/tool/acrobat-rename-duplicate-fields-to-unique-fields

 

T
Teralyn1210Author
Participant
October 31, 2024

It has done this to me every single time I've prepared a form that had boxes. That's why I think there must be a setting that I have which predetermines how it's going to handle it when it detects a checkbox. 

How it happens:

1. Insurance company sends me a pdf of 200 questions regarding a business I want them to insure. 

2. I don't want to print and fill so I choose "Prepare a Form". 

3. Adobe detects all probable fields. 

4. Adobe names every single square it detects the same exact name. 

5. I click on box No, then go to the next box and click No, it takes away the first No. 

6. I test the Yes answers, and it does the same thing because it names all those squares the same thing. 

7. I have to now click on every tiny square in the document to rename it 1 x 1 OR use the comment tool to draw a line through them and just delete the perpared checkbox because it can't be used. 

 

I prefer to find some way to tell Adobe to NOT name all detected checkboxes the same name, because there's never going to be a situation where that is useful for me. 

I am really sad about this 😞 

Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices