How to pull data from a Database to a PDF form depending on data enter in a field

Now I realize why the responses I recently received to my initial post question/answer didn’t make sense is because the Adobe Acrobat Community forum failed to post the first part of my post as a question. Not my fault so you can all thank the people at Adobe responsible for this one, Figures given the pathetic Acrobat structure/framework, current business model, and everything else they intentionally fail to tell their customers in which event I could elaborate but won’t or Adobe would more than likely come up with a reason to ban my account from the Adobe Community forum. Enough said, here’s the first part of my post Adobe failed to provide. To clarify what went wrong, in short, the Adobe community forum fails to provide a way to post information like I had wanted to given all posts need to be provided in the form of a question. Unfortunately, my work around failed, so here’s the part of my question that didn’t post in which event I’m not going to apologize for Adobe’s oversight.

Title: An Alternative to a Database Connection: Creating a Mini-Database Inside an Acrobat PDF

Post /Question:

Years ago, Acrobat provided ODBC database connectivity that made it possible to connect a PDF form to an external relational database. After that capability was discontinued, I spent considerable time looking for another way to provide database-like record management from within a PDF form.

I eventually developed a different approach using Acrobat JavaScript, a JavaScript object, JSON, and hidden PDF form fields.

Rather than connecting the PDF to an external relational database, the records themselves can be stored and managed within the PDF.

The JavaScript object provides the working structure for managing the records. JSON provides a compact means of serializing the structured data, while one or more hidden PDF form fields provide persistent internal storage. Acrobat JavaScript ties everything together by controlling how records are created, retrieved, searched, updated, displayed, and deleted.

Using this approach, a PDF form field can serve as a unique record identifier. When an ID is entered or a record is selected, JavaScript can locate the corresponding stored record and automatically populate the appropriate PDF form fields.

In effect, the PDF becomes a self-contained mini-database for applications requiring a relatively modest number of records.

This approach is not intended to duplicate the scale or complexity of Microsoft Access, MySQL, SQL Server, or another full-scale relational database system. Rather, it provides an alternative for PDF applications that do not require that level of database infrastructure.

One advantage is that the records remain with the PDF application itself. No external database server or cloud-based storage is required, and I have successfully implemented this architecture in PDF applications that operate using the free Adobe Reader.

I am posting this because I remember older Acrobat Community discussions asking how a PDF form could retrieve a record based upon a unique ID and automatically populate other fields. At the time, the solutions generally involved external database connectivity. I thought other Acrobat form developers might find this alternative architecture useful or interesting today.

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Hi BaniVerma,

Please reread my post as I needed to post to the Adobe community as an unorthodox question/answer type post, If you read the post in its entirety you will see that I am the one that developed the Acrobat mini-database application in PDF format in which event the post/answer explains in general how I did it, i.e. what actual components I used without having to rely on a database.

If you read my post in its entirety, all your questions should be answered. In short, once again I wasn’t asking how this could be done given I’m the only one to date since Adobe Acrobat abandoned their ODBC driver back in 2010 that was provided to connect a database at the time to an Acrobat PDF form. In no disrespect, given several replies to my recent post, it’s obvious people don’t read judging by the answers received to date. Needless to say, this is not the response I was hoping for or antifcipated!

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If you want to connect to a real database, take a look here: https://khkonsulting.com/2017/08/connect-database-pdf-form-time-without-soap/ - not as easy as embedding a CSV file, but it allows a much more flexible solution. 

You must embed a .CSV file containing the data as an attachment inside the PDF.

Next, use JavaScript to extract the data from the CSV file and insert it into the fields.

Hi @boilermaker73,

Thanks for posting. You want a field entry to trigger the form pulling in matching data from elsewhere, rather than just collecting what's typed in. A couple of details would help us give you an accurate answer:

1. Do you already have the data you need in hand (for example, in an export from your database), and you're looking to bring that into the form's fields, or are you hoping the form itself looks something up live as someone types?

2. Is the form a standard Acrobat form (AcroForm), or was it built in LiveCycle Designer (an XFA/XML form)? This affects which data file format would apply.

3. Will the people filling this out be using Acrobat or Reader?

Once we know that, we can give you a clearer answer.

Please let us know, and we'll take it from there.

Thanks,

^BS