Can I copy Drop Down lists in a PDF excel style form?

Question

Hello community,I created a PDF form from an excel spreadsheet.  I would like to make all the fields in a colum a dropdown box with the same choices (each has about 12 choices).  I created the first field as a drop down and populated it with the choices I wanted it to display.  With the "Keep tool selected" option active I thenchose the option to "Use current properties as new defaults".  I then went to paste the dropdown in the next few fields but when I went back into document view the newer boxes have an arrow on the right side as if it is a drop down box but there is no list and it just gives me an audible error ding when I click in the box (top boxes in column 4) Next I tried the option to "Make multiple copies" but it will only allow me to copy right 1 field (can not set that to zero) and down 4 fields at a time.  Going down it copied correctly and allowed unique choices from the drop down in each copied box (see column 4 last 2 boxes) butwhen I get to the next page I have to create the list over andI also have to delete all the entires it created on the right of the cellPlus, since I tested in the bottom cell I can't copy upIs there a way to fix this?  Unlike in a spreadsheet, the verbiage does not repeat when you start typing so I wanted to create a drop down to ensure consistancy.Same goes with the date field.  If I set a field to be a date and chose the option to "Use current properties as new defaults" then input text boxes in the next fields the newer boxes are just boxes with no calendar and I can't figure out a way to format the boxes as a group vs individually.I use these spreadsheets often in Excel but I really would like to create them in PDF forms format because it would be easier in my opinion to control the security on the form. HELP!  and Thank you so much!!

Bernd Alheit · Accepted Answer

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC 2018.011.20038It works for me:

gkaiseril · Answer

You have selected 1 or more fields to copy. A copy implies you will make at least one more copy of the field either down, to the right or both down and to the right. If you select 0 or none then you are not going to make a copy. Also not that this action will rename the original field(s) as well as create a unique name for each copy of the the field. The fields will be renamed using a "." and a number to represent the down or across occurrence starting at 0 and increment by 1 for each occurrence This naming structure is referred to as hierarchical field naming..This approach allows one to use JavaScript to access all fields in the group by the use of one name and also computer the string name for individual rows or columns within scripts.

If you save your form before starting this action, you can try various values and observe what happens. If you do not like the result, just close the form and do not save. You can then reopen the form and none of the changes you have observed will be present. You cannot break your form if you do not save the broken or unwanted changes.

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