Combine Files

[Evan3880833697q7]

Hello everyone,

I have what seems to be an unusual issue happening. I have two editable PDFs, each with different content. I am trying to combine them into a single two-page file. However, every time I add the second page, it duplicates the content of the first page.

Any help in solving this matter would be greatly appreciated. 

Evan

[try67]

The fields in the two files have the same names, so when you combine them they become duplicates of one another.

Your options are:

- Flatten the form fields before merging, or

- Rename the fields in one file before merging, or

- Combine the files as a Portfolio.

[Evan3880833697q7]

I did read online about fields having the same name. I tried using two different PDFs with different information, but it still duplicated whatever was on the first page. Some fields will indeed have the same name because the PDFs are being sent to the same client.

Also, a Portfolio isn't an option as that is not how our client wants the forms. 

I should also add that this just started happening, it hasn't happened in the past. 

[try67]

I highly doubt that it changed. It has always worked like that. Either the fields didn't have the same name, or they were already flattened when you combined them. At any rate, the solutions I described are your only options to solve this issue.

[PDF Automation Station]

As @try67 said, fields with same name become duplicates of one another, so they can only have one value.  This is a feature when used properly.  For example, if you need the same value to display in multiple places (eg Name).  After you merge the files look in the fields panel at the names.  If you see # plus a number (#0, #1, etc.) you will know those fields are duplicates and some of them need to be renamed if you don't want them to have the same values. 

[Evan3880833697q7]

Okay, so just to be clear. No field can have the same name. For example, both PDFs can't have the same techs name or the whole PDF becomes a duplicate of the first page? 

[PDF Automation Station]

No, one field with the same name does not make the whole PDF a duplicate.  If you have a field called "Name", in the first PDF for example.  And you also have a field called "Name" in the 2nd PDF, when you merge them, those two fields can only have one value.  If you change the value in one it will change the value in the other to same value and vice versa.  If the field has the tech's name, when you merge the PDF with another, it will flow the value (tech's name) into the other field with the same name.

[try67]

The issue is not the values of the fields, but their names. If you have a field called "TechName1" in file A with the value "John Doe" and "TechName2" in file B with the value "Jane Smith", they will retain their values when you combine them. But if the fields are both named "TechName1" then they both will have the same value (either "John Doe" or "Jane Smith") in the merged version. And this works on a field by field basis. If some fields have identical names they will become duplicates; Others, with unique names, will not.

[try67]

PS. If the two fields with identical names are not of the same type (for example, text and drop-down) it won't allow you to merge the files at all.

[Evan3880833697q7]

Okay, I understand now. However, that doesn't seem to be the case with what is happening to me. I have attached some screenshots. You will see that 99% of the fields have different content. But, when I combined them (screen 3) it still duplicates whatever is on screen 1 in all fields. 

[try67]

You're still not getting it. You're looking at the contents of the fields instead of the underlying field names. Open the files again and go to Prepare Form mode. You'll see there's a label with text at the center of each field. That's the field's name, and that is what matters here.

[try67]

Marked in blue is the field's value. Marked in red is its name.

[Evan3880833697q7]

Ohhhhhh, okay. Now I understand the issue. Thank you.