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Peter22583198ep7u
New Participant
February 1, 2023
Question

Expanding a scrollable text field in a PDF

  • February 1, 2023
  • 3 replies
  • 3267 views

Hello I need help expanding a scrollable text field in a PDF. So that I can print all the text in a text field. I've seen that it works with something called livecycle designer, but I can't find it. Is there any other adobe program that can fix it? Does it work with javascript? How do you do then?

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3 replies

JR Boulay
JR Boulay
Adobe Expert
March 15, 2023

------------------

(Sorry, wrong post)

Acrobate du PDF, InDesigner et Photoshopographe
Thom Parker
Thom Parker
Adobe Expert
February 1, 2023

LiveCycle forms are now called AEM.  They are not real PDF files, but a type of XML form called XFA. To create one you have to purchase the AEM designer. This forms technology is somewhat exclusive and marketed to the Enterprise crowd. Its an awful lot of bagage just to get an expandable field. 

 

 

 

Thom Parker - Software Developer at PDFScriptingUse the Acrobat JavaScript Reference early and often
    P
    Peter22583198ep7uAuthor
    New Participant
    February 2, 2023

    Thank you for your reply 🙂 I agree, therefore I thought that maybe you can solve it with a free javascript.

    Thom Parker
    Thom Parker
    Adobe Expert
    February 2, 2023

    As Try67 says, changing the text size to 0, sets the "auto-size" feature for the text. Meaning that the text (not the field) is auto-sized to fit the text. 

    However, fields can be moved and resized with a script. But there is no reliable method for determining the size needed to fit a particluar multiline string of text. Not to mention, how are the other fields on the page going to be handled? You can't just grow one field on the page and not overlap other text and/or fields. 

    So growing a field is not a practical feature for an AcroForm. 

     

     

     

    Thom Parker - Software Developer at PDFScriptingUse the Acrobat JavaScript Reference early and often
      AkanchhaS8194121
      AkanchhaS8194121
      Brainiac
      February 1, 2023

      Hi @Peter22583198ep7u 

       

      Thanks for reaching out.

      Sorry to say there's no direct way of printing the text of a scrollable text field. However, you can try this method of achieving it through Script:

      https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/printing-a-fillable-pdf-form-with-scrolling-text-fields/td-p/10064985 

       

      Hope this works.

       

      Thanks,

      Akanchha

      P
      Peter22583198ep7uAuthor
      New Participant
      February 2, 2023

      I've seen the thread you tell me about before but I can't get it to work? I put in this.getField("FieldName").textSize = 0; under Willprint like thisthis.getField("text").textSize = 0 But it doesn't expand. Then I don't know what the code for Didprint should be? Could it be that I'm in the wrong place putting it in?

      try67
      try67
      Adobe Expert
      February 2, 2023

      It won't expand. It will make the text smaller so that it fits in the area of the field (if possible).

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