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Known Participant
April 30, 2024
Answered

How to extract field properties, from PDF form?

  • April 30, 2024
  • 2 replies
  • 3504 views

I have 40+ forms and I want to make sure that common fields have the same names and same formats. This would greatly help me in storing and sorting the entries.

Apart from that i want to make sure the formatting is consistent through all the forms. Is there a way i can extract this data from the pdf forms preferably to excel file, so that i can check / make corrections.

the properties i am looking for are:

Field Name, Field Type ,Field Format, Font ,Font Size ,Font Color, Alignment ,Multiline, Date Format ,Character Limit.

I have tried the below Script but still unable to extract the format information, Like phone, zipcode, Date, SSN.

 

var field = this.getField("clm_bdate");
for (x in field) {
console.println(x);
try {
console.println(field[x]);
}
catch(err) {
console.println("Error: " + err);
}
}

Correct answer JR Boulay

You should use the FORMREPORT plugin, which is part of the (free) abracadabraTools:

https://www.abracadabrapdf.net/?p=972

2 replies

JR Boulay
Community Expert
JR BoulayCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
May 1, 2024

You should use the FORMREPORT plugin, which is part of the (free) abracadabraTools:

https://www.abracadabrapdf.net/?p=972

Acrobate du PDF, InDesigner et Photoshopographe
Known Participant
May 1, 2024

Thanks for sharing the link JR, I will have it tested 

try67
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 30, 2024

> I have tried the below Script but still unable to extract the format information, Like phone, zipcode, Date, SSN.

 

Those settings can't be read using a script, unfortunately, only written. You would need a plugin or stand-alone tool to do it.

Known Participant
April 30, 2024

Hi try67, 

Is it possible to extract the field inuput values and validate the format based on the field name. 

Example: Field name: DOB - Field Value: "any date " if not it should show error.

try67
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 1, 2024

I have created a javascript which will update the values in  fields based on the format , However in my case if the format was not set to date the script will set the value as "text", while checking the entire form field i miss to identify the error. 

I have attached screenshot below for your reference. 

 

 

 

 


I don't understand what you mean. If you know that the "DOB" field should have a date, then you should also know what date pattern that date should have. If that's the case then you can validate the value of the field against that pattern. If you don't know the pattern then you can't really validate it.