Multi-option check boxes in a form

[c.chap]

Hello!

How would I create a checkbox that: 

If clicked once, shows "checked"

If clicked twice, shows "strike through"

If clicked three times, shows blank

Please send over any tips, thanks!

[try67]

A check-box can't do that. You can use a button field to do it, though, using a script. Try searching the forum for "tri-state field".

[Eric Dumas]

I would consider a drop-down list

[JR Boulay]

Here is a sample of a tri-state field: https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:b752bed2-3279-4360-aacb-00fb993eccf5

[Eric Dumas]

Hi JR,

I clicked on your link and it opened Document Cloud in the browser, but no document was visible.

[Bernd Alheit]

Try a other browser.

[JR Boulay]

Using the browser you will only see a blank page with a white button with a green check, you must find the "Download" button and open it with Acrobat Pro.

[Thom Parker]

Here's a simple script for creating a 3-state button. Put it in the "MouseUp" action on the button. The font for the button needs to be set to a plain type 1 font, like Helvetica. The the button option to Label Only. 

You could also change the border and background properties with each click.

var strDash = "\u2014";
var strCheck = "\u2713";
var strVal = event.target.buttonGetCaption();
switch(strVal)
{
	case "":
	   event.target.buttonSetCaption(strCheck);
	   break;
	case strCheck:
	   event.target.buttonSetCaption(strDash);
	   break;
	case strDash:
	default:
	   event.target.buttonSetCaption("");
	   break;
}

[moejito04]

hi, can this be adjusted to have 4 states?

[Thom Parker]

Absolutely, just add another case statement. 

var strDash = "\u2014";
var str4thState = "4";
var strVal = event.target.buttonGetCaption();
switch(strVal)
{
	case "":
	   event.target.buttonSetCaption(strCheck);
	   break;
	case strCheck:
	   event.target.buttonSetCaption(strDash);
	   break;
	case strDash:
	   event.target.buttonSetCaption(str4thState);
	   break;
	case str4thState:
	default:
	   event.target.buttonSetCaption("");
	   break;
}

[moejito04]

Thank you! Super helpful, worked like a charm. However, does this button coding only work within Acrobat Pro specifically, or can other PDF readers (e.g. Preview on Mac, and whatever the default is on Windows) have this function too?

[JR Boulay]

No, because you need real PDF reader software, that supports JavaScript.

[Jamesicle7]

I'm having trouble. Maybe a recent update has changed settings so I no longer have certain options. 

The cannot specify a particular font for the checkbox. I also cannot find the button option: "Label Only". See attached screenshots

[try67]

These are options of a button field, not a check-box.

[Jamesicle7]

That worked like a charm! Thank you.

Now, I have a second question. How do I edit the appearance of the 3-States?

1st Click= Filled Box

2nd Click= Diagonal Strike

3rd Click= Blank

The following is what I want it to look like:

[try67]

That will require using images, not just plain text, and is more complicated to implement.