pdf forms for ipad

[Guest]

I have been creating PDF forms meant to be filled out on desktop for years. They are busy, complicated, and used for functions like inventory order forms. My client wants to be able to fill these out using an iPad. I have tried Acrobat Reader XI and Adobe Fill & Sign on iPad but they don't recognize the form fields I created in Acrobat Pro DC.

Does anyone have recommendations for best practices, links to good documentation, or other suggestions (other than giving up...).

Thanks.

[George_Johnson]

Try Readdle's PDF Expert.

[Guest]

I just looked into this and don't understand how a Finder app will recognize the form fields I have programmed into my PDF. Could you please explain more?

[JR Boulay]

I have tried Acrobat Reader XI … on iPad

Really???

[first.officer]

Oddly enough, I had an online chat with an advisor earlier today about this very matter - I find it very odd that you can create amazing forms with Adobe Acrobat DC pro, include some great JavaScript to bring it to life in various ways, so the end user has an ideal form to work with, and enhance the experience......and then have it all rendered 'null and void' by the fact that a freely available Adobe Reader application (Apple iOS) then doesn't support some of the scripts written. That's kind of an 'own goal' isn't it? especially when third party supplies such as Readdle PDF Expert 6 and Fluix do such a great job of supporting such scripts.

I would suggest that Adobe include the ability to support the scripts that others previously mentioned apps, obviously can and do support, as they IMHO are negating the benefit of creating these forms for ordinary consumption, and of course if someone wants to fill in a downloadable form say just once or twice (which is pretty much the norm I suspect!), then they are certainly not going to be enticed to do this by a costed (££'s) application to support the JavaScript features I've built in, unless they already had such application....

Am I missing something obvious here?

[gkaiseril]

Not all developers of technology devices include all the geatires of similar devices.

You also need to comsider that the PDF format was developed over 25 years ago well before mobile devices were abailable.

Adobe no longer is the keeper of the PDF standard. Adobe has posted dovumentation as to what fatures their mobile app sipports.

Apple hss chosen not to support the JavaScript needed by Adobe's extended standard.

Have you considered bringing these short comings to the other creators making the mobile devices and apps?

[NKOWA555]

For optimum compatibility across all devices, you should convert the PDFs to HTML. The HTML form can submit to a server side script. The script can merge the HTML field values with blank PDF using 3rd party libraries; such as iText/iTextSharp.

Email, save, or output the PDF forms populated from the HTML form.

Visit the following link for an online example:

fdftoolkit.net/examples/example_html.htm

+Private message me if you are interested in a custom solution that is compatible across all devices.

[Guest]

With regard to converting to HTML, my client will not be collecting data electronically. They are just dipping their toes into the water of  converting their order forms to something they can fill out on a computer.