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bigwexi
Participating Frequently
February 16, 2023
Question

Rights-Enabled PDF Files

  • February 16, 2023
  • 2 replies
  • 4327 views

Can anyone explain what is needed to create PDF Forms for Acrobat Reader use with "Additional usage rights" such as "JavaScript (which) allows SOAP access in forms".

 

We are a small office of 4 professionals (Acrobat DC PRO  and Acrobat DC subscribed) with hundreds of Acrobat Reader users of our services.

 

Technically I guess we need to "distill" a PDF with a licensed Certificate... more details please.

Commercially I hope it is not price prohibitive...

 

Thanks, Enoch.

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2 replies

T
Test Screen Name
Legend
February 20, 2023

I don't know how you define cost prohibitive. Remember this can be done by buying Acrobat for all your end users. So to allow it to happen in Reader, Adobe are going to want to reclaim all the lost Acrobat sales, maybe a few hundred. The price of AEM is "by negotation" but rumour suggests 5-6 figures US$. 

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    bigwexiAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    February 22, 2023

    So to enable the simplest PDF right in the Reader one needs to have expensive AEM server memberfship. That does not make commercial sense to me. 

    Thom Parker
    Community Expert
    Thom ParkerCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 22, 2023

    AEM is for enterprise users, which by definition means they can afford it. 

     

    It's doesn't make sense to use JavaScript to detect a viewer other then Acrobat or Reader.

    For two reasons

    1. If a 3rd party PDF viewer doesn't implement JS, then the code doesn't do anything because it never runs.

    2. If a 3rd party PDF viewer does implement JS, then it will return one of the values you've provided, even though it isn't.

     

    There is no JS method for handling non-compliant viewers, but there is a technique. Cover the PDF pages with something that can be removed with JavaScript. Use a document level script to remove it when the PDF is loaded. If the viewer handle JS, the the page cover will be removed and the user will probably never know it was there. But if the viewer doesn't support JS, then the cover will remain.  You'll find and example of this here:

    https://www.pdfscripting.com/public/Lite-Document-Security-Description.cfm

     

    And finally, the Acrobat Mobile Reader does have limited support for form submits. And so does the Readdle PDF Expert viewer. 

     

    Thom Parker - Software Developer at PDFScriptingUse the Acrobat JavaScript Reference early and often
    Thom Parker
    Community Expert
    Thom ParkerCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 20, 2023

    Talk to Adobe Sales.  This is something that I believe is done with the AEM server.  And it will be cost prohibitive. 

    If you need a PDF to communicate with web service you've created, then I'd suggest using regular HTTP POST instead of SOAP.  A PDF form submit sends an HTTP post, If done through JavaScript the payload can be set as custom XML.  Not an efficient process, but it doesn't require Reader extensions. 

     

    Thom Parker - Software Developer at PDFScriptingUse the Acrobat JavaScript Reference early and often
      B
      bigwexiAuthor
      Participating Frequently
      February 20, 2023

      Thanks, our Reader clients already submit (FDF PUT their) data to our web server but, of-course, they can't receive anything. In other words, our Readers using regular PDF Forms can't participate in an interactive service via JavaScript powered PDF, what a shame. Otherwise, PDF Forms could have become GUI mainstream.

       
      B
      bigwexiAuthor
      Participating Frequently
      February 21, 2023

      Why don't they receive anything back from the server?  If it's under your control, then the server script can be modified to return FDF.

       


      Background: We are a typical large Home Owner Association, i.e., many members, small office.

      Retrieval of FDF data (which our Assoc members submit using their Readers, including images!) works well at our office which uses subscription based Acrobat version mix (STD and PRO).  
      However, the same script does not work when run in the Reader.  It relies on the member's web browser.

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