Using checkboxes to input text from text fields

[lukeiscrafty]

Hi, I am struggling to find an elegant solution to a script I would like to run. Simply I have 21 check boxes (var a1 – var a21) that each correspond to a test result. At the end of the test I have a button action that inputs the all results that failed ie. those Checkboxes that aren’t ticked into a textbox. At current I have achieved using several text boxes and the following:

// checkboxes for test results

var    a1    =    this.getField("    cb1    ")

var    a2    =    this.getField("    cb2    ")

………

var    a21    =    this.getField("    cb21    ")

// text fields for failed results

var    tb1    =    this.getField("    Text1.0    ")

……….

var    tb9    =    this.getField("    Text1.8    ")

// text fields that store pre-defined reults

var    bb1    =    this.getField("    bk1.0    ")

…………

var    bb21    =    this.getField("    bk1.20    ")

if(a1.value == "Off" && tb1.value==""){tb1.value = bb1.value;}

if(a2.value == "Off" && tb1.value==""){tb1.value = bb2.value;}

else if(a2.value == "Off" && tb2.value==""){tb2.value = bb2.value;}

    if(    a3    .value == "Off" &&    tb1    .value =="") {    tb1    .value =    bb3    .value;}

else    if(    a3    .value == "Off" &&    tb2    .value =="") {    tb2    .value =    bb3    .value;}

else    if(    a3    .value == "Off" &&    tb3    .value =="") {    tb3    .value =    bb3    .value;}

…….. etc all the way through to var a21.

Surely there is a better way to do this in one text box that just lists the failed results from “bb1 –bb21” if the “a1 – a21” aren’t checked? 

Many thanks in advance.

[Thom Parker · Accepted solution]

Yes, there is a much easier way.

1) Get rid of the individual failed result fields (tb)  and replace it with one tall multiline field named "FailedResult"

2) Rename the fields so they are easier to script.

    The check boxes can be "cb.0", "cb.1", etc

   Leave the predefined result field names. But "cb.0" needs to correspond to "bk1.0" and so forth

3) Use this code

// Get array of checkboxes
var aChecks = this.getField("cb").getArray();

// Initialize combined result text
var strFailedRslt = "";

// Loop over checks and build failed result text
var oDoc = this;
var cFldIdx, oRsltFld;
aChecks.forEach(function(oChk){
          if(oChk.value == "Off"){
              cFldIdx = oChk.name.split(".").pop();
              oRsltFld = oDoc.getField("bk1." + cFldIdx);
              strFailedRslt += oRsltFld.value + "\n";
          }
});

// Set result text
this.getField("FailedResult").value = strFailedRslt;

 

This script uses the field grouping feature of Acrobat JavaScript in combination with paralell field naming so we can automatically relate one field to another through the name. 

[lukeiscrafty]

Thom,

Thanks heaps! I knew there would be a much cleaner way to do it. I can honestly say I have no idea what a lot of those things do but I'm eager to try it out. 

Again many thanks for your help.

[lukeiscrafty]

Hi Thom, the above works perfectly. Is there any way to add an incrementing number to the return of each line? Ie.

"(1) Failed result 1

(2) Failed result 2 etc etc."

I tried playing around with the 

= oRsltFld.value + "\n"; and could get it to return the right format but couldn't get the number to increment with each result.

Many thanks in advance.

Luke

[Thom Parker]

try this modification:

// Get array of checkboxes
var aChecks = this.getField("cb").getArray();

// Initialize combined result text
var strFailedRslt = "";

// Loop over checks and build failed result text
var oDoc = this;
var cFldIdx, oRsltFld, nInc = 1;
aChecks.forEach(function(oChk){
          if(oChk.value == "Off"){
              cFldIdx = oChk.name.split(".").pop();
              oRsltFld = oDoc.getField("bk1." + cFldIdx);
              strFailedRslt += "(" + nInc + ") " + oRsltFld.value + "\n";
              ++nInc;
          }
});

// Set result text
this.getField("FailedResult").value = strFailedRslt;

[lukeiscrafty]

Thanks again Thom, you are a legend. Works perfectly. I tried to also get it to convert to ASCII so I could increment in different formats ie. (A), (B)..... etc but it doesn't seem possible? 

[Thom Parker]

Yes, letters can be used. But conversion to ASCII requires the correct codes. 

To start at "A", initialize the increment from the char code for "A":

nInc = "A".charCodeAt(0);

then to display the letter, convert back to the char code. 

strFailedRslt += "(" + String.fromCharCode(nInc)+ ") " + oRsltFld.value + "\n";

[lukeiscrafty]

You. Are. A. Legend! This is perfect, many thanks for your time. I had the first part but couldn't get it back to characters.