var test = "AF"; makes Custom Keystroke Script vanish

[davidh71258741]

I have been trying to make an array using a Custom Keystroke Script for a form field and after much troubleshooting discovered that for whatever reason trying to put the string "AF" into a var makes the entire script vanish when I click the OK button.

Using the following causes script to vanish.

var test = ["AF"];

I have tried the initialization in the Debugger and it works fine but it won't work in the PDF.

I also tested

var test = "AF";

that also doesn't work. Why can I not initialize the String "AF" using a Custom Keystroke Script in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC?

While testing I used the strings "Af", "BF", "ALFALFA", "AFTER", "AFRICAN" and "NAFTA", the first 3 work but as long as there is a capital "A" and a capital "F" in the string in that order it makes the entire script vanish. BOLD cause issue.

I go into edit Custom Keystroke Script:

I then type the offending var test = ["AF"]; and click OK.

Then it drops me back out to this.

When I go back in and try a different string it does this.

[try67]

I think I know why this is happening, yes.

Acrobat has a set of built-in, hidden, functions that start with AF that are used for various things like the Format and Keystroke events. For example, the built-in function that is used when you select the Date option under Format is called AFDate_KeystrokeEx. If you enter code that uses this function name the code disappears from view, even though it's still accepted.

My guess is that there's some kind of built-in mechanism in the application that looks at the code and if it contains the string "AF" then it treats it as if it's using one of those built-in functions and tries to display those settings in the UI. If it can't do that it shows as if nothing was entered. Not great software design, really...

[davidh71258741]

Not sure if this is actually the reason, but if it is you are right, NOT great software design.

[Bernd Alheit]

You can use "A" + "F"

[davidh71258741]

Thank you, this is a functional workaround. Just super annoying it is necessary.