Acrobat Reader DC - Barcode Gray

[chris77967]

Greetings,

I created a PDF Form using Acrobat Forms (AcroForms) having a barcode that contains the value of the form fields. The value of the barcode should be updated, whenever the content of the fields has changed and the document will be saved or printed, or the filed focus will be changed. Using Acrobat Reader 8+ works fine, the barcode will be updated correspondingly.

With Acrobat Reader DC the barcode will be grayed whenever it's content has to be updated.

Does anyone know the reason? Is this a problem of Acrobat Reader DC?

I have a sample pdf for analysis, please let me know if you can help.

Thank you in advance

Best regards,

Chris

[try67]

It's not a problem, it's a feature. To be able to update the value of a Barcode field in Reader, a special right must be applied to the file using LiveCycle Reader Extensions, an expensive server application by Adobe. Otherwise you can display a barcode field, but not update it. Alternatively, you can use a text field and a special barcode font, if you have a 1D barcode symbology, like 3-of-9.

[chris77967]

thanks for your replay. lifecycle is needed when the form was created with lifecycle (XFA). in this case is acroforms.

does acrobat reader dc support only lifecycle forms?

[try67]

No. Reader supports both kind of PDF forms.

On Fri, Oct 13, 2017 at 7:05 PM, chris77967 <forums_noreply@adobe.com>

[chris77967]

if both are supported, why doesn‘t work? does anyone want to analyse the pdf file?

[try67]

It does work. As I explained, that is how it is supposed to work, unless

you apply a special right to the file.

On Fri, Oct 13, 2017 at 8:08 PM, chris77967 <forums_noreply@adobe.com>

[chris77967]

what kind of right you supposed to be set? I would like to check it.

[Bernd Alheit]

Read this:

Adobe LiveCycle ES3 * Reader Extensions

[chris77967]

Hi Bernd,

thank you for your answer. Everyone makes reference to Adobe LiveCycle. The pdf was created using Adobe Acrobat XI using AcroForms and not LiveCycle.

It can be filled with Acrobat Reader 8, 9... but soon as the same PDF will be opened in Reader DC and the barcode should be updated, the barcode will be grayed.

May I send you the sample pdf file?

Thank you in advance

Best regards,

Chris

[Bernd Alheit]

Do you have the server product "LiveCycle Reader Extensions" ?

[chris77967]

no, I don't have it. The PDF's will be created with Adobe Acrobat Pro XI

[Test Screen Name]

LiveCycle Reader Extensions is the product you need, so the reason it fails is clear. The instructions are in the link you posted though the product is not named

• The form author enables the form for Acrobat Reader users (if the author wants to allow the users to save their own filled-in copy of the form or if it contains certain barcode fields).

[Bernd Alheit]

chris77967  wrote

no, I don't have it. The PDF's will be created with Adobe Acrobat Pro XI

Then the barcode will not be updated in Acrobat Reader. Use Acrobat Standard or Acrobat Pro to view and fill the form.

[chris77967]

The bar code on the pdf form was created using the instructions found here:

PDF barcode form fields

[Bernd Alheit]

LiveCycle Reader Extensions and LiveCycle Designer are different products.

[chris77967]

I've learned that using Acrobat Pro the barcode will be update only in Acrobat Reader. To be able to be updated with Acrobat Reader DC, the pdf will need special rights: "BarcodePlaintext" These can only be Set using LiveCycle Reader Extensions. Then the PDF can be filled up and the the barcode will render the new value. I don't have LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES but I'd like to check this.

@Bernd, would you please set these rights for me using LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES? I have created a very simple PDF having 3 Fields: Last, First Name and City and I can send you this file.

Thank you in advance,

Chris

[Bernd Alheit]

I can't do this.

[Test Screen Name]

Nobody can do this for you. The license for LiveCycle Reader Extensions is strict. This would breach the license terms, and would be traceable by Adobe.

[chris77967]

OK, I see. Is there any other option to test something like this, maybe extern services?

I also didn‘t find a trial version of it.

[try67]

- Not that I'm aware of.

- No trial version is available for this product.

[Test Screen Name]

Many people need this done for a single file. If it could be done for other people, or a sample was available, it might save many companies tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars (the license fee for LiveCycle Reader Extensions)... ! Adobe might not consider this in their interests.

Perhaps someone knows of an existing enabled form on the web which the original poster could use to verify the concept.