I have been using Adobe Reader to output text from a form for a number of years and when I used it recently the format of the resultant text file is now different.
Previously each cell in the form appeared as a separate line in the text file but now each line of cells creates a corresponding line in the text file.
I have an excel spreadsheet which the text file is imported into and a vb macro then creates a new sheet of data formatted so that I can manipulate the figures but not now!
It's possible something changed in the way the application converts a PDF to a text file (it's not such a straight-forward task), or maybe something changed in the underlying structure of the files you're exporting. Or both...
To know for sure you would need to export an old file, where you know it worked differently before, or try the new files in an older version of Reader.
The pdf form I am using has not been changed so I managed to install an older version of Reader 11 and the text output format produced is as I am used to one cell per line. The oldest version I can get from Adobe is 19.008.20071 the latest is 20080 and both give me the different format so a change has been made prior to or in 20071.
I think you've proved Reader has changed. Adobe are always trying to improve this sort of thing (generally, people for whom it doesn't work well complain; while people who are happy don't. So the change reflects the unhappy people, and makes a different group unhappy). It's a pity Adobe don't give options instead, but you may need to look at a different workflow. If this is a fillable form, there are much better ways.
it is a fillable form which totals the finance columns and then uses those totals on page two of the form. You mentioned better ways to transfer or use the data what would you suggest?
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