Substituing a text box for a tick box

[timg92125573]

I have got a PDF form which has been converted by Adobe into a fillable form. Only thing is that it has converted some boxes into a free writing box whereas I want it as a tick box.

It seems like the only way I can do this is to insert this box over the current free writing box and its fiddly and time consuming.

Is there a way that I can just substitute the free writing box for a tick box without having to change the size or shape of the box?

[gkaiseril · Accepted solution]

I would delete the text box field and then add a check box field or check boxes if they are part of an exclusionary group.

The form Wizard is pretty poor at creating form fields. I just create them all manually using tools like create mulitiple copies as needed.

[JR Boulay]

Is there a way that I can just substitute the free writing box for a tick box without having to change the size or shape of the box?

Hi.

This is possible but… it requires Acrobat 5 ou 4. Beginning with Acrobat 6 we cannot change a field type.

I still don't know why.

As George said, you must delete the text field and create a new checkbox.

[maxwyss]

Knowing that it is a rhetoric question, but wasn't that when Adobe moved the development of Acrobat to another continent, breaking all the understood concepts and sense of responsibility from the Best Acrobat Ever (Acrobat 5). The result was the Worst Acrobat Ever (Acrobat 6), and starting the "even version number curse" for Acrobat (even version numbered Acrobats sucked more or less big time).

And, of course, despite many requests, Adobe still has not been able (or willing; probably both) to provide the getAction() JavaScript method…

(so much for my Saturday Morning Rant…)

[timg92125573]

It looks like this is the only way to do this - how hopeless is that? Surely it isn't rocket science to have a button to simply change the box format. I see a developed elsewhere on the web has done a fix for this at a cost of $50 - why can't Adobe use this guy's solution and add it into the format?

Really frustrated about this.

[maxwyss]

As already stated, that was possible in the first Acrobat versions. It was a decision by Adobe to break that feature.

Of course, feel free to make an according feature request.

And, if you want to save those $50, feel free to write your script; what you'd have to do is well described in this thread.