Acrobat Form Glitch with calculations [title corrected by mod]

[Cynthia0D4E]

I've been creating basic forms in Acrobat Pro form quite awhile now.  I created a grant application in November, and one page used two columns with a basic sum. I checked it for accuracy, as well as having another coworker proof as well, and all the calcuations work.  Satisfied I uploaded it to our office's webpage.

It has come to my attention that users were finding that their totals were not working.  Perplexed, I went out to our webpage, opened up the document, went through the simple budget columns and noticed that, indeed they were not calculating properly. I downloaded it to my computer, and when I went through it, again they were not calculating.   Taking it a step further, I went to the original form I created and it worked without flaw.

Could there have been an issue in the upload?  I've searched other posts and have found similar questions, but not answers that reflect my query.  I need to rectify this for any future forms that use sums.

[ls_rbls]

Seems like you shared an unprotected PDF and the users are also not using Acrobat nor Reader to view it.

You may need to restrict the PDF with password and encryption, and additionally saving it with Reader enabled rights for some backward compatibility with older versions, or for those users who doesn't use Acribat or Reader at all.

I may be totally wrong though.

If I understood your inquiry correctly, is this a PDF that was converted to a web form?

[Cynthia0D4E]

No it wasn't a web form.  It was a pdf that I uploaded to our webpage.  

[ls_rbls]

Ok, so the problematic PDF is the one that the users are downloading from your web page.

Is the PDF accessed via shared link to a Cloud service or a direct link to a file that resides in a file server/web server?

As Berndt Alheit suggested, have you compare the original file against the uploaded copy? 

Additionally, I would run a full report on the problematic file using the Accessibility Checker tool.

The report will reveal what is wrong through a series of failed tests on that PDF.

Is this a file that you can share here with us?

[Cynthia0D4E]

Additionally, as I go through the grant forms received back (which I can not post here for obvious reasons), I notice that some had no issues with the calculations. Others, printed and scanned (UGH - text recognition needed) because the financial page didn't work and gave crazy calculations with no rhyme or reason.  Some of them showed column one tallying inaccurately, while column two was on the money!  

The Accessibility Checker was completed, like I said with some errors, but short of having the field descrptions too long, I was unable to understand where the problem is.

I am now deducing that your thought about the comaptibility may come into play.  

[ls_rbls]

I will recreate your PDF example as share it back here so you can test again and see if you get the same issues when you upload this new PDF back in your web page.

[Bernd Alheit]

Compare the downloaded form with the original form.

[Cynthia0D4E]

Yes.  This is the file.  Have done many of these simple sum calculations and have never had this Glitch (not Flitch - LOL)

https://www.dio.org/uploads/files/Social%20Concerns/DCJH/2021_DCJH_APPLICATION_RVSD_fillable.pdf

[Cynthia0D4E]

Well I've found I have plenty of Failed Field descriptions. Although nothing has given anyone problems except the sum calculation.  

[Cynthia0D4E]

Also noting that the form was created as a Word document first (which I did not create) and then converted into a PDF, which then was created into a form.  This report is enlightening as I have never had any training on Acrobat - just learning as I go along.  SO thank you for all the assistance.

[ls_rbls]

So here's a copy of the fixed file: 

• https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:d05732ba-db46-4f53-83e9-e81aabb5eb30

I followed the guidance of Berndt Alheit and just renamed the calculating fields with shorter names.

Before you upload this file again, ensure that you protect and encrypt with password and select not to allow editing except for filling the form and printing.

In addition, use "Save As Other"--->> "Reader Extended PDF".

I was able to test this file in Internet Explorer 11 with the Acrobat PDF Maker extension enabled in that browser and it worked good. I also tested in a couple of Chrome-based web browser including the new Micrososft Edge and Google Chrome web browsers and it worked good.

It didn't worked at all with the latest version of Mozilla Firefox web browser though.

Here's a copy example of the same file but Saved As Other with Reader enabled rights so you can test what the user may try to do to the file and how it will prevent further editing. This is the copy that you must share via that web page:

• https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:8efad31d-ec2c-47ea-9b30-160d4c4ba180

[Bernd Alheit · Accepted solution]

Use short names for the fields. Then you can see better the names when you choose the fields for the calculation.

[Cynthia0D4E]

YES YES  I noticed that when I started going through it to check for any issues. THANK YOU.