Hey Garth.  The orignal data XML that I used was just dummy data so the designer would put the proper data tags in the pdf.  My ASP saves the data from the post operation in a new XML file. Your import should work but make sure it is structured exactly like the export XML.  It should start with something like ..... or it won't map to the proper fields.

Need a consultant/programmer that is familiar with dynamic pdf forms. We need to be able to have a pdf form client side and as data is entered, other form data is looked up from a sql database on a webserver and automatically filled in - for example if you fill in your zip code, it looks up your city and state - if you fill in your student id, it looks up your name, address phone, etc - if you fill in your degree program, it looks up the total hours and tuition - you get the idea??

Once you're done filling out the form there is also new data that will be stored in the database. It is my understanding that this can be done with LiveCycle, Java, XML, ColdFusion, SQL???

Please email me if you have any input or you can contribute as a consultant or programmer, we're willing to pay the right person or people.

Thanks!!
Cynthia
chebultz@tstar.net

You need to do a Response.Write() for the XML part as well.

Garth do you have a sample file of this. i would like to see it in action. Thanks george@skyemark.com

Hi there!

I have nearly the same problem like you...

I want to populate a pdf form (created with designer 7)with XML by PHP and open it at client side to print or add other values.

Any idea to do this with PHP instead of ASP ?

Would help me very much...

ciao
Oliver

Hi David,
When you open up the form in acrobat reader, did you try to export the data in the form as an XDP file (can only be done from Profesionnal) and then opening this XDP file (it should launch the corresponding PDF file merged with the data in the XDP file). If that works and your ASP test doesn't, then your problem is in the ASP part. But beware of livecycle designer, when you get into it, get ready to struggle to tons of problems and bugs.

Actually FDF is to Acrobat forms what XDP is to Livecycle Designer's forms. It is not the same technology. I've already tried using FDF Toolkit with a form made with livecycle designer and it doesn't work.
You can download an evaluation version of Profesionnal 7 I think.

I looked at the problem one more time and found the error. If I omit then annot-Tag then the data are populated in the form.

In the next step I rewrote the servlet, so that you can name the Datafile as Url Parameter and the servlet sends form an data back to the client. Notice, the name of the pdf is part of the xdp.

package PDFXmlData;

import java.io.*;
import javax.servlet.*;
import javax.servlet.http.*;
import java.util.*;

/** merge Acrobat Designer Document with
* xml Data file
*/

public class Merge extends HttpServlet {
public void doGet(HttpServletRequest request,
HttpServletResponse response)
throws ServletException, IOException {
response.setContentType("application/vnd.adobe.xdp+xml");

String xmlFileLocation = request.getParameter("xmlFile");
if ( xmlFileLocation == null) {
// Error handling ...
return;
};

String file = getServletContext().getRealPath(xmlFileLocation);
try {
BufferedInputStream in =
new BufferedInputStream(new FileInputStream(file));
ByteArrayOutputStream byteStream =
new ByteArrayOutputStream(512);
int nRead;

while ((nRead = in.read()) != -1) {
byteStream.write(nRead);
}
in.close();

response.setContentLength(byteStream.size());
byteStream.writeTo(response.getOutputStream());
}
catch(IOException ioEx) {
}
}

public void doPost(HttpServletRequest request,
HttpServletResponse response)
throws ServletException, IOException {
doGet(request, response);
}
}

hi
I have a Web Page With PDF and asp, and write same example of here but
The asp page brings up the pdf file but the data does not seem to load
The file xdp is good, but not load in my Web PDF when use my asp

Why that problem?

Thanks for your help

lakshmin Ramakrishnan,

Could you help me a little here? I followed your Dot.NET code. Also created PDF and xml files. However, when I viewed the aspx file, I got some xml parse error message and did't see the pdf either.

I must missed something. Your help will be very appreciated!!!
Thanks in advance.
Jie

I did exactly what you did.
Borwser is loading with the appropriate PDF but not with the values.
Could you please send working copy to me.
Thanks again.

Garth,
In step 2 of your resolution, you mentioned to use data binding feature.
I want to know... is it (the data connection part) to be done just for testing purpose or whether it has any significance in actually generating dynamic PDF.

I am asking this question, 'cause in my case, I do not have separate XML data file. I am creating XML name value pairs in code and included that in XDP code.

Another question. What should be the "Return Method" be set to, when creating PDF form.
Fill then Submit (OR) Fill the Submit/Print (OR) Fill then Print (OR) Print

My requirement is same as yours except for XML data file which I mentioned above.

Any pointers would be of great help.

Thanks

I should have included in my message that I understand that it could not automatically save on the client (as this would be a big security no-no) -- I'm looking to then save it on the server.

Ravinder, were you actually able to get your PDF Document (Form) to load with data?  I have not been able to get my .NET page to populate my PDF document - the PDF loads in my Browser but has no data.  If you can post sample code that you were able to get to work, it would be appreciated, or if you notice something wrong with my code below, please let me know.<br /><br />Also, when my PDF document loads in my browser, I am prompted to "Open or Save" my .xdp file and if I click "Open", my PDF Form loads, but the fields are not populated.  How do I stop this prompt from loading?  I don't want the user(s) to be able to see this.<br /><br />My .NET page and XML file are listed below:<br />------------------------- .NET -----------------------------------<br />Imports System.Text<br />Imports System.IO<br /><br />Public Class WebForm1<br />    Inherits System.Web.UI.Page<br /><br />#Region " Web Form Designer Generated Code "<br /><br />    'This call is required by the Web Form Designer.<br />    <System.Diagnostics.DebuggerStepThrough()> Private Sub InitializeComponent()<br /><br />    End Sub<br /><br />    'NOTE: The following placeholder declaration is required by the Web Form Designer.<br />    'Do not delete or move it.<br />    Private designerPlaceholderDeclaration As System.Object<br /><br />    Private Sub Page_Init(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Init<br />        'CODEGEN: This method call is required by the Web Form Designer<br />        'Do not modify it using the code editor.<br />        InitializeComponent()<br />    End Sub<br /><br />#End Region<br /><br />    Private Sub Page_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load<br />        'Put user code to initialize the page here<br /><br />        Dim responseString As New StringBuilder<br />        Dim sr As StreamReader<br />        Dim xmldata As String<br /><br />        Response.ContentType = "application/vnd.adobe.xdp+xml"<br />        responseString.Append("<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>")<br />        responseString.Append("<?xfa generator='AdobeDesigner_V7.0' APIVersion='2.2.4333.0'?>")<br />        responseString.Append("<xdp:xdp xmlns:xdp='http://ns.adobe.com/xdp/'>")<br />        responseString.Append("<xfa:datasets xmlns:xfa='http://www.xfa.org/schema/xfa-data/1.0/'>")<br />        responseString.Append("<xfa:data xfa:dataNode='dataGroup'>")<br />        sr = File.OpenText("c:\\inetpub\\wwwroot\\PDFFiller\\TestForm_data.xml")<b r />        xmldata = sr.ReadToEnd()<br />        sr.Close()<br />        responseString.Append(xmldata)<br /><br />        'responseString.Append("<form1>")<br />        'responseString.Append("<txtFirstName>Homer</txtFirstName>")<br />        'responseString.Append("<txtLastName>Simpson</txtLastName>")<br />        'responseString.Append("</form1>")<br /><br />        responseString.Append("</xfa:data>")<br />        responseString.Append("</xfa:datasets>")<br />        responseString.Append("<pdf href='http://localhost/PDFFiller/TestForm.pdf' xmlns='http://ns.adobe.com/xdp/pdf/' />")<br />        responseString.Append("<xfdf xmlns='http://ns.adobe.com/xfdf/' xml:space='preserve'>")<br />        responseString.Append("<annots/>")<br />        responseString.Append("</xfdf>")<br />        responseString.Append("</xdp:xdp>")<br /><br />        Response.Write(responseString)<br />        Response.Flush()<br />        Response.End()<br /><br />    End Sub<br /><br />End Class<br /><br />----------------------End .NET -----------------------------------<br /><br />--------- XML (TestForm_data.xml) --------------------------------<br /><form1><txtFirstName>Homer</txtFirstName><txtLastName>Simpson</txtL astName></form1><br />----------------------End XML -----------------------------------

I'm worried.

Is this approach described in any official Adobe documentation? PDF and XDP are open specs, right? Where is all this specified? With which versions of Reader/Acrobat does this work? Can we rely on this approach working in future versions?

The main source of my concern is this. The ability to merge XML data with PDF forms on a server is the main feature of Adobe LiveCycle Forms, a server product that sells for tens of thousands of dollars. Why would Adobe create and support a means of pre-filling forms that doesn't provide any revenue for them? It makes one question the value/purpose of Adobe LiveCycle Forms (the server product).

I see that the PDF packet in this xdp provides the PDF itself by reference. I wonder if you could also provided it as a base-64 encoded string. I wonder too if you could include the XDP template as well. If so, what happens when the XDP template that you include doesn't match up with the PDF node. What does Reader display?

Thanks to all who have contributed to this very useful and thought-provoking thread.

Jared Langdon
www.jlangdon.ca

Btw, if you guys generate your own XFA like this, you should not be specifying Designer as the xfa generator. Designer is not generating this XFA, you are.

Chris
Adobe Enterprise Developer Support

Great Discussion!<br /><br />Another question here tat might be relevant...<br /><br />Is there a way to make an XDP document stand alone? I know XDP requires the <pdf href=""> tag, but what if we want to send the filled out XDP file to someone who does not have access to the href location? Is there a way we can embed the PDF into the XDP so it is a self contained unit?<br /><br />Thanks,<br />Bob