Expand my Community achievements bar.

Dive into Adobe Summit 2024! Explore curated list of AEM sessions & labs, register, connect with experts, ask questions, engage, and share insights. Don't miss the excitement.

PDF/HTML Forms on Workflow Server 6.2

Avatar

Former Community Member
Hi,



I am really in trouble.

I have a Workflow Server 6.2, without Form Server, and I need to give my client a tool for design forms to use in the processes.

I am trying to create a form in Adobe Designer 7, saving it as PDF and using in my process (webaccess). It is not working. The AWS WebAccess presents me the PDF form without the valid actions (defined in the process) and the submit does not work.

My second option was using Form Designer 5, which can save the form as HTML for using with the workflow server. Well, it is not working as I wish. When I configure the task for using the HTML form, the workflow designer tells me that it is not possible to read the form fields. It does not understand the embedded XFT. It used to work with Workflow Server 6.1.

BIG problem.

Anyone have any idea about how can I create the forms (HTML or PDF) with Adobe Designer 7 (or even Form Designer 5) for using with Workflow Server 6.2 without the need of the Reader Extension and Form Server? Is there any AWS fix that can help me?



Regards.
20 Replies

Avatar

Former Community Member
I use Form Designer 5 with Workflow Server 6.1. When you're designing forms, you need to save them with the HTM stub for Adobe Workflow Server option. Then you set the Start Form in Workflow Designer to the XFT file. The XFT and HTM files need to be in the same directory on the server.

Avatar

Former Community Member
Marcelo-



Not sure if AWS 6.2 will natively support Forms Designed through LiveCycle 7.0 - its best to check with Adobe Support.



Concerning the Adobe 5.0 Designer, associated the xft to the process instead of the html stub - the fields will be imported.

Avatar

Former Community Member
Ok. I've created the XFT and saved with the HTML Stub for AWS option. I put both files, XFT and HTML, in "Workflow Server\WebAccess\Web\Forms\HTML" folder and I configured the start form in designer to the XFT file.



Case 1: I used the HTML created for AWS (C:\Program Files\Adobe\Form Designer\Workflow Server Forms). The WebAccess shows me the form with the correct actions configured in the Designer, but the submit does not work. After click on submit the form becames blank and nothing happens.



Case 2: I used the HTML Stub created (same folder as XFT). The WebAccess shows me a blank form.



I used the custom fields for workflow server forms available in Form Designer. I don´t know what to do.



Do you have any example (proccess and forms that works)? Remember thet I don't have Form Server.



Thanks again.

Avatar

Former Community Member
You need to put both the .XFT and .HTM stub files in the C:\Program Files\Adobe Workflow Server\WebAccess\Web\Forms\Form Client\Forms directory and in your workflow process, under start forms, point it to the .XFT file.

Avatar

Former Community Member
I've already done it but when I try to initiate the proccess the WebAccess shows me the message bellow and does not show me the form.



Your form preferences determine the type(s) of form that Web Access will display. At this time Web Access does not have access to a form that can be used to display the work item according to your current preferences. Check the "Form" section of your preference settings to ensure that you have indicated at least one Web form type. If you have checked one or more web formats in your Web Access preferences, contact your administrator to verify that at least one of these forms is available for the specified task.



Message:



This work item is available in these web formats:



Your web form preferences include these formats: PDF, Form Client, HTML



In order to open this work item you must change your web form preferences to include one of the available formats or have your workflow administrator provide the form in a web format suitable to your preferences.



Work item reference ID: gg35d8kkw4je3axs5uce9y3hh6.1



Any idea?

Avatar

Former Community Member
In Administrator, under Users, select the user that you are trying to initiate the process as, right-click and choose Properties. Under Form Preferences, in the Workflow and WebAccess Form Preferences box, make sure Form Client and HTML are selected, but not PDF.

Avatar

Former Community Member
Okay see if I can explain things a bit more indepth.



1- Your xft\htm stub for AWS must be placed within:

"C:\Program Files\Adobe Workflow Server\WebAccess\Web\Forms\Form Client\Forms" directory



2- Ensure you have either the Adobe Control Server Components installed within "C:\Program Files\Adobe Workflow Server\WebAccess\Web\Forms\Form Client" directory or that you just create a directory called "Codebase". Whether or not the codebase directory contains CAB files does not matter, UNLESS you are pushing down the ActiveX through regular means. If you are deploying the Adobe EUC then you do NOT need to install the Server Components but again still required the Codebase directory.



3- Run iisreset after installing or adding the Codebase directory as noted in #2.



4- Ensure user form preference include FormClient.



5- Ensure you are using the correct htm stub. If its 1 kb in size you've compiled the wrong one. You want the 2nd selection in the SaveAs window.



I think I've covered the major issues but there could be a host of other things that could at fault. You may be best served by calling Adobe Support.

Avatar

Former Community Member
Ok. If I am understanding you I will have to buy Form Client software. Is that right?



I thought I could use an html form designed with Form Designer in the Workflow Server without any other software. Am I wrong?



Thanks again.

Avatar

Former Community Member
If you wish to use Adobe Form Designer 5.0 its based off of ActiveX technology then yes you need Form Client.



Instead of wasting time and money - why not back track and simply ask Adobe if you can implement LivCycle 7.0 forms with AWS 6.2. If you can then maybe you missed something in your forms implemenation.

Avatar

Former Community Member
Hi, Marcelo.



That one is quite simple.... All you gotta do is to create the basic Action fields on your form and to script a submit button as follows:



1 - Create a hidden form field called JFWF_PDFINFO;

2 - Create the action list box called JFWF_ACTION;

3 - Create a button, which will run a JavaScript on the MouseUP event.



Here's the secret:



When you create a PDF form outside the Designer (e.g. using MS Word and Acrobat 6.0, for an instance) you have to customize the script for the Submit button. This is an example of a script that should be run on the MouseUP event of your submit button:



var boEnvia = true;

var oPDFInfoField = this.getField("JFWF_PDFINFO");

var aPDFInfo = oPDFInfoField.value.split(";");

var sTargetURL = "";// first element is the URL to post to

var sCleared = "";

var sRadioButtons = "";



if (boEnvia){

// see if potential checked checkboxes have been cleared

for (var i = 1; i < aPDFInfo.length; i++) {

var aNameValue = aPDFInfo[i].split("=");

var sName = aNameValue[0];

var sValue = aNameValue[1];



if (sName == "XFIELDS") {

var aFieldNames = sValue.split(",");

for ( var x = 0; x < aFieldNames.length; x++) {

var oField = this.getField(aFieldNames[x]);



if (oField != null && oField.type == "checkbox" && !oField.isBoxChecked(0)) {

if (sCleared == "")

sCleared = ";UNCHECKED=" + aFieldNames[x];

else

sCleared += "," + aFieldNames[x];

}

}

}

else if (sName == "TARGETURL")

sTargetURL = sValue;

}



// Save radio button names...

for (var x = 0; x < this.numFields; x++) {

if (this.getField(this.getNthFieldName(x)).type == "radiobutton") {

if (sRadioButtons == "")

sRadioButtons = ";RB=" + this.getNthFieldName(x);

else

sRadioButtons += "," + this.getNthFieldName(x);

}

}



if (app.viewerVersion < 6) {

oPDFInfoField.value += "ENCODING=PDFDocEncoding" + sCleared + sRadioButtons

this.submitForm( sTargetURL,

false, // HTML form

true, // Post all fields (true), or do Not post all fields (false)

null,

false, // Use post method (false)

false); // For forms, do not submit annotations

}

else{

oPDFInfoField.value += "ENCODING=UTF-8" + sCleared + sRadioButtons;

this.submitForm({cURL: sTargetURL,

bEmpty: true, // Post all fields (true), or do Not post all fields (false)

cSubmitAs: "HTML", // Post URL-Encoded

cCharset: "utf-8"});

}



}



I´m sending you a form that I used to test e-mail notifications here at MCR... By the way, could some one help me on the topic I just posted? Can´t get the Agent to connect properly to an e-mail server.



Thanks.

Avatar

Former Community Member
To implement LivCycle 7.0 forms with AWS 6.2 you need to purchase another Adobe product (I think it is adobe form server), as these versions are not inherently compatible. Contact Adobe for more info or see http://www.adobe.com/products/server/formmanager/main.html.



But, yes you can create HTML forms with no Adobe tools, instructions are in the designer.chm file, look under 'Using Workflow Server Designer' - > 'Creating and using HTML forms' topic. It explains pretty much all you need. Except where to store the form - that is the /forms/html/forms directory (as per previous posts.)

Avatar

Former Community Member
Marcelo-



You'd probably save yourself a lot of unwarranted headache \ time by getting in touch with your Adobe Account Mgr and simply ask "What components do I need to get this to work..."



My 2 cents, Adobe 7.0 forms will not render natively in AWS 6.2 environment unless you have the Adobe Form Manager Component. However, as Sanna eluded to in an earlier post, if you wish serve dynamic form content within AWS( using Adobe 7.0 forms ) then you require Adobe Form Server on top of all that.



So bottom line:

AWS 6.2 serving Adobe 7.0 Forms requires:

- Adobe Form Mgr

- Adobe Form Server ( if you wish to serve dynamic form content )



FYI...Not sure if you have any environmental constraints but Adobe Form Manager will only run on a J2EE platform.

Avatar

Former Community Member
Ok.

Thanks all.

I already have the answers I needed.

Avatar

Former Community Member
I have a two checkboxes in Adobe 5.0 which are named the same so when one is chosen the other is off. The valuse are Yes and No. What I am try to do is on the form load determine if the Yes box is checked and if so then set both boxes to read only until another field, decommision date, is filled out saved and the form is re-loaded. I have tried setting using this.getfield(fieldname).readonly = true, but this is not working and I cannot get both checkboxes to set to readonly.



Thanks for any help

Andrew Kiser

Avatar

Former Community Member
I have a problem with process instances being prematurely set as completed. I have a way of reactivating the process instance which requires me to manually update a record in ITWORKITEMS. IN all instances I find that the column WISTATE in the row with with highest WIID is set to a negative value. Does anybody have a writeup on the workflow internals from which I can research this problem? I implemented the first workflow process using JetForm & InTempo in 1999. The product went from Jetform to Accelio which is now in the Adobe family. I am operating Adobe Workflow Server 6.2 and use Adobe 5.0 for the forms. Thanks.

Avatar

Former Community Member
Hello Isaac,



Do you happen to know how to restart a stalled workitem by updating the ITWORKITEMS or the ITSTALLED tables?



Please le tme know it will be helpful.



Regards...

Avatar

Former Community Member
Yes, I do. In the situation I am facing, the process instance is NOT stalled. It shows up as completed even though in the workflow, the task where the "completed" flag was set, the process instance should have still been active. Another question. Has anybody come up with an archiving procedure for completed forms?

Avatar

Former Community Member
Hello Isaac,



Could you please tell me the queries you use to restart a stalled workitem because I have not been able to figure it out.



Regarding the archiving procedure for completed forms I have manage to recover information from any task (data & stored files) in the proccess I don't know if this is what you are looking for.



I will be waiting for your comments.



Regards...

Avatar

Former Community Member
Does anybody knows how to restart a stalled workitem in Workflow Server 6.2 by updating the tables of the workflow database? please let me know it will be helpful.



Regards...

Avatar

Level 1

thank you guys for your answers, i had similar problems with creating pdf, your posts are really usefull, it is much more clear now for me, there is really lots of things to learn every day.

regards,

________________

web design sydney