Renumbering Form Fields in InDesign CS6
I created a nine page interactive form document with all elements inserted. Each form field was inserted as a box and converted to an interactive text box. At some point there were copies of copies. Some were deleted, some were moved around.
Is there an easy way to recalculate or renumber the form fields to get them in the right order? In other words, eliminate all the box numbers that were deleted, and get the numbers to flow without skipping?
Thank you!
Linda
I think what you're asking for is called setting the Tab Order. This is the order of fields when you tab from field to field in a PDF file.
I believe there are two ways to do this. The first is to use the Tab Order command. Select Object > Interactive > Tab Order > Set Tab Order. I've never worked on more than a one page form so I don't know if that is a page-by-page command. Obviously this would be easier if you named each of your form fields and not numbered them.
The second way, which Sandee Cohen demonstrated in a webinar I watched, is to use the Articles panel. You'd create a new article by dragging the first field to the Articles panel, then keep dragging them in tab order.
I've not used this method, but she said in her presentation that you must do two things when choosing File > Export > Adobe PDF (Interactive): You need to check Create Tagged PDF and you need to check Use Structure for Tab Order.
Good luck.
Suggestion for Developers
Looks like there is a bit of a glitch. When you double click on a Text Field in the Articles Palette and then click on another, the page jumps around even when zoomed out. I want to hold it in place in order to keep track of the Fields I am targetting as related to previous fields.
Hopefully that minor issue, which can mess with your head
will be fixed in an update.
xoxo
North America
Europe, Middle East and Africa
Asia Pacific