extract template from pdf form

[sanatech]

Hello,

is it possible to extract the xml template from a pdf form ? i saw several examples for extracting xml data but not the template.

Note: the xml template i refer to is the definition for form controls, their positions.

any help vety much appreciated..

[Former Community Member]

Are you talking about submitting the template somewhere are simply accessing it through script while the form is open? Can you elaborate on what you are trying to do?

Paul

[sanatech]

Thank you for your reply. We are developing a service application where public users submit pdf forms via http/s to a central processing location running LiveCycle server components. For several reasons, but mainly for tamper prevention, we would like to extract the form template from the submitted pdf so we make sure it has not been altered or tampered with ( for example by comparing its thumbprint or hash value to a known "good" value ).

This extraction is needed to be performed in an automated way within the central processing servers, running a custom made Java J2EE application which interfaces with the LiveCycle ES services via EJB calls.

/Thanks

[Former Community Member]

The template is not in the PDF by default. You can modify your submission format to use XDP (XML Data Package). Once you do that it will activate another set of options that will allow you to choose what goes into the package. You can include the PDF as well as the template. The PDF will be base64 encoded before it is put into the XDP package. When you recieve it on the server side the PDF will be in a  node and the template will be in a node on its own.

Paul

[sanatech]

Thanks again. Regarding your suggestion of making Reader submit the template, this will not solve my problem of trying to detect tampering, a hacker may create a submission with a good template but a hacked PDF.

I do believe the template must be embedded inside the PDF. I can open the PDF with LiveCycle Designer and view the template ( view xml source ), i can also instruct Reader to submit XDP with template from the same PDF, so Reader is able to somehow extract the template from the bianry PDF. I was hoping there is a similar function on the server LiveCycle services which does a similar thing.

[Former Community Member]

I do not belive that functionality is exposed in the public APIs

Paul