Rich Text Formatting and Java Script Editable PDF

[Karen Thring]

So, through this forum, (thank you  Almir R V Santos ) I have learned how to have text displayed when I have created editable text boxes in acrobat that have set character spacing by inserting in to Custom Format Scripts in Text Field Properties......

var text = event.value;
if (!text) {
  text = "Your name here";
}

text = text.split("").join(" ");
event.value = text;

Can we take this one step further and allow Rich Text Formatting so that the client can go into the Reader enabled version and change text size and color?

I have been trying to work this out for over a year! You can certainly tick rich Text Formatting but it does not allow text size, font etc changes in Reader, only actual wording. What am I missing?

Thanks in advance!

Karen Thring

[Bernd Alheit]

In Acrobat Reader select the text and press ctrl-e.

[Karen Thring]

Thank you for your answer Bernd but that does not work. In Reader, when you try to change size etc it reverts immediately. I am hoping there is an addition to Almir R V Santos's code above that will allow Rich Text formatting to work even with character spacing set.

[Karl Heinz Kremer]

With this simple script, you cannot have both the extra space between characters and rich text formatting. It's one or the other. If you want both, you will have to come up with a much more complex script that also takes the formatting commands into account.

BTW: If you are referring to an older discussion, it's always useful to add a link, so that we are all on the same page.

[Karen Thring]

Thank you Karl, the original discussion was here

Java Script to allow character spacing in editable PDF? (Edit PDF) https://answers.acrobatusers.com/Java-Script-character-spacing-editable-PDF-q303378.aspx

Where / how could I go about getting someone to look at this complex script for me? It is very integral to my work.

Thanks so much in advance

Karen

[Karl Heinz Kremer · Accepted solution]

You can try something like this, it should work for both Rich Text and normal fields:

var haveText = false;
if (event.value.length > 0)
  haveText = true;
if (event.target.richText && event.richValue.length > 0)
  haveText = true;
if (!haveText) {
  text = "Your name here";
  event.value = text;
} else {
  if (event.target.richText) {
  var spans = event.richValue;
  if (spans.length == 0) {
  text = text.split("").join(" ");
  event.value = text;
  } else {
  for (var i = 0; i < spans.length; i++) {
  spans.text = spans.text.split("").join(" ");
  }
  event.richValue = spans;
  }
  } else {
  text = text.split("").join(" ");
  event.value = text;
  }
}

The only thing that does not work is the link feature in a Rich Text field.

[ Update: There was a problem with my code and I had to modify it. ]

[Karen Thring]

Amazing!!! Thank you so much Karl. You have made my year and halved my work load. Thank You!

[Karen Thring]

Hi Karl, one final question, this works great but does not show the text that can be overtyped. No biggie I can live without it but is there a way that text can show? That may be an element of the link feature that you mentioned.

Karen

[Karl Heinz Kremer]

Try this - as you can see, it got even more complex

var text = event.value;
if (!text) {
    text = "Your name here";
    event.value = text;
}
if (event.target.richText) {
  var spans = event.richValue;
    if (spans.length == 0) {
        text = text.split("").join(" ");
    event.value = text;
    }
    else {
  for ( var i = 0; i < spans.length; i++ )
  {
        spans.text = spans.text.split("").join(" ");
    }
    event.richValue = spans;
    }
}
else {
    text = text.split("").join(" ");
    event.value = text;
}

[Karen Thring]

Amazing. I am truly grateful. That works perfectly. Thank you.

Best,

Karen