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Excellent work, but I am at lost when it comes to 2 issues :

1) how do you find out what the actual field names are, on a form that you have not created, otherwise how do you use your technique to populate a form like : http://www.dmv.ca.gov/forms/reg/reg195.pdf

2) Can you add the form like the above to your Tech file ?
do you have to recreate all the fields, since it is unrelated to what you have in your tech file ?

I hope this makes sense . Thank you

Xoomaster

@xoomaster

1) I can extract the fields names, including the accepted values used in checkboxes, radio buttons, etc. Then I could automatically create the key-value pairs to save you some time. You would only have to supply the values. A couple of issues when doing this:
* I couldn't differentiate between main and related keys, so I would just create main key-value pairs (your form doesn't have any related data)
* You might not populate all of the fields--you might just populate the text fields in Sections A and G, and after printing the form, the rest of it can be filled out by hand. So you could have a number of keys with no values, which should be OK

2) Yes, you can add the form to the technique file. In terms of integrating this technique file into your own solutions, you don't need the patient-related tables.

These are really good questions. I think I'll make a few changes to the technique file to address your questions. For #2 It will probably be better if I split the technique file into two files, one containing the patient-related data, and one containing the PDF-related data. I'll just need a little bit of time to do this, and I'll probably do a follow-up video that highlights the changes.

Keep the feedback coming!

Sean

@xoomaster

I would attempt to extract the field names using the same iText library that I use in the technique file. I wouldn't use Acrobat Professional. Since your DMV form is locked, I may not be able to extract the field names, but I'll try.

Sean

@xoomaster

I used the iText library to extract the field names, although it couldn't extract field names from your form because it was secured, so I needed help in the form of two other libraries. Sometime soon I'll post the updated technique file so that everyone can inspect the script that extracts the field names (it's not a long script).

"Ideally, you want your users to just pick a PDF file and then automatically give them the "Name of the fields" in that PDF. At that time, they will have the option of creating their own calculations and key-value pairs and submitting only what they are interested in filling."

Well, this technique is really only meant for developers. I personally wouldn't want users trying to create calculations. That seems like a problem waiting to happen.

Sean

Does this solution require a particular version of FileMaker Pro? If so, what are the requirements?

What a buzz!
Near the end of last video came a suggestion of getting data off the PDF forms across into filemaker. Is this still a project?
--
Would be really big for emailed applications, registrations ... lots.

Ross

@rscholes

Maybe in a few months. Do you personally need the ability to extract data from PDF forms?

Sean

Excellent work

I am trying to edit the form fields after the script is run and it does not work.

It seems that the form fields that are filled out are not editable and that the form fields that are NOT filled out are gone from the form.

Is that possible?

The workflow that I am setting up requires that users have the ability to edit the form fields.

Please advise. Thanks.

@TonyWhite

Would it be possible to email me a sample PDF? If so, then please send it to chartpacs@gmail.com.

I just sent a before and after PDF by email with the subject line "Editing form fields after the script is run does not work..."

Thanks.

In the technique file, if you click on the Scripts toolbar icon, you'll see the following line:

stamper.setFormFlattening(true);

You can either comment out this line, or set it to false.

-removed-

-removed-

Hi

I have set up the solution on both mac & pc with stamper.setFormFlattening(false);

It appears that the process messes with the Extend Features that enable acrobat reader to edit and save the pdf. If I use a pdf form that doesn't have extended features enabled, populate the form from FM and then open in acrobat pro and enable the extended features everything is great.

I was hoping to populate a pdf that already had the extended features enabled. Anyone else experienced this?

If there was an extract data from pdf I would be really interested.