Damaged PDF generated

Hello !

I have had a very hard time here with QuickPDF and the form field functions....

My architecture there is like this :

I use PDF templates, which are simply PDFs with empty form fields. To design those templates, I use Open Office, which is free and has a button to export to PDF.

My application loads those templates and stuff content into their form fields. After doing it, it Flattens all of the PDF form fields and saves the resulting PDF (or prints it).

It happens that SOMETIMES the generated PDF is wrong, that is, some fields are replaced by others. Or , sometimes one field completely overlaps the other.

I CAN NOT REPRODUCE the problem, that is, if I generate AGAIN the same template, with the SAME DATA, under the SAME CIRCUMSTANCES, I'll have a perfect PDF being generated.

I've struggled with this problem for a while an figured out that, when I DO NOT use the FlattenFormField function, I'll have no problem.

However, I need this function cause I generate those PDFs to be viewed by a web browser. And, of course, we do not want to leave those fields open for the end user cause they could fill them up with other content.


Just don't know what else I can do if not replacing QuickPDF by another product...

Before I do that , maybe someone else here can help me !

Here's a sample template :

http://www.DES.online.unimep.br/au/pub/ag284d.pdf


The contents I'm using to replace the form field values are here :

http://www.DES.online.unimep.br/au/pub/ag284d.xml (as a matter of fact, my application parses the XML and then loads the template and replaces the form field contents).

What I have tried so far (and of course has not worked) :

- Replacing the fields from bottom up, instead of top down
- Replacing the form fields all at once and then flattening them all at once, at the end
- Save the PDF without flattening and reloading it right after in order to flatten and save it again right away
- Isolate the application from a multi threaded context to a single threaded context
- Use the DLL version instead of the ActiveX one

I'll provide later some samples of the wrong PDFs generated.

Would you have any other suggestions ? The best clue I have is regarded to the FlattenFormField funcion cause it takes way, way too long to run and when I use it on the application, I'll have the problem....

Thank you so much !

Yes. You can use Open Office to generate a document with form fields.

Then, export this document to PDF and you'll have a PDF with empty form fields.

With Acrobat Reader you can fill in those fields and print.

Or, using QuickPDF you can make your application stuff content into those fields and then save back the PDF (or print it).

Got it ?

Anything that you can generate to describe the problem well or help determine the source could be useful. It might be interesting to try to get statistical data. For example:

Run a program to fill and then flatten the same PDF 100 times. How many were OK and how many were bad? If all are OK, then it may be a starting condition issue. If not, then it might be a buffer or a timer issue.

Cheers!

Well folks I guess I have something very, very interesting here !!!!!!!!

I rewrote my source code from XBase++ ("a la" Clipper) to VBScript, as I had said before that I would do.

Big suprise

While Flattening a form field, VBScript denies to do it .

Because there is a form field inside the PDF that has a blank name !

So, the template PDF that is being load is WRONG , I guess.

I have provided a very useful kit where you can reproduce the problem there at your side. The kit contains :

A VBscript source code file (TEST027.VBS) and the its corresponding template PDF file (AG284D.PDF).

Please get the kit from here :

http://www.DES.online.unimep.br/au/pub/quick.zip

One more comment :

- Try to quote the flattenformfield function. That is, let the "for/next" run across all of the form fields without flattenning them all (as the sample below). You'll see that this empty form field is not listed ! Why ?


---------
FOR LNI=1 TO 122
  FORMFIELDNAME=OBJQPDF.GETFORMFIELDTITLE(LNI)
  SELECT CASE FORMFIELDNAME
    CASE "TCOCAMPUS"
         IF  NOT OBJQPDF.SETFORMFIELDVALUE(LNI,"DOWNTON") = 1 THEN
             GETOUT("ERROR WHILE SETTING FORM FIELD VALUE : '" + FORMFIELDNAME + "'")
         END IF
'    CASE ELSE
'         GETOUT("CAN NOT FIND THE VALUE OF FIELD '" + FORMFIELDNAME + "'")
  END SELECT
  WSCRIPT.ECHO "'" + FORMFIELDNAME + "'"
'  IF  NOT OBJQPDF.FLATTENFORMFIELD(LNI) = 1 THEN
'      GETOUT("ERROR WHILE FLATTENING THIS FORM FIELD '" + FORMFIELDNAME + "'")
'  END IF
NEXT