Group of form fields?

Hello.  I'm need to create some form fields on a PDF and noticed that QuickPDF Library allows me to create form fields very easily.  The PDF that I need to place them on is a scanned document and the fields may not be exactly in the same place (x & y coordinates) each time - but should be close.  I can allow the user to adjust the field positions a little bit, but  I would like to know if I could put these fields in some "group"?  Then possibly "move" the group position so they all move together rather than having to move them one by one.  Hope that makes sense.  The fields are very close together (ie. Name, Address, Phone, etc...).  Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thank you for your time.

Best Regards,

DataCrypt

Hi,

I'm not so familar with forms, but I see an easy solution. Build your group alone.

(with Delphi 7)

var
  ParentFormId, i: integer;
  Childs: array[1..2] of integer; // your group
begin
  QP := TQuickPDF.Create;
  QP.UnlockKey(...);
  QP.SetMeasurementUnits(1);
  ParentFormId := QP.NewFormField('Parent', 7);

  Childs[1] := QP.NewChildFormField(ParentFormId, 'Child1', 1);
  Childs[2] := QP.NewChildFormField(ParentFormId, 'Child2', 1);

  for i:=1 to 2
  do QP.SetFormFieldBounds(Childs, 25, 120+i*12, 160, 10);

The array Childs plays the role of a group. If the childfields differ in dimensions, the array childs needs as items records with this values.

But it is much easier possible, because it is enough, to change the position of the parent.

  QP.SetFormFieldBounds(ParentFormId, 10, 100, 160, 22);

does what you want.

Cheers

Werner



Edited by edvoigt - 29 Dec 11 at 6:46PM

Hi,

here is a better solution. The idea to deal with parents is not so good. Now different dimensions are handled and we build a group more free, so that you may manage so much different groups as you want. You may use them for more then only moving...

A small array contains for every formfield a groupnumber of our choice. It is our own and has no
relation to any kind of PDF-property. That's all.

var
  i: integer;
  l, t, w, h,        // bounds of a formfield
  dx, dy: double;    // to move the fields
  groups: array [1..4] of integer; // for every child the groupnumber it belongs to
  groupNo: integer;
begin
  QP := TQuickPDF.Create;
  QP.UnlockKey(...);
  QP.SetMeasurementUnits(1);       // I like mm
  QP.SetOrigin(0);                 // left, bottom

  QP.NewFormField('Field1', 1);
  QP.NewFormField('Field2', 1);
  QP.NewFormField('Field3', 1);
  QP.NewFormField('Button', 2);
  // we define in which group a field is a member
  groups[1] := 1;
  groups[2] := 0;
  groups[3] := 1;
  groups[4] := 1;

  QP.DrawLine(25, 0, 25, 297);   // only for orientation
  for i:=1 to QP.FormFieldCount
  do begin
    QP.SetFormFieldBorderColor(i, 0, 0, 0);
    if i=3
    then QP.SetFormFieldBounds(i, 25, 20+i*12,  60, 10)  // a shorter field
    else QP.SetFormFieldBounds(i, 25, 20+i*12, 160, 10);
  end;

  // show the membership as initial value in textfields
  for i:=1 to QP.FormFieldCount
  do case QP.GetFormFieldType(i) of
     1: QP.SetFormFieldvalue(i, Format('field%d is member of group %d',[i, groups]));
     2: QP.SetFormFieldCaption(i, Format('Buttonfield%d is member of group %d',[i, groups]));
     end;
  QP.SaveToFile('Forms0.pdf');       // before moving
// now let's move it
  dx := 10;
  dy := 80;
  groupNo := 1; // move for group 1
  for i:=1 to QP.FormFieldCount
  do begin // move all Fields with of group by dx and dy
    if groups=groupNo
    then begin               // this field shall be moved by dx, dy
      l := QP.GetFormFieldBound(i, 0);            // get old bounds
      t := QP.GetFormFieldBound(i, 1);
      w := QP.GetFormFieldBound(i, 2);
      h := QP.GetFormFieldBound(i, 3);
      QP.SetFormFieldBounds(i, l+dx, t+dy, w, h); // set the new position
    end;
  end;
  QP.SaveToFile('Forms.pdf');        // after moving
  QP.Free;
end;

There is a small issue in the post. It switches all text to italic, because the use of brakets in the format-statements.


Enjoy and a happy new year,

Werner