I need help - I can help - GetFormFieldTextFlags does not work on dup fields

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GetFormFieldTextFlags does not work on dup fields

Printed From: Debenu Quick PDF Library - PDF SDK Community Forum
Category: For Users of the Library
Forum Name: I need help - I can help
Forum Description: Problems and solutions while programming with the Debenu Quick PDF Library and Debenu PDF Viewer SDK
URL: http://www.quickpdf.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3564
Printed Date: 26 Apr 24 at 10:16PM
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: GetFormFieldTextFlags does not work on dup fields

Posted By: waynefulcher
Subject: GetFormFieldTextFlags does not work on dup fields
Date Posted: 16 May 18 at 11:00PM

I am using Delphi 7 and QPDF version 8.16. I searched this forum for duplicate and found nothing. I am waiting to see if they will let me download the latest version 15 to see if this bug has been fixed.

Anyhow the problem is this. I have many PDFs where the majority of the content needs to be the exact same on multiple pages with some slight differences. So I have several input fields, lets use "CustomerName" as an example, which occur on multiple pages. Adobe (and Foxit) allow you to assign those fields the same name (in this case they are memo / multi-line fields). When you open the PDF with FoxIt Reader or Adobe reader it works as you would expect it to and that is if I type "xyz" in the CustomerName field on page 1 then go to page 2 the CustomerName field also has "xyz" filled in. If I then change the value on page 2 and go to page 1 the value input on page 2 has now updated the field on page 1. This is correct because you would only want 1 value for that field and this saves a user from needing to input the same values twice. The reader programs will also allow me to input multiple lines of text in the fields and the values replicate as normal.

So now that we understand that having duplicate fields is a good thing and the readers handle them properly, my problem is QuickPDF's method GetFormFieldTextFlag(index, 1) returns 0 even though I know the field is marked as a multi-line field and again the reader allows me to input multiple lines of text.

It seems it only fails to return a 1 for any/all multi-line fields which have duplicates.

Can anyone tell me if this has been fixed in the latest version? Or if there is some sort of workaround to figure out if a field is a multi-line field?

Thanks

Wayne

Replies:

Posted By: Ingo
Date Posted: 16 May 18 at 11:09PM

Hi Wayne,

i understand your intention but for me it's more a feature and not a bug.
The actual version of the library works as the former ones:
For a correct processing each form field name have to be unique in a pdf-form.

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Cheers,
Ingo

Posted By: waynefulcher
Date Posted: 17 May 18 at 2:48PM

I understand, but to clarify, you are saying even though the library properly reports all of the duplicate fields other attributes such as Page, Top, Left, Type, TextSize, etc their is something different about the TextFlags which can't be retrieved? (All other aspects of the duplicate fields work just fine.)

Again I would think since Adobe and Foxit both handle the duplicate fields properly, including the multi-line attribute, I would think we could provide same functionality.

Lastly do you think this is something they would consider adding as a new feature?

Posted By: Ingo
Date Posted: 17 May 18 at 10:42PM

Wayne,

it's like it is...
Try searching here with "duplicate formfield" or similar.
You'll find official statements, too.

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Cheers,
Ingo