--- Forwarded Message from Trip Kirkpatrick <[log in to unmask]> ---

>Date: Tue, 07 Feb 2006 09:00:23 -0500
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum            
<[log in to unmask]>
>From: Trip Kirkpatrick <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: LLTI Digest - 3 Feb 2006 to 6 Feb 2006 (#2006-16)
>In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
>References: <[log in to unmask]>

Quoth Keola Donaghy:

>Date:    Mon, 6 Feb 2006 13:16:15 EST
>Subject: Re: #8147.1 (!) Forms in PDFs
>--- Forwarded Message from Keola Donaghy <[log in to unmask]> ---
>
> >Date: Fri, 03 Feb 2006 10:07:28 -1000
> >From: Keola Donaghy <[log in to unmask]>
> >Subject: Re: #8147 Forms in PDFs
>
>As far as I know this requires that the user has Acrobat Pro. Nothing you
>can do when creating your documents can allow for them to do this.

I have to differ on that conclusion. A quick search on Google for "fillable 
pdf forms" (http://www.google.com/search?q=fillable+pdf+forms) returns a 
number of products that claim to be able to create this sort of form. I 
investigated the Two Pilots product (first in my search results) a little 
more closely and saw that I could fill out a form generated with their 
software, although I do not have Acrobat Pro on my system. I could also 
print the form with my data filled in, though I could not save the form 
with my data. In fact, my Adobe Reader warned me that I must have Pro or 
Standard to save data in a form.

Keep in mind, though, that PDF is an open format 
(http://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/pdf/index_reference.html), 
allowing anyone to create or read documents without paying royalties to 
Adobe. They're the 800-lb. gorilla in the space, but they are far from the 
only player. Just about anything you can think of to do with PDFs should be 
doable without having truck with them.

So if you're not committed to Adobe Reader, you may be able to sniff out a 
competing product (and possibly an open source or free one) that would 
allow users' saving fillable PDFs with data.

Tk


Trip Kirkpatrick
SysAdmin / Sr. Programmer
Center for Language Study

e: [log in to unmask]
w: http://www.cls.yale.edu/ 




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