Comments on: Auto-Identify Mandatory Fields http://forms.stefcameron.com/2009/03/16/auto-identify-mandatory-fields/ Building intelligent forms using Adobe LiveCycle Designer Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:03:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Stefan Cameron http://forms.stefcameron.com/2009/03/16/auto-identify-mandatory-fields/comment-page-1/#comment-56578 Stefan Cameron Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:32:54 +0000 http://forms.stefcameron.com/2009/03/16/auto-identify-mandatory-fields/#comment-56578 Holander, Wow, that's awesome! I'm glad you're finding it useful. :) Holander,

Wow, that’s awesome! I’m glad you’re finding it useful. :)

]]> By: Holander http://forms.stefcameron.com/2009/03/16/auto-identify-mandatory-fields/comment-page-1/#comment-56576 Holander Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:09:50 +0000 http://forms.stefcameron.com/2009/03/16/auto-identify-mandatory-fields/#comment-56576 Thank you for the amazing form to toggle mandatory fields. I started following your blog for last 2 months and you dont believe, I read all of your posts from archives and checked your sample forms. Thank you for the amazing form to toggle mandatory fields.
I started following your blog for last 2 months and you dont believe, I read all of your posts from archives and checked your sample forms.

]]> By: Stefan Cameron http://forms.stefcameron.com/2009/03/16/auto-identify-mandatory-fields/comment-page-1/#comment-56510 Stefan Cameron Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:30:31 +0000 http://forms.stefcameron.com/2009/03/16/auto-identify-mandatory-fields/#comment-56510 Uoi, That IF condition tests to see if the formObj object is in the Form DOM since the solution, as a whole, deals with objects from both the Form DOM and Template DOM. In this particular case, we want to make sure we're dealing with an object in the Form DOM. If the object was in the Template DOM, its SOM expression would start with "xfa[0].template[0]" instead. Uoi,

That IF condition tests to see if the formObj object is in the Form DOM since the solution, as a whole, deals with objects from both the Form DOM and Template DOM. In this particular case, we want to make sure we’re dealing with an object in the Form DOM. If the object was in the Template DOM, its SOM expression would start with “xfa[0].template[0]” instead.

]]> By: Uoi http://forms.stefcameron.com/2009/03/16/auto-identify-mandatory-fields/comment-page-1/#comment-56240 Uoi Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:14:36 +0000 http://forms.stefcameron.com/2009/03/16/auto-identify-mandatory-fields/#comment-56240 I could not understand the necessity of this coding for mandatory fields form: if (formObj.somExpression.indexOf(”xfa[0].form[0]“) != 0) What exactly we are trying to find here on index? I checked the som expression and it returns xfa[0].form[0]. But I could not get why we used this if condition here. I could not understand the necessity of this coding for mandatory fields form:

if (formObj.somExpression.indexOf(”xfa[0].form[0]“) != 0)

What exactly we are trying to find here on index? I checked the som expression and it returns xfa[0].form[0]. But I could not get why we used this if condition here.

]]> By: Hamlo http://forms.stefcameron.com/2009/03/16/auto-identify-mandatory-fields/comment-page-1/#comment-56101 Hamlo Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:57:26 +0000 http://forms.stefcameron.com/2009/03/16/auto-identify-mandatory-fields/#comment-56101 The Form DOM is very sparse. In order to get the rich text captions for fields, we need to go to the Template DOM and find the pertaining field there in order to get its caption’s XHTML markup. Once that is found, we add/remove the asterisk and set the new value for the caption into the Form DOM’s version of the field, overriding the original definition and producing the new caption that the user sees. The Form DOM is very sparse. In order to get the rich text captions for fields, we need to go to the Template DOM and find the pertaining field there in order to get its caption’s XHTML markup. Once that is found, we add/remove the asterisk and set the new value for the caption into the Form DOM’s version of the field, overriding the original definition and producing the new caption that the user sees.

]]> By: Hotingo http://forms.stefcameron.com/2009/03/16/auto-identify-mandatory-fields/comment-page-1/#comment-56100 Hotingo Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:53:01 +0000 http://forms.stefcameron.com/2009/03/16/auto-identify-mandatory-fields/#comment-56100 I tried to dig more into form DOM and Data DOM like how actually the data is getting filled in the form DOM. I created a interactive student application form in form designer. The form is working fine and saved a PDF copy of it on my desktop. Now, I entered a student details into this PDF, and saved it. When I open the copy again, I can see my previously entered values in the PDF. I tried to dig more into form DOM and Data DOM like how actually the data is getting filled in the form DOM. I created a interactive student application form in form designer. The form is working fine and saved a PDF copy of it on my desktop. Now, I entered a student details into this PDF, and saved it. When I open the copy again, I can see my previously entered values in the PDF.

]]> By: ajax2 http://forms.stefcameron.com/2009/03/16/auto-identify-mandatory-fields/comment-page-1/#comment-53259 ajax2 Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:33:52 +0000 http://forms.stefcameron.com/2009/03/16/auto-identify-mandatory-fields/#comment-53259 Hi Stefan, Thanks for the reply. I’m amazed at you patience in replying to the comments. It was really helpful and now I got the actual funda behind the script and I could able to understand it easily. Hi Stefan,
Thanks for the reply. I’m amazed at you patience in replying to the comments. It was really helpful and now I got the actual funda behind the script and I could able to understand it easily.

]]> By: Stefan Cameron http://forms.stefcameron.com/2009/03/16/auto-identify-mandatory-fields/comment-page-1/#comment-52676 Stefan Cameron Fri, 17 Jul 2009 20:14:06 +0000 http://forms.stefcameron.com/2009/03/16/auto-identify-mandatory-fields/#comment-52676 krishna, You're welcome. The reason why you don't see the saved data when you open the PDF form in Designer again is because XFA forms are stored inside PDF files. The PDF becomes a container for the form. When you open the form in Designer, you see the template <i>design</i>, not the actual template <i>rendering</i>. When you open the PDF in Acrobat, you see the rendering (runtime) and you'll also see any data that was previously entered and saved into that version of the PDF file. The data is stored in the form's <data> packet however, since this is runtime information only, you don't see it at design time in Designer. If you really want to see the Template, Form and Data DOMs in action, check-out <a href="http://blogs.adobe.com/formfeed/2009/05/debug_merge_and_layout.html" rel="nofollow">this article</a> by my colleague John Brinkman. krishna,

You’re welcome.

The reason why you don’t see the saved data when you open the PDF form in Designer again is because XFA forms are stored inside PDF files. The PDF becomes a container for the form. When you open the form in Designer, you see the template design, not the actual template rendering.

When you open the PDF in Acrobat, you see the rendering (runtime) and you’ll also see any data that was previously entered and saved into that version of the PDF file. The data is stored in the form’s packet however, since this is runtime information only, you don’t see it at design time in Designer.

If you really want to see the Template, Form and Data DOMs in action, check-out this article by my colleague John Brinkman.

]]> By: krishna http://forms.stefcameron.com/2009/03/16/auto-identify-mandatory-fields/comment-page-1/#comment-52656 krishna Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:28:15 +0000 http://forms.stefcameron.com/2009/03/16/auto-identify-mandatory-fields/#comment-52656 Hi Stefan, Thanks for the reply. I'm amazed at you patience in replying to the comments. It was really helpful and now I got the actual funda behind the script and I could able to understand it easily. I tried to dig more into form DOM and Data DOM like how actually the data is getting filled in the form DOM. I created a interactive student application form in form designer. The form is working fine and saved a PDF copy of it on my desktop. Now, I entered a student details into this PDF, and saved it. When I open the copy again, I can see my previously entered values in the PDF. I was curious to know how the data we entered in the form got stored internally in this PDF. I tried to open this saved copy using designer to check and see these entered values in the xml source of the form. But none of the values (student details ) got stored anywhere. Why is this like that. Where did all the entered values go when I open it in designer. Can't we see the actual source of form DOM that happens in runtime? I think there should be some confusion in my understanding of these things. Regards, Krishna Hi Stefan,
Thanks for the reply. I’m amazed at you patience in replying to the comments. It was really helpful and now I got the actual funda behind the script and I could able to understand it easily.
I tried to dig more into form DOM and Data DOM like how actually the data is getting filled in the form DOM. I created a interactive student application form in form designer. The form is working fine and saved a PDF copy of it on my desktop. Now, I entered a student details into this PDF, and saved it. When I open the copy again, I can see my previously entered values in the PDF.
I was curious to know how the data we entered in the form got stored internally in this PDF. I tried to open this saved copy using designer to check and see these entered values in the xml source of the form. But none of the values (student details ) got stored anywhere.
Why is this like that. Where did all the entered values go when I open it in designer. Can’t we see the actual source of form DOM that happens in runtime?
I think there should be some confusion in my understanding of these things.

Regards,
Krishna

]]> By: Stefan Cameron http://forms.stefcameron.com/2009/03/16/auto-identify-mandatory-fields/comment-page-1/#comment-52548 Stefan Cameron Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:42:27 +0000 http://forms.stefcameron.com/2009/03/16/auto-identify-mandatory-fields/#comment-52548 krishna, Wow, I'm impressed! Your question is very interesting. The reason behind the check for "xfa[0].form[0]" is that the function expects the formObj variable to be a form object located within the Form DOM as opposed to the Template DOM. In an XFA form, there are many DOMs (Document Object Models). The 3 most important are the Template, Form and Data DOMs. The Template DOM defines the structure of the form and is defined at design time. The Form DOM is a runtime representation of the Template DOM (with overrides where appropriate depending on scripts, user interaction and data). Finally, the Data DOM is what contains the data (coming from XML, a database, a web service, etc.) that is merged with the Template DOM in order to produce the Form DOM. The Form DOM is very sparse. In order to get the rich text captions for fields, we need to go to the Template DOM and find the pertaining field there in order to get its caption's XHTML markup. Once that is found, we add/remove the asterisk and set the new value for the caption into the Form DOM's version of the field, overriding the original definition and producing the new caption that the user sees. Some of the methods in the mandatoryLib script object expect that a variable is in the Form DOM rather than the Template DOM. Looking at its SOM expression for "xfa[0].form[0]" as opposed to "xfa[0].template[0]" is one way of determining that we have what we're expecting. krishna,

Wow, I’m impressed!

Your question is very interesting. The reason behind the check for “xfa[0].form[0]” is that the function expects the formObj variable to be a form object located within the Form DOM as opposed to the Template DOM.

In an XFA form, there are many DOMs (Document Object Models). The 3 most important are the Template, Form and Data DOMs. The Template DOM defines the structure of the form and is defined at design time. The Form DOM is a runtime representation of the Template DOM (with overrides where appropriate depending on scripts, user interaction and data). Finally, the Data DOM is what contains the data (coming from XML, a database, a web service, etc.) that is merged with the Template DOM in order to produce the Form DOM.

The Form DOM is very sparse. In order to get the rich text captions for fields, we need to go to the Template DOM and find the pertaining field there in order to get its caption’s XHTML markup. Once that is found, we add/remove the asterisk and set the new value for the caption into the Form DOM’s version of the field, overriding the original definition and producing the new caption that the user sees.

Some of the methods in the mandatoryLib script object expect that a variable is in the Form DOM rather than the Template DOM. Looking at its SOM expression for “xfa[0].form[0]” as opposed to “xfa[0].template[0]” is one way of determining that we have what we’re expecting.

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