Adobe Forms

Forms vs.
Applications and how to make them behave

John Brinkman Adobe Enterprise Forms Architect
2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
History
Several years ago we recognized the pattern where customers were developing forms with too much JavaScript, too much complexity On analysis we recognized that we needed to take two approaches
1. 2.
Product improvements to reduce the need for JavaScript Better user education on form design patterns
http://blogs.adobe.com/formfeed (since October 2008)
Outline
1. 2. 3.
Forms, Applications and Monsters Steps to Sanity Form Design Review (Library of Congress)
So youve decided to use PDF forms
You want to:

Enforce business rules Create a really good user experience
Now you need to add script to your forms
Will you be creating a monster?
We see users create forms with:

o o o o o o o
Tens of thousands of lines of script Several megabytes in size Slow open time Sluggish performance Big memory footprint High maintenance costs Susceptible to changes in new versions of Reader These are our "monster forms"
Will you be creating a monster?
Nobody sets out to create a monster They start small and the requirements start to creep Form complexity grows incrementally After several revisions of the form you have a large investment in JavaScript
The small monster

You wrote a modest amount of code Not the most elegant code but it works
The small monster

You wrote a modest amount of code Not the most elegant code but it works You have a manageable, small monster
The small monster

Your initial form is a great success!
The small monster

Your initial form is a great success! You copy the code and design patterns to 200 new forms in your department
The small monster

Your initial form is a great success! You copy the code and design patterns to 200 new forms in your department You discover a flaw in your design pattern affecting all 200 forms
The small monster
You are now trying to tame an army of small monsters
Bad habits escalate
Inefficient code is excusable in small forms -- does not factor into overall processing costs Small inefficiencies in small forms become big inefficiencies in big forms Design flaws repeated over many small forms become a maintenance nightmare
Two Problem Scenarios
The big monster form:

many person-years of development invested Critical to business processes Fragile to update, hard to test Susceptible to changes in Reader
The collection of small monster forms:

Collectively, many person-years invested Used in many parts of the business Common code not shared: maintenance is very expensive Re-testing is a big job
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Where did we go wrong?

It is perfectly valid to develop forms with lots of script If the script is well-written the form(s) can be:

Performant Low maintenance Testable
BUT Adopt a new mindset: You are no longer developing forms You are developing applications Are you ready for application development?
Application Development Methodology
Do your form developers have programming skills? Do you have coding standards? Do you perform code reviews? Do you have a source control system? Do you insist on documentation? Do you aggressively modularize common code patterns? Are you prepared to take a step backward and re-factor when needed? Do you have a quality assurance methodology? Do you have a form deployment methodology?
Youve been granted custody of a monster
Youve been asked to add an enhancement or diagnose a problem -- but dont know the intricacies of the form How do I tame the monster? Welcome to my world
Outline
1. 2. 3.
Steps to sanity
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Be an expert Bring your forms to version 9.1 Share code Think Accessibility First Get to know the available tools Common problems, common solutions
Steps to sanity
1.
Be an expert: JavaScript XML XFA
Be a JavaScript Expert
JavaScript has some very powerful constructs that (if used correctly) can greatly improve your code

Can you write a recursive function? Do you use try/catch? Do you use arrays and object literals? Do you understand JavaScript closure? Do you use regular expressions?
Be a JavaScript Expert

There are different implementations of JavaScript Acrobat/Reader uses Mozilla JavaScript (Spidermonkey) Includes E4X for manipulating XML Check out this web page: http://code.google.com/p/jslibs/wiki/JavascriptTips Server products use ExtendScript highly compatible
Steps to sanity
1.
Be an XML Expert

Can you create an XML document in notepad? Have you ever written an XSL script? Can you decipher an XML Schema? Do you know how XLIFF is used? Do you understand XHTML? You need to be familiar with the basics of each
Steps to sanity
1.
Be an XFA Expert
XFA Schema XFA Scripting Object Model SOM expressions XFA Events
XFA (template) Schema

Publicly documented (in detail) Visible in XML Source view
Be an XFA Expert
XFA Scripting Object Model
The scripting object model closely mirrors XFA grammar. e.g.:
<field name="city"> <border> <fill> <color value="0,0,0"/> </fill> </border> </field>
Set field background color: or (shortcut):
city.border.fill.color.value = "100,100,100";
city.fillColor = "100,100,100";
Script Properties that do not correspond to schema:
DOM hierarchy:
all, index, classAll, classIndex, className, somExpression, instanceIndex, isContainer, model, parent, parentSubform, nodes
Shortcuts:
borderColor, borderWidth, fillColor, fontColor, formatMessage, mandatory, mandatoryMessage, validationMessage
Dropdown lists:
boundItem, length, selectedIndex
Field values:
isNull, rawValue, formattedValue, editValue
Miscellaneous:
dataNode, errorText, oneOfChild
Be an XFA Expert
SOM Expressions

Used in data binding Used as the parameter to resolveNode() and resolveNodes() Used for FormCalc expressions
SOM expressions and JavaScript Object Expressions
Similar, but not the same. E.g. Is evaluated differently from: Can return a different result, but usually does not SOM has extra capabilities that object expressions do not have
A.B.rawValue
this.resolveNode("A.B").rawValue;

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SOM Expressions
item[-1] po.*
item.#field[*]
// previous item // all children of po // all field children of item // predicate in FormCalc:
po.item.[subtotal > 100] // predicate in JavaScript: po.item.(subtotal.rawValue > 100)
Be an XFA Expert
Use XFA Events Effectively
Filter keystrokes onChange e.g.:

Convert input to input uppercase Prevent users from formatting telephone numbers (demo)
Use xfa.event.cancelAction inside preSubmit / preSign / prePrint to cancel if conditions arent right Use initialize to change properties that designer doesnt expose Use propagating events (details later)
Use XFA Events Effectively

Use execEvent() minimally. It is not intended as a method for sharing code Put shared code in script objects:

Better performance Better code readability
Steps to sanity
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Acrobat 9.1
Enhancements in the 9.1 release specifically addressed the issue of excessive code in forms

Full control over validation processing Propagating events field.presence = "inactive"
Acrobat 9.1 (XFA 3.0)
Historical Reader behavior was to issue one error message per validation failure Form authors wrote their own validation frameworks in order to avoid the message boxes
Encapsulation
In this context Encapsulation means:

Keep the code that defines field behaviour inside the field Validations, calculations should be defined in field calculation, validation scripts Messages that are specific to a field defined within the field
Encapsulated validation
Numeric Field: A.B.C.D:
Encapsulation.A1.B.C.D::validate - (JavaScript, client) this.rawValue > 0;
encapsulation.A1.B.C.D::validationState - (JavaScript, client) this.borderColor = this.errorText ? "255,0,0" : "0,0,0"; this.assist.toolTip.value = this.errorText;
External validation

Numeric Field: A.B.C.D Button Field: checkForm
encapsulation.validate::click - (JavaScript, client) var field = A.B.C.D; var bValid = field.isNull || (field.rawValue > 0); if (bValid) { field.borderColor = "0,0,0"; field.assist.toolTip.value = ""; } else { field.borderColor = "255,0,0"; field.assist.toolTip.value = "The value of D must be greater than zero"; }
Why is encapsulated better?

(demo) Better (immediate) user validation feedback No need for a separate action to trigger validation Form processor will prevent submit if there are validation failures External validation is replicating functionality found in the XFA processor External validation requires writing code for mandatory processing encapsulated version is handled declaratively Less code, simpler code
If any subforms are renamed/moved/unwrapped, the field SOM expression changes Changed SOM expression causes the external validation script to break:
var field = A.B.C.D; var bValid = field.isNull || (field.rawValue > 0); if (bValid) { ...
In the encapsulated version, there are no references to field or subform names, only this object.

When field "D" is included in a fragment: Encapsulated:
Validation logic is automatically included
Not Encapsulated:

External validation logic not automatically included in the fragment External logic needs to be knit into the validation logic of the host form
Acrobat 9.1 (XFA 3.0) Propagating events
When the same event logic appears on many fields, we can define the event once and propagate Use cases:

Field highlighting on enter or mouseEnter Change field appearance on validationState Change row color on indexChange
Designing Propagating events
ES2 designer does not allow you to define propagating field events on a subform A10 designer removes the propagating UI To use them you need to edit XML source or use a macro demo: uniqueValues.pdf
Inactive presence

object.presence = "visible | invisible | hidden | inactive"; visible: object is rendered; events fire invisible: object is not rendered; participates in layout; events fire hidden: object is not rendered; excluded from layout; events fire inactive: objects is not rendered; excluded from layout; events do not fire
(demo)
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Payment sample
Payment Type validation script:
if (this.rawValue === "Credit Card") { CreditCardDetails.presence = "visible"; } else { CreditCardDetails.presence = "inactive"; } // this isn't really a validation // just a place to trigger on changes to this field true;
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How to bring a form to 9.1
Remove the compatibility PI

Bug fixes can change the behaviour of forms We use a processing instruction to ensure compatibility between Reader releases Compatibility PI ensures you continue to get the same set of behaviours (and same set of bugs) in new releases To get the latest, from XML Source view, remove:
<?originalXFAVersion http://www.xfa.org/schema/xfa-template/2.5/?>
What if you cant move to 9.1 yet?
It is possible to build a framework that uses encapsulation and avoids the message boxes Samples on the formfeed blog
Steps to sanity
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Share Code

Code sharing is one of the disciplines of good programming Benefits of code sharing:

Less code Faster development Lower maintenance costs Consistent behaviours within a form and between forms Simplify complex operations for use by novice form designers
55
Share Code
BUT to get the benefits of code sharing you need to make an investment:

Recognize repeated patterns Generalize the repeated operation Isolate the variable parts of the operation into parameters The generalized version of functionality has higher up-front development costs Once the initial investment has been made in shared code, the ROI will more than compensate
56
Share Code
Code Sharing Mechanisms:

Functions within a script event Functions within a script object Script objects stored as fragments Propagating events
57
Shared Code Sample

Task: Copy all field data from one subform to another. Brute force code looks like:
S2.F1.rawValue = S1.F1.rawValue; S2.F2.rawValue = S1.F2.rawValue; S2.F3.rawValue = S1.F3.rawValue; S2.F4.rawValue = S1.F4.rawValue; S2.F5.rawValue = S1.F5.rawValue;
(demo)
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Shared Code Sample
Before:
S2.F1.rawValue = S1.F1.rawValue; S2.F2.rawValue = S1.F2.rawValue; S2.F3.rawValue = S1.F3.rawValue; S2.F4.rawValue = S1.F4.rawValue; S2.F5.rawValue = S1.F5.rawValue;
After:
utilities.subformCopy(S2, S1);
59
Create a fragment from a script object
60
Steps to sanity
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Think Accessibility First
Even if Accessibility is not currently a requirement, make sure you know what an accessible form looks like The up-front development costs for Accessible forms are much lower than retrofitting accessibility
Think Accessibility First

Some design patterns are not accessibility-friendly Most importantly:

Use captions. Do not use separate text objects Make sure your tables have rows designated as a header Carefully define tab order Dont rely on color to convey invalid fields
Correcting these after the fact is expensive
Steps to sanity
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Get to know the available tools

Use the JavaScript console Form Summary Tool Dump the data DOM XFA Debugger JSLint Accessibility Checker XLIFF translator Develop your own Designer Macros
Use the JavaScript console

JavaScript errors show up in the console At the end of a form session, make sure there are no errors in the console Use console.println() to trace code Better yet, leave conditional trace statements in your code permanently

Use the JavaScript console Form Summary Tool Dump the data DOM XFA Debugger JSLint Accessibility Checker Develop your own Designer Macros
Form Summary Tool

Effective way to get an overview of form content Understanding the details of a form report can help identify problems (demo)

Dump the data DOM
Many form design challenges require a good understanding of what the data looks like Easiest way to understand the data is to dump a snapshot (demo)

XFA Debugger
For advanced form design it helps to have an understanding of the form processing stages Opening a form:
1. 2. 3. 4.
Create several DOMs Merge data and template Perform calculations and validations Perform layout (pagination)
XFA Debugger gives insight into the final DOMs and resulting layout
XFA Debugger
How it is implemented:

Acroform PDF with a button that loads and opens an XFA-PDF Once open, uses the XFA scripting object model to extract the state of the form Passes the state to an embedded flash widget Flash widget decodes state and displays it graphically
(demo)

JS Lint
Thank you Douglas Crockford http://www.jslint.com/ (demo)
Accessibility Checker

Accessibility experience is only as good as the effort made by the form author Accessibility Checker is a Designer Macro that reports on a few basic properties throughout your form Does not check everything e.g. low contrast colors
(demo)
XLIFF Translator

Set up designer to embed xliff ids in your form template XLIFF translator sample is a form whose data schema is the XLIFF schema Translator sample updates the visible form when translating text
77
Create your own Designer macros

The scripting object model is the same as the model used by the runtime Several samples available to get started Lots of possibilities

Enforce your own design checks Apply bulk updates Generate reports ...
Steps to sanity
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Common problems and probable causes

Large PDF size Slow open time Sluggish performance Big memory footprint Layout issues (blank pages)
Large PDF Size

Embedded fonts Embedded images Too many objects
Embedded fonts
If you need to embed fonts:

Use as few fonts as possible More control over font embedding on server:

Specify which fonts are embedded and which are not Specify thresholds for font subsetting
Fonts used by interactive form fields may not be subset Dont need to embed fonts installed by Adobe Reader
Embedded Images
Embedded Image

The image is *always* embedded in the PDF "Embedded" refers to whether it is embedded in the form design Whether the image is embedded in the template or not has a big impact on how it is stored in the PDF and how it is processed
Linked image
<field name="ImageField1"> <value> <image href=".\20110209.jpg" contentType="image/jpg"/> </value> . . .
Embedded Image
<field name="ImageField1"> <value> <image contentType="image/jpg">
/9j/4S5+RXhpZgAASUkqAAgAAAAHAA8BAgAGAAAAYgAAABABAgAOAAAAaAAAABoBBQABAAAAdgAA ABsBBQABAAAAfgAAACgBAwABAAAAAgAAADIBAgAUAAAAhgAAAGmHBAABAAAAmgAAAKoCAABDYW5v bgBDYW5vbiBFT1MgNjBEAPAAAAABAAAA8AAAAAEAAAAyMDExOjAyOjA5IDIyOjA2OjIwAB0AmoIF AAEAAAD8AQAAnYIFAAEAAAAEAgAAIogDAAEAAAABAAAAJ4gDAAEAAACQAQAAMIgDAAEAAAACAAAA MogEAAEAAACQAQAAAJAHAAQAAAAwMjMwA5ACABQAAAAMAgAABJACABQAAAAgAgAAAZIKAAEAAAA0 AgAAApIFAAEAAAA8AgAABJIKAAEAAABEAgAABZIFAAEAAABMAgAAB5IDAAEAAAAFAAAACZIDAAEA AAAJAAAACpIFAAEAAABUAgAAkZICAAMAAAA1MgAAkpICAAMAAAA1MgAADqIFAAEAAABcAgAAD6IF AAEAAABkAgAAEKIDAAEAAAACAAAAAaQDAAEAAAAAAAAAAqQDAAEAAAABAAAAA6QDAAEAAAAAAAAA BqQDAAEAAAAAAAAAMaQCAAsAAABsAgAAMqQFAAQAAAB4AgAANKQCAAYAAACYAgAANaQCAAsAAACe AgAAAAAAAAEAAACgAAAAIwAAAAoAAAAyMDExOjAyOjA5IDIxOjU1OjU3ADIwMTE6MDI6MDkgMjE6 NTU6NTcASLlvAEBCDwD/gwUAoIYBAAAAAAABAAAAAwAAAAEAAABpAAAAAQAAAAAaTwCJAwAAALw0 AFMCAAAwNTcwMzA5MTI0AABpAAAAAQAAAGkAAAABAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADEwNW1tADAw MDAwMDAwMDAAAAYAAwEDAAEAAAAGAAAAGgEFAAEAAAD4AgAAGwEFAAEAAAAAAwAAKAEDAAEAAAAC AAAAAQIEAAEAAAAIAwAAAgIEAAEAAABuKwAAAAAAAEgAAAABAAAASAAAAAEAAAD/2P/uAA5BZG9i ZQBkAAAAAAH/2wCEAAYEBAQFBAYFBQYJBgUGCQsIBgYICwwKCgsKCgwQDAwMDAwMEAwMDAwMDAwM DAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwBBwcHDQwNGBAQGBQODg4UFA4ODg4UEQwMDAwMEREMDAwMDAwR DAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDP/AABEIAKsBAAMBEQACEQEDEQH/3QAEACD/xAGi AAAABwEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAEBQMCBgEABwgJCgsBAAICAwEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAEAAgMEBQYHCAkK CxAAAgEDAwIEAgYHAwQCBgJzAQIDEQQABSESMUFRBhNhInGBFDKRoQcVsUIjwVLR4TMWYvAkcoLx
...
Embedded Image

Images embedded in the template are stored in base64 format Causes very large templates: base64 is 4/3 bigger than binary Forces Designer and Reader to keep the image in DOM memory Slower open times, higher memory footprint, slower performance in Reader and Designer Same image used <n> times is stored <n> times
Linked Images in PDF

Linked images are stored in a PDF names tree Linked images are all resolved to a single copy of the image
Embedded Image storage in PDF
PDF
XDP (Template)
Base64 Image Base64 Image
Linked Image storage in PDF
PDF
XDP (Template)
Names Tree
<image> <image>
Binary Image
Too many objects
Your form may be too large if you have:

Text labels instead of captions Unnecessary wrapper subforms Spacing objects Rectangles instead of borders Rich text instead of plain text Duplicated subform instead of repeated subform
Slow open time
Forms with certification and encryption take longer to open

(Rights enabling uses encryption) Large form open time degrades more quickly with decryption
Too many pages!? Tortured tables complex row/cell definitions Fix your binding warnings
Sluggish Performance

Form too large Too much script Circular script references Forced re-layout or re-merge
Big memory footprint

1. 2. 3. 4.
Use strict scoping Use strict scoping Use strict scoping Dont use Acroforms XMLData object (use E4X instead)
Layout issues
Bring your form ahead to 9.1 and re-test

Many layout bug fixes in 9.0 and 9.1 Even if you know you cant use 9.1, you at least will know if it is a bug or a user error
Use XFA Debugger to check for layout warnings
Outline
1. 2. 3.
Form Review
Library of Congress Registration Form
Review Step 1
Form Report:

Target: XFA 2.5 (Reader 7.05) Strict Scoping Off
Bring form version to 9.1 Turn on strict scoping Start size: 1.66MB New size after moving to 9.1: 938KB
Step 1b) Check for errors
Conversion to strict scoping and moving to a newer version can expose script errors Test the form and watch the script console With the LOC form, we needed to fix 3 scripting issues
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Review Step 2
From the report: Fonts are embedded

1 instance of "Times New Roman" 9 instances of "Georgia" 15 instances of "Verdana" 366 instances of "Myriad Pro"
Step 2: Reduce Fonts
Change 1 instance of "Times New Roman" to "Myriad Pro" :
New size: 703 KB (From 938KB)
Change 9 instances of "Georgia" to "Myriad Pro" :
New size: 505KB
Change 15 instances of "Verdana" to "Myriad Pro" :
New size: 321KB
(demo)
Step 3: Embedded Images

Two embedded images are 136KB and 26KB Replace with links
New size: 312KB (from 321 KB)
Step 4: Country Drop Down Lists
Seven address blocks with a country drop down list

259 countries in each list 1813 total <text> elements for drop down lists (15% of form definition)
Load the lists from a macro on preOpen event:
function load(countryField) { var countries = ["Afghanistan", "Zimbabwe"]; countryField.setItems(countries.join(",")); }

New size: 299KB (from 312KB)
Check in XFA Debugger

Many objects marked as growable that do not need to be growable Growable objects are more expensive than fixed size objects for layout Not a critical problem for this form, but on a large scale could become noticeable Likely an artefact of early version of Designer
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Review Step 5: Code Review
ACR.details.AI.f2af::initialize - (JavaScript, client) if(this.rawValue==null) this.rawValue=""; ACR.details.Cert.FID::initialize - (JavaScript, client)

if(this.rawValue=="" || this.rawValue==null) this.rawValue=ACR.WBRT.FID.rawValue;
Empty fields are always null
ACR.details.AI.f2af::initialize - (JavaScript, client) if(this.rawValue==null) this.rawValue=""; ACR.details.Cert.FID::initialize - (JavaScript, client)

if(this.rawValue=="" || this.rawValue==null) if(this.isNull) this.rawValue=ACR.WBRT.FID.rawValue;
If you want a string

field.rawValue field.formattedValue field.editValue
data type according to field value always returns string always returns string
Validation on exit
ACRegistration.details.Author_Information.f2gpseu::exit - (JavaScript, client) if(pseudo_2g.rawValue=="Yes" && this.rawValue==null || pseudo_2g.rawValue=="Yes" && this.rawValue=="") { xfa.host.messageBox("You must enter a Pseudonym"); xfa.host.setFocus(this); }

(demo 2g) Exit event is not a good place to perform validations (save/close/reopen sequence will leave the field invalid but not detected) Exit validation traps the user in the mandatory field Validation logic is repeated in global script Should use presence="inactive" and mandatory setting
Alternative:
Design f2gpseu as "required"
ACR.Author.pseudo_2g::change - (JavaScript, client) if(this.rawValue=="Yes") { f2gpseu.presence = "visible"; TextField2.presence = "visible"; anon_2g.rawValue = ""; } else { f2gpseu.presence = "invisible inactive"; f2gpseu.rawValue = ""; TextField2.presence = "invisible"; }
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Validate numeric
ACR.Cert.f8dacc::exit - (JavaScript, client) formTools.isNumeric(this); isNumeric() if not all digits, message box error and resets focus back in the field Alternative is to prevent alpha input via the change event
Code to copy subforms...

if(this.rawValue==1) { xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_same_as_rights").rawValue = 0; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_first").rawValue= xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3af").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_middle").rawValue= xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3am").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_last").rawValue= xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3al").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_org").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3b").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_street").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3c").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_street2").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3c2").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_city").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3c_cit").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_st").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3c_st").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_postal").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3c_pos").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_coun").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3c_cou").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_email").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3c_email").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_phone").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3c_phone").rawValue; } if(this.rawValue==1){ xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_same_as_claimant").rawValue = 0; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_first").rawValue= xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_first").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_middle").rawValue= xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_middle").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_last").rawValue= xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_last").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_org").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_org").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_street").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_street").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_street2").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_street2").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_city").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_city").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_st").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_st").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_postal").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_postal").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_coun").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_country").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_email").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_emai").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_phone").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_phone").rawValue; } if(this.rawValue==1){ xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_same_as_rights").rawValue = 0; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_same_as_correspondance").rawValue = 0; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_first").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3af").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_middle").rawValue= xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3am").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_last").rawValue= xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3al").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_org").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3b").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_street").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3c").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_street2").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3c2").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_city").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3c_cit").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_sat").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3c_st").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_postal").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3c_pos").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_coun").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3c_cou").rawValue; } if(this.rawValue==1){ xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_same_as_claimant").rawValue = 0; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_same_as_rights").rawValue = 0; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_first").rawValue= xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_first").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_middle").rawValue= xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_middle").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_last").rawValue= xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_last").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_org").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_org").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_street").rawValue= xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_street").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_street2").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_street2").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_city").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_city").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_sat").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_st").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_postal").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_postal").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_coun").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Correspodence_Contact.f6_coun").rawValue; } if(this.rawValue==1){ xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_same_as_claimant").rawValue = 0; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_same_as_correspondance").rawValue = 0; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_first").rawValue= xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_first").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_middle").rawValue= xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_middle").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_last").rawValue= xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_last").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_org").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_org").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_street").rawValue= xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_street").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_street2").rawValue= xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_street2").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_city").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_city").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_sat").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_st").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_postal").rawValue= xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_postal").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Mail_Certificate_To.f7_coun").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_country").rawValue; } if(this.rawValue==1){ xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_first").rawValue= xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3af").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_middle").rawValue= xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3am").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_last").rawValue= xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3al").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_org").rawValue= xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3b").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_street").rawValue= xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3c").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_street2").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3c2").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_city").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3c_cit").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_st").rawValue= xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3c_st").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_postal").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3c_pos").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_country").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3c_cou").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_emai").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3c_email").rawValue; xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Rights_and_Permissions_Contact.f5_phone").rawValue = xfa.resolveNode("Application_for_Copyright_Registration.details.Copyright_Claimain_Information.f3c_phone").rawValue; }
112
Code needed when subform copy is shared code

if (this.rawValue === 1) { f6_same_as_rights.rawValue = 0; util.SF_Copy(Correspodence_Contact, Copyright_Claimain_Information); } if (this.rawValue === 1) { Correspodence_Contact.f6_same_as_claimant.rawValue = 0; util.SF_Copy(Correspodence_Contact, Rights_and_Permissions_Contact); } if (this.rawValue === 1) { f7_same_as_rights.rawValue = f7_same_as_correspondance.rawValue = 0; util.SF_Copy(Mail_Certificate_To, Copyright_Claimain_Information); } if (this.rawValue === 1) { f7_same_as_claimant.rawValue = f7_same_as_rights.rawValue = 0; util.SF_Copy(Mail_Certificate_To. Correspodence_Contact); } if (this.rawValue === 1) { f7_same_as_claimant").rawValue = f7_same_as_correspondance").rawValue = 0; util.SF_Copy(Mail_Certificate_To, Rights_and_Permissions_Contact); } if (this.rawValue === 1) { util.SF_Copy(util.SF_Copy(Rights_and_Permissions_Contact, Copyright_Claimain_Information); }
113
Seldom (if ever) need to construct a SOM expression

var numberOfTitles = 0; numberOfTitles = ACR.details.WBR.instanceManager.count; for(x=0;x<numberOfTitles;x++) { var vNodeName = "ACR.details.WBR["+ x +"].f1b"; var vTitleValue = xfa.resolveNode(vNodeName).rawValue; . . . }
114
resolveNode() vs resolveNodes()
Both functions accept a SOM expression argument and search from the context of the node where the call originates resolveNode() expects to return a single node and returns either a node or null resolveNodes() expects to return multiple nodes and returns a nodelist SOM expressions that include either "[*]" notation or a predicate expression will return a list Calling resolveNode() with an expression that returns a list will cause a runtime error
115
Seldom (if ever) need to construct a SOM expression

var numberOfTitles = 0; numberOfTitles = ACR.details.WBR.instanceManager.count; for(x=0;x<numberOfTitles;x++) { var vNodeName = "ACR.details.WBR["+ x +"].f1b"; var vTitleValue = xfa.resolveNode(vNodeName).rawValue; . . . } Preferred: var titles = this.resolveNodes("WBR[*].f1b"); for (var i = 0; i < titles.length; i++) { var vTitleValue = titles.item(i).rawValue; . . . }
116
prePrint validation
367 lines of script to validate the form contents
if(Work_Being_Registered_Type.f1a.rawValue=="" || Work_Being_Registered_Type.f1a.rawValue==null) { vRequiredFieldsNotFilledFlag = true; errorMessages+="\r1a. - You must select the Type of Work..."; formTools.markFieldRequired(Work_Being_Registered_Type.f1a); } else { formTools.markFieldNotRequired(Work_Being_Registered_Type.f1a); }
Many blocks of code similar to this can be wholly eliminated if using mandatory field processing
117
prePrint validation
Need to push the validations out to the individual fields for encapsulated design
118
Too much script

Form currently has over 1200 total lines of script In 9.1 the same functionality can be implemented in less than half the amount of script and with a better user experience
119
Questions?

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Forms vs.

Applications and how to make them behave

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http://blogs.adobe.com/formfeed (since October 2008)

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So youve decided to use PDF forms

You want to:

Enforce business rules Create a really good user experience

Now you need to add script to your forms

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Will you be creating a monster?

We see users create forms with:

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Will you be creating a monster?

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The small monster

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The small monster

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The small monster

Your initial form is a great success!

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The small monster

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The small monster

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The small monster

You are now trying to tame an army of small monsters

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Bad habits escalate

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Two Problem Scenarios

The big monster form:

The collection of small monster forms:

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Where did we go wrong?

Performant Low maintenance Testable

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Application Development Methodology

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Youve been granted custody of a monster

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Be an expert: JavaScript XML XFA

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2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.

2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.

Be an expert: JavaScript XML XFA

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2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.

Be an expert: JavaScript XML XFA

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2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.

XFA (template) Schema

Publicly documented (in detail) Visible in XML Source view

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XFA Scripting Object Model

The scripting object model closely mirrors XFA grammar. e.g.:

<field name="city"> <border> <fill> <color value="0,0,0"/> </fill> </border> </field>

Set field background color: or (shortcut):