Adobe Acrobat provides a wide array of advanced functionality through Acrobat specific JavaScript.  This opens up a wide array of possibilities when it comes to building custom solutions.

Dynamic Data and Custom Calculations

Set up invoices, expense reports and other complex forms that require calculations to automatically generate results as the user enters data. PDF forms can be used to administer tests or surveys, then calculate a score and display the results.

Desktop Form Filling

JavaScript may be used to import data into a PDF and merge it with an existing form. The merged results can be output as saved files or sent to the printer.

In this case, tab delimited data files were imported and the output generated a printout for each data record.

When clicked, a non-printable button in the top left hand corner prompts the user to select the desired data.

To let the user know what’s going on, a progress bar shows in the lower right hand corner of the screen while the data is merged and the output PDF files are generated.

Graphing Data in the Field

When pouring concrete, it’s vital to maintain specific records of measurements and choices made for each pour. Reliable server connections aren’t necessarily available at construction sites, and Excel wasn’t in the cards – users wanted a bulletproof document-based approach that didn’t require the MS Office to read and use.

PDF was an excellent solution, with JavaScript used to dynamically set up a form based on user selections, then save and graph the results.

Once the form is filled, JavaScript is used to perform the various complex calculations and graph the data. Multiple sets of data may be stored in the PDF; each set may be retrieved and displayed at will.