Skip to main content
C
ClayHelberg18-Opal
18-Opal
February 4, 2013
Question

PDF check boxes

  • February 4, 2013
  • 7 replies
  • 1749 views
Hi Ed--



I don't think Arbortext has any PDF forms capability. If you are using
Acrobat Distiller to generate your PDF, you might be able to hack
something using PDFMark commands embedded in the output, but otherwise I
don't know of a way to do this in Arbortext.



If you decide to have a go at hacking the PostScript with PDFMark
commands, here is something that might help you get going:



    7 replies

    E
    ebenton1-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    February 4, 2013
    Thanks Clay,
    That's kind of what we thought, that Arbortext Editor didn't support it, although we were hoping against hope that we were wrong.

    I tried putting this TeX code in a FOSI: usetext="\begin{Form}\CheckBox[width=1em]\end{Form}", but Arbortext Editor doesn't recognize the \begin command. Not enough packages or modules installed for all the TeX commands, I guess.
    G
    GarethOakes16-Pearl
    16-Pearl
    February 5, 2013
    I know FOSI lets you do TeX passthroughs. However, does the pubtex interpreter in Arbortext support an PostScript passthrough macro? That way you could embed PostScript instructions in the output. Even if you could only embed PostScript comments you could then quite easily have a script insert the relevant PostScript instructions in the PS file prior to Distiller creating the PDF.

    -G
    C
    ClayHelberg18-OpalAuthor
    18-Opal
    February 5, 2013
    Yes, TeX passthrough supports PS code, but it requires an extra layer of passthrough. I think it's percent signs, but not sure. Anyway, you have to pass the Tex through the FOSI and pass the PS through the Tex.

    Another approach is to write the pdfmark code to an eps file and then link it in as a graphic.

    --C


    Gareth Oakes <goakes@gpslsolutions.com> wrote:

    I know FOSI lets you do TeX passthroughs. However, does the pubtex interpreter in Arbortext support an PostScript passthrough macro? That way you could embed PostScript instructions in the output. Even if you could only embed PostScript comments you could then quite easily have a script insert the relevant PostScript instructions in the PS file prior to Distiller creating the PDF.

    -G
    N
    naglists1-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    February 6, 2013
    FWIW. From old code before the rotation of table content was supported
    directly.

    <usetext source="%\hbox{\special{pub:" rotate<br="/>90}%,<rotated_cell.fmt>,#CONTENT,</rotated_cell.fmt>,%}%">

    I do believe that the % are delimiters for tex passthrough.



    C
    ClayHelberg18-OpalAuthor
    18-Opal
    February 6, 2013
    Right, what he said. 🙂



    Clay Helberg

    Senior Consultant



    TerraXML

    1380 Forest Park Circle, Suite 100

    Lafayette, CO 80027
    E
    ebenton1-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    February 6, 2013
    I'm sorry, in my email below, I actually DID have % signs around the usetext source attribute contents. I mistyped the text instead of copying it. It should have read,

    <usetext source="%\begin{Form}\CheckBox[width=1em]\end{Form}%">

    In any case, Arbortext Editor throws an error saying that it does not recognize the "\begin" part of the usetext. Apparently the Arbortext Editor TeX handling is limited or I need some more syntax or something.
    C
    ClayHelberg18-OpalAuthor
    18-Opal
    February 6, 2013
    Yes, I don't think that's standard TeX. It might be LaTeX or some other
    "improved" variant, but the Arbortext engine only groks plain TeX.



    --C



    Clay Helberg

    Senior Consultant



    TerraXML

    1380 Forest Park Circle, Suite 100

    Lafayette, CO 80027
    Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement