PDF check boxes

[ClayHelberg]

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:

[ebenton]

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.

[GarethOakes]

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

[ClayHelberg]

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

[naglists]

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.

[ClayHelberg]

Right, what he said. 🙂



Clay Helberg

Senior Consultant



TerraXML

1380 Forest Park Circle, Suite 100

Lafayette, CO 80027

[ebenton]

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.

[ClayHelberg]

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