Making PDFs into fillable forms

Discussion in 'HTML & Website Design' started by Bengal313, Apr 13, 2015.

  1. #1
    I am looking for a tool to take my PDFs and allow to create fillable forms and allow users to be able to submit them. That part is easy, here is the catch. I want to be able to have the form data stored in a database and then be able to print the form out with the fills being filled from the database.
     
    Bengal313, Apr 13, 2015 IP
  2. PoPSiCLe

    PoPSiCLe Illustrious Member

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    #2
    Why don't you just make a webpage with a form users can fill out, and add the ability to print the PDF if need be? Why go to all that trouble to have users submit a PDF form in the first place?
     
    PoPSiCLe, Apr 13, 2015 IP
  3. Bengal313

    Bengal313 Peon

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    #3
    I need the ability to take the data submitted and print it out onto the fields of the PDF.
     
    Bengal313, Apr 13, 2015 IP
  4. PoPSiCLe

    PoPSiCLe Illustrious Member

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    #4
    Yes... and again, what does that have to do with anything? That's just passing variables to a PDF-maker - again, why do you need to have a PDF submitted to you?
    You make a form (with a user-login, if you want the user to be able to print what s/he put in) - when the user fills out the form, the user have the opportunity to either just save the form's content, or print it (as a PDF, Word-Doc, Excel-sheet - whatever you want it to be, really) - there's absolutely no need to parse a submitted PDF (which either has to be done automatically on the server, when the user submits the PDF, or mostly manually if it's submitted via email (although that can also be automated, it takes a wee bit more effort to catch and parse it from the server's onboard mail-service)).
     
    PoPSiCLe, Apr 13, 2015 IP
  5. Bengal313

    Bengal313 Peon

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    #5
    Thank you. I got all that. I guess what I should be asking is there a recommended piece of software to create and manage these forms?
     
    Bengal313, Apr 13, 2015 IP
  6. PoPSiCLe

    PoPSiCLe Illustrious Member

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    #6
    Creating forms... a text-editor? I dunno what you have currently - do you have a webpage? Does it run on some sort of CMS? If you don't have something with an admin-backend already, and you don't want to do this yourself, or pay someone to do it, I suggest using some tried-and-tested CMS - Wordpress, Joomla or something similar. However, it might be wise to hire someone who knows how to do this, since getting PDFs to be created properly can be a bit of a pain in the proverbial ass.
     
    PoPSiCLe, Apr 13, 2015 IP
  7. Bengal313

    Bengal313 Peon

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    #7
    Thank you for your input. We have a Joomla site. So I will look for Joomla extensions.
     
    Bengal313, Apr 13, 2015 IP
  8. DCWebAP

    DCWebAP Greenhorn

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    #8
    Joomla extensions would be the best bet since I believe they have such for webistes.
     
    DCWebAP, Apr 14, 2015 IP