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PD4ML: PDF Action Handlers
PDF file format allows to enhance a PDF document with Acrobat JavaScript for
processing within a single document, processing for a given page, processing for
a single form field etc.With PD4ML a
typical JavaScript scenarios are to force a print dialog popup or to
fill/update some PDF form fields.
PD4ML supports an assigning of JavaScript handlers to the following action
types:
- "OpenAction" (document open),
- "DC" (document close),
- "WS" (will save),
- "DS" (did save),
- "WP" (will print),
- "DP" (did print)
using void addDocumentActionHandler(String actionType, String javaScript)
PD4ML API call.
Simplest case. Set zoom factor to 600% by a document opening:
pd4ml.addDocumentActionHandler("OpenAction", "this.zoom = 600;");
Also an update of a PDF form field is not tricky. Let's say there is an HTML
form field in a source document:
...
<input name=i1 type=text style="border: none">
...
The following Java code forces PD4ML to generate PDF form and defines a JavaScript, which sets the field value to the current date every time the PDF is opened.
...
pd4ml.generatePdfForms(true, null);
pd4ml.addDocumentActionHandler("OpenAction", "this.getField('i1').value = new Date().toDateString();");
...
A print dialog popup code sample can be found by the
link.
Note: PDF/A specification does not permit JavaScript handler definition, so in PDF/A generation mode
pd4ml.addDocumentActionHandler() takes no effect.
Useful links:
Acrobat JavaScript Scripting Reference
Acrobat JavaScript Scripting Guide | 
