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I want to make a pdf form that has a dropdownlist filled with data from an external xml file. The xml file is updated every few days.

I want it so that the client can click a button on our application to download the pdf. When it is downloaded (or when the xml file is updated, whichever works best), I would like it so the pdf prepopulates its dropdownlist with the data from the xml file and is then pushed to the client.

The xml has a structure similar to this:

<items>
    <item>
        <display>string displayed in dropdownlist</display>
        <value>value used in barcode</value>
    </item>
    <item>
        <display>Sample data</display>
        <value>1</value>
    </item>
</items>

So the client would download the pdf file, open it in reader, fill out the form, where the data is put into a pdf417 barcode (so I need the form to retain the extended reader functionality), printed, etc.

I'm currently using LiveCycle Designer to create the form, and a LiveCycle server is not out of the question if that's what's needed.

Is this even possible? How would I do that?

Netfangled
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1 Answers1

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Yes its possible. As a matter of fact, LiveCycle ES Server ( along with its associated modules) facilitates the merging of the XML with a LiveCycle template.

In the use case you have mentioned, you can leverage the LiveCycle server to merge the XML data with the PDF, generate a dynamic PDF, Reader extended it and render it to a client. The dropdowns will have the updated data as well.

Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks, Armaghan.

Armaghan Chaudhary
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  • That's great news! Would you happen to know a tutorial on how to do this? And can I do this with the trial versions of the products; I have to come up with a proof of concept. I'm not too worried about the Reader Extensions for now though. – Netfangled Jan 24 '13 at 02:35
  • It will be hard to point to a tutorial without knowing the specifics of what you are trying to do. Here are a few tutorials: [link 1](http://www.adobe.com/devnet/livecycle/articles/prepopulating-dropdown-lists.html) [link 2](http://blogs.adobe.com/acdc/2011/12/populate-a-drop-down-list-in-livecycle-designer-with-dynamically-generated-xml.html) – Armaghan Chaudhary Jan 24 '13 at 18:57