Adobe Acrobat 8 3D - Manual (Page 205)

198 ADOBE ACROBAT 3D VERSION 8
User Guide
See also
“Manage form data files” on page 241
Export form data to a spreadsheet
Once you’ve collected PDF form data in FDF or XML format, you can organize the form data into a comma-
delimited spreadsheet (CSV) file.
1 Choose Forms > Manage Form Data > Merge Data Files Into Spreadsheet.
2 Click Add Files, and then select the desired data files.
3 Click Export, choose a location for the CSV file, and click Save.
See also
“Export records from a PDF data set” on page 241
Forms basics
What are PDF forms?
You’re already familiar with paper forms: documents with blanks that people fill in and deliver to the appropriate
person or organization. An Adobe PDF form is a computer-based version of a form, which can either be distributed
through email or CDs, or published on a website.
PDF forms can be ordinary PDFs with blank form fields or they can be interactive. Ordinary PDFs are a convenient
way of publishing forms that must be printed, filled out by hand, and physically delivered, such as by mail or fax. An
interactive form can be filled out on a computer and may be submitted through an Internet or local network
connection. The built-in security features can safeguard the privacy of electronically submitted data.
Interactive forms simplify the work users must do to provide the needed information. Electronically submitted forms
can be labor-saving at the receiving end, too, because the data from many individuals can be set up to be collated
automatically.
If you already use other kinds of forms, you can quickly make them into interactive PDF forms: You can scan paper
forms and you can convert electronic forms in other formats (such as Word documents, InDesign layouts, and Excel
spreadsheets) to interactive PDF forms.
Viewing a PDF form
When you open a form that someone sends you to fill out, a document message bar appears between the Acrobat
toolbars and the form itself.
The left side of the message bar typically displays instructions about how to complete and return the form. If you
open the form in Adobe Reader, the usage rights associated with that form are also described in this area. You can
hide or show the document message bar by clicking its button
.
The right side of the message bar has one or more buttons. The first is a Highlight Fields button , which colors the
backgrounds of all blanks to be filled in and outlines any required blanks, making it easy to see them at a glance.
You navigate and adjust views of a form in exactly the same way that you do in ordinary PDFs.