The PDF format is often used as the final publication format for submitting documents that are complete and cannot be edited. Less known is that PDF has an option that allows you to create a fillable form. It can be edited and saved. Most standard PDF viewers can be used to edit the form.

This provides a simple and practical method for publishing forms that the user can do rather than on paper. The form makes it clear to the user which fields must be filled in, and by editing them the user does not risk breaking the form layout.

The sample PDF can be opened and edited using standard PDF viewing. For example: Foxit Reader, Adobe (Acrobat) Reader and others. After updating the information fields, save the form using the menu File - Save.

Create a PDF Form

LibreOffice can create PDF files. This is done using the menu File - Export to PDF. Any types of documents: text, tables, slide shows can be output as PDF. These files are read-only and are not forms.

To create a PDF form you need to use LibreOffice.Writer. Specific fields must be specified for each text to be replaced. In order to insert and edit these fields, special menus are used " Controls" in the toolbar. To use the "control form" in the toolbar, select the menu View - Toolbars - Controls.

This will open a small menu with typical GUI elements, such as text fields, lists, switches. One of the important ones is a button - an icon of a hand with an index finger on a button. This button enables or disables editing mode.

Note: If, after double-clicking on a field, the properties window does not open, check that development mode is enabled in the menu control form. See above. It is important that the margins are high enough for the font used. If the font is set to Arial 11 points, the margin must be at least 7 mm. If the margin is too small, text may look correct in one PDF viewer, but will be cut off at the top or bottom in another.

For fields List And Combo list the property " is used List elements" to set the items in the list. Click the triangle down icon and write one item on each line.

Note: Use a keyboard shortcut Shift and Enter to add a new line. Pressing only Enter will close the list.

To create a new layout with different input fields, you can copy the fields and change their properties.

In the field properties in the name column, set a unique name for each field.

How to add or change "list elements"

Let's look at an example of working with the List object in LibreOffice Writer.

If you need to edit a ready-made list in a form created in LibreOffice Writer, follow these steps:

1. Enable click on panel mode Controls button marked with number 1 (see figure "Working with forms in LibreOffice")
2. Select an object List in your document and press button 2 (you can double-click on the object).
3. The object properties window will open List(see picture below). On the tab Are common scroll the list of properties to position List elements(highlighted with a red frame).
4. Click the triangle on the right to go to editing list items.
5. Click on the line with the desired element and change its value. To add a new element to the list, place the cursor at the end of the element name and press the keys simultaneously Shift And Enter. An empty line will be added; you can enter a new list element into it.
6. Close the properties window and disable the mode Controls.

Creating a group of radio buttons

To create a group of radio buttons, we need an additional toolbar. We call it by pressing button 3 (see figure “Working with forms in LibreOffice”)
For ease of use, I recommend using the wizard. We turn it on with button 4. Next, on the additional panel we turn on the “Group” mode - button 5.

Now, while holding down the left mouse button, stretch the rectangle (switch area). After releasing the button, the wizard window will appear.

In this window, we sequentially enter the names of the parameters, adding them to the list on the right using the double arrow button.
Click the Next button. And let's move on to the next step.

Click the Next button. And let's move on to the next step. Here we also leave everything as default.

Click Finish.

The following area appears in the document.

Stretch or shrink the dimensions using the green markers.

This sequence of steps ensures that the switches in the PDF form work correctly. Tested in Adobe Acrobat Reader and Foxit Reader.

The order in which the user fills out the fields in the PDF form

When all the fields have been added and located on the page, it is necessary to establish a sequence in which the user can move from one field, using the tab key, to another. In order to set the tab order, you need to select any field and in the properties window, in " Order

If you do not see such a window, go to Tools - Options - LibreOffice - General. Check the box Use LibreOffice dialogs.

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You can create and edit form fields. The form field can be drawn anywhere on the PDF document page. You can remove one or more fields or resize them at the same time. For a range of field types, see .

To create a form field, follow these steps:

Select the Shapes menu > [desired tool] or select the shape tool from .

Move the cursor to create a form field of the required dimensions.

A corresponding dialog box will appear with the properties of the form fields.

Select the properties you want and click Close.

Defining properties for form fields

When you insert a form field, an associated properties dialog box appears with several tabs. To change the properties later, select the form tool for the desired field type and double-click the control.

Some options apply to all form field types. Define the field name, tooltip text, and field display attributes. Enable or disable the control's display, printability, and read-only access, and make the control required or optional. Other options depend on the field type.

Specify the checkbox type, exported values, default state, and associated actions.

Switches

Same as for a checkbox, but additionally you can combine all buttons with the same names and values ​​into a group.

Text fields

Set the text alignment and default text displayed (if needed) - this must follow the rules for the selected format.

No restrictions (no).

Number (select the separator type, number of decimal places, and how to display negative numbers or percentages, and indicate whether the field contains monetary values ​​(if so, specify the currency and separator)).

Date and time (select formats).

Special formats (5- or 9-digit zip codes, telephone numbers, or US social security numbers).

Custom mask: specify your template (see section).

Other: Define your rules for form field content.

For text fields without restrictions, you can allow a multi-line field with or without text scrolling. The “Password” type allows you to replace the real value with asterisks.

You can set requirements to validate the contents of a field entered by the user, and you can also set up rules to automatically calculate values ​​in selected numeric fields.

Digital signature field

Associated actions and rules for adding a signature.

Define text strings for the list and their exported values, and assign actions to triggers or selection changes.

Combo box

Same as for a list, but for text fields you can choose a format. Entries in the list must comply with format restrictions.

To resize one or more form fields, follow these steps:

Select the form fields whose sizes you want to resize.

To resize fields by dragging, select the tool that was used to create the form field and drag any edge of the field. To maintain the original aspect ratio of the field, hold down the SHIFT key.

To resize margins by one pixel, use Ctrl + arrow key; To resize the margins by 10 pixels, use the combination Ctrl + Shift + arrow key.

To set the same width, height, or area for a group of form fields, select the fields you are changing, right-click the field that you want to resize the rest of the fields to, and choose Height, Width, or Both from the context menu's Size submenu.

To remove a form field, follow these steps:

Right-click the field and select Edit > Delete from the context menu or select
Select the field and click the Delete button.

To clear all form fields, click the Reset Fields button.

Specify the order in which form fields are to be navigated using the Tab key

1. Select the Set Transition Sequence tool.

   Double-click the field you want to make first.

   Click the remaining fields once in the required order.

   Click the Hand button to stop changing the transition sequence. If you stop the procedure without clicking all the fields, the order of the remaining fields will remain unchanged.

A standardized transition sequence can be established. Open pages in the navigation pane, right-click the page and select Page Properties > Transition Sequence.

Note

Do not modify form controls or run FormTyper on a form with XFA controls active.

Project PDF Maker Pilot closed. To work with forms, use programs. With their help, you can create and fill out paper and electronic forms, prepare forms for clients and partners, and much more.

Program PDF Maker Pilot specifically designed for creating PDF documents and PDF forms for filling out. You can fill out PDF forms using the free Adobe Reader.

PDF Maker Pilot allows you to add the following graphic objects when creating a PDF document:

How to create PDF forms

1. Create a new blank page or print it to a virtual document printer (PDF, HTML, DOC, XLS, TXT, etc.) to use as a background for the new form.		2. Add tables, pictures, labels, fillable fields, checkboxes and draw graphic objects, place the created objects on the pages of your form.		3. Save the file via the File | Save as PDF. You can now open the generated PDF form using the free Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat and fill out the text fields, checkboxes, and print it.

Questions and answers... -->a href="pdfmaker_repeat.html">How to repeatedly fill out the same form with the software...-->

Creating forms for clients

You can use PDF Maker Pilot to create forms for clients. You create fillable PDF forms. Your clients can fill out and print them using free PDF readers such as Adobe Reader. By using PDF readers that support saving completed forms, your clients can save completed forms and send them back to you. For example, Foxit Reader allows you to save modified PDF documents, unlike Adobe Reader, which does not allow this.

One of the most popular features in PDF editors is the ability to create fillable forms. Master PDF Editor allows you to create any interactive forms in documents that users can fill out, sign with an electronic signature, print, save, and send by email.

In the main menu Forms You can select options for creating new form fields. Form options are displayed in the window Object inspectors. It allows you to set settings for one form or for several at once.

To change form fields, enter edit mode. To do this, click the button Editing a document or Editing Forms on the toolbar, or select these items in the main menu Tools.

The PDF file can contain the following types of forms:

Button	Name	Description
	Link	Makes it possible to quickly navigate to another location in the current, nested, or any document, to other files and Web sites, or to initiate a predefined event.
	Button (Push Button)	Allows you to trigger predefined events such as opening a file, sending data to a web server or resetting forms and others.
	Checkbox (Check Box)	Provides the ability to set one of two states: on or off. If a form contains multiple checkbox fields, users can select any number of options.
	Switch (Radio Button)	Represents a group of options from which the user filling out the form can only select one.
	Combo box (Combo Box)	Allows the user to select an item from a pop-up list or enter a value.
	List (List Box)	Provides the ability to select one or more items from a list.
	Text field (Text Field)	Allows the user to add a field to enter text, such as name, address, phone number, date, etc.
	Signature (Signature)	Creates an empty field for adding a digital signature.

Link

With help links It is possible to quickly navigate to another location in the current, nested, or any document, to other files and Web sites, or to initiate a specified action to trigger a predefined event.

To add a link to a document, select from the main menu Forms > Link (Ctrl+L) or click the button Insert link on the toolbar. A marker will appear, using which you can highlight the field for the link. (Press Esc or right mouse button deactivates the tool). You can set parameters and define actions for a link in Object Inspector.

• Line thickness- thickness of the lines (in pixels) delimiting the link.
• Border color- the color of the lines delimiting the link.
• Line style- style of lines delimiting the link. Options: solid, dashed, underline.
• Selection- This feature is not currently supported. It is made for compatibility with other editors.

In the tab Actions you can specify the type of event and select the trigger under which this event will occur.

In point Trigger indicates the type of action that must be initiated by the user in order for the specified event to occur. A trigger can be the following actions: a button is pressed, a button is released, the cursor is hovered, the cursor is moved away, gaining focus and losing focus.

Button

To create a button, select from the main menu Forms type of required field. Click on the place on the document page where you want to place the PDF form. The program will create a standard size field. (or draw the form field yourself). You can create multiple instances of a button. The names of newly created buttons are based on the name of the first button, but with a sequential number added. If you create new buttons by copying the first one, then all subsequent buttons will have the same name. The button copies work independently of each other.

If necessary, you can paste the copied button onto the pages of the entire document or specify a range of pages to insert. To do this in the main menu Edit select item Paste on selected pages.

Tab Options

• Behavior- sets the behavior of the button when clicked with the mouse: invert, outline, press, none changes.
• Inscription- specifies the text that will be displayed when the button is not active.
• Inscription when pressed- specifies the text that will be displayed on the button when it is pressed.
• Hover caption- specifies the text that will be displayed on the button when it receives focus.

Checkbox

A checkbox is used to provide the user with a Yes/No choice. It denotes agreement with the selection of certain elements. Typically, this type of form is used when it is necessary to select several options from the proposed list. If you need to select only one option from a group, then switches are usually used for this. To create a field on the document page, select a checkbox in the main menu Forms>Checkbox.

When creating a checkbox, it is possible to make its field mandatory for users to fill out. To do this, in the tab General Object Inspectors check the box next to the item Required. When the user fills out forms, required fields will be highlighted.

Tab Options

In point Style select the type of checkbox. It could be star, square, rhombus, cross or circle. In point Export value specifies the value that will be exported if this field is selected by the user when filling out forms. When the checkbox is checked selected by default, form field when using the command Reset forms will be highlighted. (Main menu Forms > Reset Forms- reset data in all forms in the document. The default value will be set or the form field will become empty if there is no default value.)

Please note that once you set this option, it will not be set as the default selection. To do this you need to run the command Reset forms.

In Master PDF Editor you can configure several options for how checkboxes work:

• To ensure that when you select one checkbox field, some other checkboxes are automatically selected, you must assign the same values ​​to all of these checkboxes. Names(tab Are common) and identical Values ​​for export(tab Options). Such fields can be located on different pages.
• To be able to select only one checkbox from a group, the entire group of checkboxes must be assigned the same Names and different Values ​​for export.
• To enable checkbox fields to be selected independently of each other, the form fields must be assigned different Name and different Export value, and then these fields will be selected independently of each other.

Switch

To create a radio button field in your document, select from the main menu Forms>Switch. A radio button is used to allow users filling out a form to select one option from a group. Switches, unlike checkboxes, always work only in a group. Accordingly, all form fields of a separate group of radio buttons must be assigned the same Names(tab Are common) and different Values ​​for export(tab Options). All settings for radio buttons are identical to those for checkboxes.

Creating, moving, editing, resizing, deleting, duplicating switches is performed similarly with the same actions for all form fields.

To create a list of elements from which users will subsequently select the necessary options.

List

To create this field, select in the main menu Forms>List.

When completed, the user can select one or more list items. Whether you can make this choice depends on the settings specified by the document creator. When creating several list fields in a PDF document, they must all be assigned unique names(tab Are common).

Tab Options.

Paragraph- to add an element to the list, write its text in the field paragraph and then click the button Add. To remove an item from the list, select the item in the field and click the button Delete.

Export value- if it is necessary that when exporting data, the value transferred for export differs from the text of the list element, write it manually in the appropriate field. (If you do not fill in the item field Export value, then the text of the added element is automatically written to it.)

Up And Down- clicking these buttons allows you to move the selected field element lower or higher in the list.

Sort- when the checkbox is checked, buttons Up And Down are blocked, and list items are automatically arranged in alphabetical order.

Multiple selection- if you check this box, users will have the opportunity to select multiple items from the list.

Fixing the selected value automatically- when the checkbox is checked, the value is saved as soon as the user selects it. If this option is not selected, the value is saved only when the user switches from the current field to a field on another form.

Combo box

In a select input field, the user can select an item from a pop-up list or enter a value.

Input field settings with selection in the tab Options similar to the settings for the list with the exception of one item - allow the user to enter their own text. If this checkbox is checked, the user filling out the form will be able to enter their text.

Text field

The edit field allows the user filling out the PDF form to enter arbitrary text.

To create a field for editing, select from the main menu Forms>Text field and click in the place on the page where you intend to place it. A standard size field will be created (or draw a rectangle using your mouse).

When creating several fields for editing in a PDF document, they must all be assigned unique names(tab Are common). If this is not done, when filling out one of the fields for editing, the data will be duplicated in all other fields of this type.

Tab Options

Rich text- when the checkbox is checked, it is possible to enter formatted text (bold, bold, italics, etc.) (The current version does not support entering formatted text.)

Alignment- this paragraph indicates the position of the text in the form field ( left, center, right).

Default value- it is possible to edit the entered data in the field.

Multiline- when the checkbox is checked, the entered text will be written on several lines of this field. If the checkbox is not checked, the text will be located on one line.

Password- when the checkbox is checked, the text entered by the user is displayed as asterisks. (Available only if there is no checkbox in the item Spellchecking)

Scrollable- when the checkbox is checked, the user can enter text that extends beyond the boundaries of the text field.

Spellchecking- when the checkbox is checked, the spelling of the entered text is checked.

Limit- the field indicates the number of characters that the user can enter.

Divide- allows you to divide the form field into a specified number of cells for entering characters.

General properties for PDF forms.

You can set parameters and define actions for form fields in Object Inspector.

You can get more detailed information in the subsection

Portable Document Format (PDF) is used to provide documents in static form without the ability to edit. However, PDF supports the implementation of fillable forms. LibreOffice includes standard tools for creating such PDF files.

1. Open LibreOffice Writer and create a new document.

2. Go to "View → Toolbars → Controls" and turn on the panel "Controls".

You should see something like this:

This panel allows you to add various form fields to your document.

3. Now select any of the form elements (for example, “Text field”) and, pressing the left mouse button, stretch it to the desired size.

4. Double-click the text field with the left mouse button.

A control window will appear where you can edit the text box's metadata (size, formatting, etc.) or add an event.

Other form elements are added and configured in a similar way.

5. After placing the required elements, go to “File → Export to PDF”. In the export menu you need to check the box "Create PDF Form". Any transmission format can be used. The most commonly used format FDF.

Click the button "Export" and select a location to save the finished PDF form. Open the resulting PDF file in a PDF viewer and you will see all the form fields in the document. Fill out the fields and save the PDF document. When reopened, the filled data will remain intact.

P.S. When filling out forms in the standard PDF viewer, I had a problem with the Cyrillic alphabet; the text in Russian was not displayed. After making inquiries, it turned out that this was a problem with a specific PDF viewer. Keep in mind. Therefore, in the last screenshot you can see that I used the Google Chrome browser as a viewer, but Mozilla Firefox reads PDF files, but does not support filling out forms.

A ready-made example of creating PDF forms is available here