editing pdf forms with formulas

rogersheriff · 02-03-2016, 03:04 AM

hey,
pdf editing works kinda well for easy forms where you just put in some text. I need to fill out this which has autocalculation formulas.

here is the pdf:
http://s000.tinyupload.com/download....23527290625100
When you try it, put some numbers in G1, G2, G3 and it should sum it up at "Summe der Vergnügungssteuer"... well it does not.
I tried it with okular and evince. None of these works.
Does anyone has experience with it or needs a better program to do this stuff?

thanks in advance

John VV · 02-03-2016, 03:34 PM

have you tried using Libreoffice
it has a formula editor

rogersheriff · 02-04-2016, 12:28 AM

Maybe you got me wrong here.
If you look at the document it has formfields where you enter numbers and it sums up all those entered numbers at bottom of that table.
But it doesn't under evince or okular.
I cannot import pdf in libreoffice btw. and I doubt it would calculate it.

business_kid · 02-04-2016, 04:56 AM

Quote:

autocalculation formulas

?? Are you expecting the formulas to be calculated? Put them in a spreadsheet or some programming language. A pdf's function in life is to look pretty and to be read, not actually doing stuff.

mjolnir · 02-04-2016, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by business_kid

?? Are you expecting the formulas to be calculated? Put them in a spreadsheet or some programming language. A pdf's function in life is to look pretty and to be read, not actually doing stuff.

Forms built with Adobe software can be embedded with javascript that will do all sorts of calculations and many other functions. I have used Acrobat 9 pro extended to do simple things many times. The last Reader that was built for Linux, now abandoned, would handle those forms easily. I haven't found anything in Linux, other than AdbeRdr9.5.5-1_i386linux_enu.deb, that will do so without some sort of work around.

rogersheriff · 02-04-2016, 08:03 AM

thanks for your answer. I just tested it with that package.
You can only print after editing, saving not allowed... damn pirates!

Well at least printing would work but saving it for later work maybe only in HTML over printer or print as pdf?

mjolnir · 02-04-2016, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogersheriff

thanks for your answer. I just tested it with that package.
You can only print after editing, saving not allowed... damn pirates!

Well at least printing would work but saving it for later work maybe only in HTML over printer or print as pdf?

Yeah, the people who created the form probably didn't extend permissions. Printing it out or saving it as an image will at least allow you to see your prior work.

rogersheriff · 02-19-2016, 02:19 AM

So old adobe version could edit all fine but had ancient printer commands. So I gave up there.
I installed virtualbox with winxp and installed FoxitReader.... Funny thing is even FoxitReader calculates the first formulas wrong in windows.
Could it have to do with some float routines or such?

mjolnir · 02-19-2016, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogersheriff

So old adobe version could edit all fine but had ancient printer commands. So I gave up there.
I installed virtualbox with winxp and installed FoxitReader.... Funny thing is even FoxitReader calculates the first formulas wrong in windows.
Could it have to do with some float routines or such?

I'm sorry, I don't have any experience with FoxitReader. Both my (ancient) dual boot laptop and desktop quit on me at Christmas and right now I'm constrained to a cheap Win 10 laptop upon which I've yet made no serious effort to install linux. It's been quite some time but as I remember I never had a problem printing a form, with extension of proper permissions, from linux with Reader.