PDF Files
 

Why do govt departments and agencies, such as unis, supply course application forms in PDF format?

I know it looks all nice and neat but few folk have the software to fill in the forms and they have to be completed manually and posted. A nuisance for everyone.

Why can't they send them in Word format? I tried using some Adobe freeware but this was a complete disaster. Am I missing a trick here?

dl

I guess its desgined for you to print them out and complete them manually, saves having to send them to you physically. Although, yes it would be quicker to be able to complete them digitally and email them back.

PDF's need to evolve to allow completion without extra software whilst still retaining their integrity . . . perhaps there's a gap in the market for a universal digital form format?

Unless it's disabled you can cut and paste from a PDF with some success. I refuse to buy a printer so have a fair bit of experience.

I hve had some PDF's where i have been able to fill them in using Acrobat and send them back without having to print them out.

But with the free reader or the pay-for full product? The full product allows it if correctly configured, but not the reader AFAIK.

With the reader, i dont have the Fullt Acrobat on my Laptop.

worst case scenario, do a screen copy and paste it into paint.
Then use the text function to complete the form, then save it as a jpg or tiff

OK guys, thanks.

I expect we'll end up doing it manually but it won't look as tidy. Why they can't send the damn thing in Word remains a mystery!! d

Thats good to know.

Looks like you can complete the form when the capability is enabled by the document author in Adobe LiveCycle software.

Adobe - Reader: New features

Word Macro Viruses.

It isn't the technology that is the problem, but the Techno-tards who are trying to use it!!

Even with Word there are people who will manually type in underscores in fields on forms that you have to fill in :mad:

...but there is another reason to hate PDFs - the fact that Acrobat Reader is becoming becoming more of a bloat-ware than even Uncle Bill's finest applications ;)

mb