About form elements

After you determine what information you want to receive from users, you can match information types with appropriate form elements.

For text and numeric data that the user will type, design the form to use text fields or combo boxes.
For a single choice from a limited number of options, use radio buttons, a list box, or a combo box.
For a limited number of options from which the user can select none, one, or more items, use check boxes, or use a list box and set the form field properties to allow multiple selections.
For actions, such as opening a file, playing a sound or video, submitting form data, and so forth, use buttons.
For added security, add a digital signature field that verifies the user’s identity.

You can also make changes to individual form field properties, making it even easier and more foolproof for users filling in the PDF form.

A PDF form created with Acrobat can contain the following types of elements:

Barcodes: Encode the input from selected fields and display it as a visual pattern that can be interpreted by decoding software or hardware (available separately).
Buttons: Initiate a change on the user’s computer, such as opening a file, playing a sound, or submitting data to a web server. These buttons can be customized with images, text, and visual changes triggered by mouse actions.
Note: Action buttons have a different purpose than radio buttons, which represent data choices made by the user.
Check boxes: Present yes-or-no choices for individual items. If the form contains multiple check boxes, the user can typically select as many or few of these as wanted.
Combo boxes: Let the user either choose an item from a pop-up menu or type a value.
Digital signature field: Lets the user electronically sign a PDF document with a digital signature.
Document message bar: Displays automatically generated information about the PDF form and can display action buttons and other options. The document message bar informs Reader users about their usage rights for the form. It also specifies if a form is certified or has signature fields and allows users to highlight fields. If the form doesn’t have a submit button, a Submit Form button is added to the document message bar to allow the users to submit the form.
Note: If form recipients are using older versions of Acrobat or Reader, the document message bar may not be visible or may contain different information.
List boxes: Display a list of options the user can select.
Note: You can set a form field property that enables the user to Shift-click to select multiple items on the list.
Radio buttons: Present a group of choices from which the user can select only one item. All radio buttons with the same name work together as a group.
Text fields: Let the user type text, such as name, address, or phone number.

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Adobe Acrobat PDF form

A.: Digital signature field
B.: Combo box
C.: Text fields
D.: Forms document message bar
E.: Check boxes
F.: Radio buttons
G.: List box
H.: Buttons