Choosing the type of PDF form

You can create many kinds of forms as either static or dynamic with little difference to the end-user experience. However, some forms work as designed only if they are created as a static or dynamic PDF forms. In general, the choice of static over dynamic is determined by the following considerations:

• If the form works as either a static PDF form or a dynamic PDF form, use a dynamic PDF form to reduce server-side processing, which results in a greater number of transactions per second.

• If the form relies on client-side scripts to change the layout (for example, it uses scripts to add or remove rows from a table or to make text fields grow), use a dynamic PDF form.

• If end users will need to add annotations or comments to the PDF form, use a static PDF form.

• If the form must work with Acrobat installations earlier than version 7.0, use a static PDF form.

Additionally, there are a number of specific issues to consider when choosing to create a static or dynamic PDF form. These issues are differences in the behavior between the form types that may be critical in making your decision:

• Applying formatting by using client-side scripts

• Saving object formatting

• Unavailable commands for dynamic forms in Adobe Reader

• Font behavior

• Objects and properties for static PDF forms

• If your form includes digital signatures, there are limitations to the way that you can use dynamic PDF forms with the Signature service. For more information about these limitations, see AEM forms Services Reference .

As you design a form, you can see how the form behaves as a static or dynamic PDF form in the Preview PDF tab.

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