Use the form
validation options to control how Acrobat displays data validation errors
in a PDF form.
The form validation options apply to the entire PDF form and
work with other validation features like validation patterns and
scripts. Before you select form validation options, apply a validation
pattern or script to each field object that you want Acrobat to
verify. For example, you can configure a numeric field object with
a validation pattern that validates user-entered values to ensure
the proper format of the number. If a user enters an invalid number,
the field fails to validate. The validation pattern options define
how data must be entered into a field for it to validate. The form
validation options control the appearance and behavior of validation
errors in Acrobat.
Designer generates a validation script for each of the validation
options, except for Show Dialog Message option. The Show Dialog
Message option does not generate script.
Designer monitors the validation script for any changes. If Designer
detects the script is modified, it performs the following actions:
Stops monitoring the script and all associated scripts
for that action.
Deselects the associated validation option on the Validation
tab in the Form Properties dialog box.
Adds a message to the log file indicating that the script
is no longer monitored and can be edited.
As long as the validation script is unchanged and managed, Designer
removes the script from the form if you deselect a validation option.
Designer generates different form validation script for static
and dynamic forms. As a result, when you save a form as as an Adobe
XML Form (*.xdp), Designer determines which type of script to generate
based on the option you select in the PDF Render Format list (Static
PDF Form or Dynamic XML Form) on the Defaults tab in the Form Properties
dialog box.
Note: The script that the form validation options
generate overwrites any existing script that changes the appearance
of field objects. The overwrite occurs when the field objects become
valid or invalid. It is recommended that you customize existing scripts
to store the current appearance, so that you can revert to that
appearance if necessary.
It is recommended that you use the form validation options with
dynamic PDF forms. However, if you are working with a static PDF
form, review the recommendations you must keep in mind.
Recommendations for using form validation with static PDF forms
If you
use the Form Validation feature in a static PDF form, to color mandatory fields
that are not filled or fields that fail validation, Designer may
change the appearance of validated fields.
As a result, when
you use the Form Validation feature with a static form that contains
objects with borders, it is recommended that you use only these
border options on the Border tab:
Border Edges: Solid,
Lowered-3D, Raised-3D, Dash
Corners: Rectangle corner
Background Fill Style: Solid
To configure how Acrobat displays validation error message boxes
You
can configure how Acrobat displays validation error message boxes
when a user fills or submits a PDF form. For example, you can choose
to show each validation error message in its own box or combine
all validation error messages into a single box. Alternatively,
you can show only the first validation error message or no messages.
Note: Form validation options do not apply to field
objects that are not configured to validate. )
Select File > Form Properties and click Form Validation.
Under List of Options, click Show Dialog Message.
Select Configure How Acrobat Displays Validation Messages
Boxes and perform one of these actions:
To display
each new validation error message after the user closes the current
message, select Show Every Message In Its Own Message Box One After
The Other.
To combine validation errors into a single list, select Combine
The Messages Of All The Failed Fields Into One Message Box.
To display only the first validation error message, select
Show the First Failed Field’s Message And Suppress Any Other Messages.
To stop all validation messages, select Don’t Show Any Messages
Boxes At All.
Click OK.
To color fields that fail validation
You can choose
different colors to highlight the borders, the background fill,
or both of field objects that fail to validate in Acrobat.
Note: Form validation options do not apply to field
objects that are not configured to validate. )
Select File > Form Properties and click Form Validation.
Under List of Options, click Color Failed Fields.
Select Color Fields That Fail Their Validations and perform
one or both of these actions:
To select a color to
apply to the borders of field objects, click Border Color and select
a color from the palette.
To select a color to apply to the background of fields objects,
click Background Color and select a color from the palette.
Click OK.
To color mandatory fields that are not filled
You
can choose different colors to highlight the borders, the background
fill, or both of mandatory field objects that the user did not fill
in Acrobat.
If a mandatory field is highlighted and another
script makes the field optional, highlighting is not removed.
Note: Form validation options do not apply to field
objects that are not configured to validate.
Select
File > Form Properties and click Form Validation.
Under List of Options, click Color Mandatory Fields.
Select Color Mandatory Fields That Are Not Filled-In and
perform one or both of these actions:
To select a
color to apply to the borders of field objects, click Border Color and
select a color from the palette.
To select a color to apply to the background of fields objects,
click Background Color and select a color from the palette.
Click OK.
To set the focus to the first field that fails validation
The
Set Focus To The First Field That Fails To Validate option sets
the focus to the first non-validated field in Acrobat.
The
focus is set to the first invalid field in the Hierarchy palette,
not the first invalid field in the geographic order. It is recommended
that you order the field objects in the Hierarchy palette to match
the order of the field objects in the form design. Otherwise, the
focus could be set on an invalid field at the bottom of the page before
one at the top of the page.
Note: Form validation
options do not apply to field objects that are not configured to validate.
Select File > Form Properties and click Form Validation.
Under List of Options, click Set Focus.
Select Set Focus To The First Field That Fails To Validate
and then click OK.
