|
The Forms service renders HTML forms in response to an
HTTP request from a web browser. When rendering an HTML form, the
Forms service can reference a custom CSS file. You can create a
custom CSS file to meet your business requirements and reference
that CSS file when using the Forms service to render HTML forms.
The Forms service silently parses the custom CSS file. That is,
the Forms service does not report errors that may be encountered
if the custom CSS file does not comply with CSS standards. In this
situation, the Forms service ignores the style and continues with
the remaining styles located in the CSS file.
The following list specifies styles that are supported in a custom
CSS file:
Class level selector-style pairs: If present in
a custom CSS file, selectors used in the HTML form as class styles
are used. Unused class styles are ignored.
Identifier level selector-style pairs: All identifier
styles are used if they are used in the HTML form.
Element level selector-style pairs: All element styles
are used if they are used in the HTML form.
Style Priority: Style priority (like important) is
supported and can be used in a custom CSS file.
Media Type: One or more selector-style pairs can be wrapped
in @media style to define the media type. The Forms service does
not check whether the specified media type is supported. The media
type specified in the custom CSS file is merged in the HTML form.
You can retrieve a sample CSS file by using the FormsIVS application.
Upload the form, select it in the Test Form Design page, and click
GenerateCSS. You are not required to set the HTML transformation
type before clicking the button. Next select save. You can edit
this CSS file to meet your business requirements.
Note: Before rendering an HTML form that uses a custom
CSS file, it is important that you have a solid understanding of
rendering HTML forms. (See Rendering Forms as HTML.)
Summary of stepsTo
render an HTML form that uses a CSS file, perform the following
tasks:
Include project files.
Create a Forms Java API object.
Reference the CSS file.
Render an HTML form.
Write the form data stream to the client web browser.
Include project filesInclude necessary files in your development
project. If you are creating a client application by using Java,
include the necessary JAR files. If you are using web services,
ensure that you include the proxy files.
Create a Forms Java API objectBefore you can programmatically
perform an operation supported by the Forms service, you must create
a Forms client object.
Reference the CSS fileTo render an HTML form that uses a custom
CSS file, ensure that you reference an existing CSS file.
Render an HTML formTo render an HTML form, you must specify
a form design created in Designer and saved as an XDP file. You
must also select an HTML transformation type. For example, you can
specify the HTML transformation type that renders a dynamic HTML
for Internet Explorer 5.0 or later.
Rendering an HTML form
also requires values, such as URI values needed to render other
form types.
Write the form data stream to the client web browserWhen the
Forms service renders an HTML form, it returns a form data stream that
you must write to the client web browser to make the HTML form visible
to the user.
Render an HTML form that uses a CSS file using the Java APIRender an HTML form that uses a custom CSS
file by using the Forms API (Java):
Include project files
Include client JAR files,
such as adobe-forms-client.jar, in your Java project’s class path.
Create a Forms Java API object
Reference the CSS file
Create an HTMLRenderSpec object by
using its constructor.
To render the HTML form that uses a custom CSS file, invoke
the HTMLRenderSpec object’s setCustomCSSURI method
and pass a string value that specifies the location and name of
the CSS file.
Render an HTML form
Invoke the FormsServiceClient object’s renderHTMLForm method
and pass the following values:
A string value that
specifies the form design name, including the file name extension.
If you reference a form design that is part of a LiveCycle
application, ensure that you specify the complete path, such as Applications/FormsApplication/1.0/FormsFolder/Loan.xdp.
A TransformTo enum value that specifies the
HTML preference type. For example, to render an HTML form that is compatible
with dynamic HTML for Internet Explorer 5.0 or later, specify TransformTo.MSDHTML.
A com.adobe.idp.Document object that contains
data to merge with the form. If you do not want to merge data, pass
an empty com.adobe.idp.Document object.
The HTMLRenderSpec object that stores HTML
run-time options.
A string value that specifies the HTTP_USER_AGENT header
value, such as Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322).
A URLSpec object that stores URI values required
to render an HTML form.
A java.util.HashMap object that stores file
attachments. This is an optional parameter, and you can specify null if
you do not want to attach files to the form.
The renderHTMLForm method
returns a FormsResult object that contains a form
data stream that must be written to the client web browser.
Write the form data stream to the client web browser
Create a com.adobe.idp.Document object by
invoking the FormsResult object ‘s getOutputContent method.
Get the content type of the com.adobe.idp.Document object
by invoking its getContentType method.
Set the javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse object’s
content type by invoking its setContentType method
and passing the content type of the com.adobe.idp.Document object.
Create a javax.servlet.ServletOutputStream object
used to write the form data stream to the client web browser by invoking
the javax.servlet.h\ttp.HttpServletResponse object’s getOutputStream method.
Create a java.io.InputStream object by invoking
the com.adobe.idp.Document object’s getInputStream method.
Create a byte array and populate it with the form data stream
by invoking the InputStream object’s read method
and passing the byte array as an argument.
Invoke the javax.servlet.ServletOutputStream object’s write method
to send the form data stream to the client web browser. Pass the
byte array to the write method.
Render an HTML form that uses a CSS file using the web service APIRender an HTML form that uses a custom CSS
file by using the Forms API (web service):
Include project files
Create a Forms Java API object
Create a FormsService object
and set authentication values.
Reference the CSS file
Create an HTMLRenderSpec object by
using its constructor.
To render the HTML form that uses a custom CSS file, invoke
the HTMLRenderSpec object’s setCustomCSSURI method
and pass a string value that specifies the location and name of
the CSS file.
Render an HTML form
Invoke the FormsService object’s renderHTMLForm method
and pass the following values:
A string value that
specifies the form design name, including the file name extension.
If you reference a form design that is part of a LiveCycle
application, ensure that you specify the complete path, such as Applications/FormsApplication/1.0/FormsFolder/Loan.xdp.
A TransformTo enum value that specifies the
HTML preference type. For example, to render an HTML form that is compatible
with dynamic HTML for Internet Explorer 5.0 or later, specify TransformTo.MSDHTML.
A BLOB object that contains data to merge with
the form. If you do not want to merge data, pass null.
(See Prepopulating Forms with Flowable Layouts.)
The HTMLRenderSpec object that stores HTML
run-time options.
A string value that specifies the HTTP_USER_AGENT header
value, such as Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322).
You can pass an empty string if you do not want to set this value.
A URLSpec object that stores URI values required
to render an HTML form. (See Specify URI values.)
A java.util.HashMap object that stores file
attachments. This is an optional parameter, and you can specify null if
you do not want to attach files to the form. (See Attach files to the form.)
An empty com.adobe.idp.services.holders.BLOBHolder object
that is populated by the renderHTMLForm method.
This parameter value stores the rendered form.
An empty com.adobe.idp.services.holders.BLOBHolder object
that is populated by the renderHTMLForm method.
This parameter stores the output XML data.
An empty javax.xml.rpc.holders.LongHolder object that
is populated by the renderHTMLForm method. This
argument stores the number of pages in the form.
An empty javax.xml.rpc.holders.StringHolder object
that is populated by the renderHTMLForm method.
This argument stores the locale value.
An empty javax.xml.rpc.holders.StringHolder object
that is populated by the renderHTMLForm method.
This argument stores the HTML rendering value that is used.
An empty com.adobe.idp.services.holders.FormsResultHolder object
that will contain the results of this operation.
The renderHTMLForm method
populates the com.adobe.idp.services.holders.FormsResultHolder object
that is passed as the last argument value with a form data stream
that must be written to the client web browser.
Write the form data stream to the client web browser
Create a FormResult object by getting the
value of the com.adobe.idp.services.holders.FormsResultHolder object’s value data
member.
Create a BLOB object that contains form data
by invoking the FormsResult object’s getOutputContent method.
Get the content type of the BLOB object
by invoking its getContentType method.
Set the javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse object’s
content type by invoking its setContentType method
and passing the content type of the BLOB object.
Create a javax.servlet.ServletOutputStream object
used to write the form data stream to the client web browser by invoking
the javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse object’s getOutputStream method.
Create a byte array and populate it by invoking the BLOB object’s getBinaryData method.
This task assigns the content of the FormsResult object
to the byte array.
Invoke the javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse object’s write method
to send the form data stream to the client web browser. Pass the
byte array to the write method.
|
|
|
