PDF Form Action

 The PDF Form action takes a PDF file with editable form fields as input and allows the same file to be used later on in the workflow. This article discusses the PDF Form action in more detail.

Table of Contents

• Understanding the PDF Form Action
• Setting Up the PDF Form Action
  • To Attach a File
  • To Edit the Attached File
  • To Replace the Attached File
  • To Download the Attached File
• How the PDF Form Action Appears in the User Application

Understanding the PDF Form Action

The Portable Document Format (PDF) is a file format developed by Adobe to present documents, including text formatting and images, that features true cross-platform compatibility.

Using the PDF Form action, you can use PDF documents in your workflows, allowing these documents to be attached to emails, for example.

Within the PDF Form action, there is a Microsoft Word-like editor that you can use to edit the document you upload to the action.

NOTE: Only PDF documents with editable form fields can be used within a PDF Form action.

Setting Up the PDF Form Action

Use the PDF Form action anytime you need to send documents in a workflow. You can upload a file to a PDF Form action, edit the file directly from within the PDF Form action, insert Square Brackets and Conditions within the file, replace an existing file with a new one, and download the file for editing outside AUTTO.

NOTE: The PDF Form action is currently on Beta. If you find something in the feature that is not working, open a ticket with us so that we can take action and fix the issue.

To Attach a File

You will need to upload a PDF file to the action before you can use the file in your workflow.

To upload a file to a PDF Form action:

1. Drag a PDF Form action to the canvas of the Workflow Editor.
2. Position your cursor over the action, then click the Edit icon when it appears.
   
   
   
   
3. Either drag-and-drop the document from your PC to the box on the Action Editor or click Choose File, then select the file from your PC and upload it to AUTTO. Only PDF files with editable form fields are allowed for upload.

NOTE: PDF files with editable form fields are created using application programs known as PDF editors. Acrobat, also from Adobe, is an example of such a program. In contrast, PDF viewers such as Acrobat Reader only allow opening and commenting on PDF files.

4. Enter an optional square bracket name for the resulting document. This will allow use of the document later on in the workflow.
5. By default, the file's output format, or the format of the file when it is used in actions further down the workflow, is set to Output Read-Only, meaning that the resulting file that will be used further on in your workflow will not be editable. You can change this to Output Editable, meaning that the form will remain accessible for editing, if required.
6. Under the Document output name box, enter the name that will be used when saving and downloading the file.

NOTE: You may use square brackets when naming files. For example, sales [current_date|dd-MM-yyyy] document, where current_date|dd-MM-yyyy is a sales bracket.

6. Click the x button to save your changes and close the Editor.

To Edit the Attached File

AUTTO allows the attached file in a PDF Form action to be edited directly from within the action. This is handy when you are accessing AUTTO from a PC without a PDF editor capable of making changes to the file, for example, Adobe Acrobat.

To edit the file in a PDF Form action:

1. Open the PDF Form action and click Open Document.
   
   
   
   
2. When the Editor opens, you will see the form displayed on the right and the list of editable form fields on the left. To start making changes to the document, click the field to be changed from the list on the left.
3. When the form field corresponding to the field that you clicked on the left flashes, you can then change the value to be displayed on the field. The value can either be static or a square bracket.
   
   
4. Click the x button to save your changes and close the Editor.

To Replace the Attached File

You can replace the existing document attached to a PDF Form action with a new or updated one at any time.

To replace the existing attachment:

1. Position your cursor over the PDF Form action, then click the Edit icon when it appears.
2. On the Action Editor, click Replace Document, select the new document from your PC, then upload it to AUTTO. The existing document is then replaced with the updated document.
   
   
   
   
3. Click the x button to save your changes and close the Action Editor.

To Download the Attached File

You can download the document attached to a PDF Form action at anytime.

To download the document attached to an PDF Form action:

1. Position your cursor over the PDF Form action, then click the Edit icon when it appears.
2. On the Action Editor, click Download Document to start downloading the file to your PC.
   
   
   
   
3. Click the x button to close the Action Editor.

How the PDF Form Action Appears in the User Application

The PDF Form action does not appear in the User Application. To display a document attached in a PDF Form action in your workflow, you need to add either a Page or Email action or both to your workflow. The document can then can be displayed on and/or downloaded from these Actions.