Creating Forms for Online Input

1. Creating Forms for Online Input Gini Courter Annette Marquis TRIAD Consulting

2. Before Creating a Form • How do you want to capture the data? • Through a Web site • Through a specific application (user must also have) • What do you want to do with the form? • Print it • Save the individual form • Collate the data in a database

3. Application Uses Tools to Create Forms Excel InfoPath Adobe Acrobat Access Outlook Word • Single entry user forms with universal format • Print forms • Easy to complete • Latest version can export XML • Dynamic XML- based forms • High level of formatting • Flexible data • Multiple users • Forms can be used for workflow process • Capture and store relational data • Complex formatting • Set conditions • Add help • Use customized message, appointment or other forms to collect, sort and group data • Templates for single user entry forms • Print forms • Easy calculations • Programming (or Programming Wizard with Data Tracking) needed to capture data • Templates for single user entry forms • Print forms • Can capture data, one record at a time • Can do calculations but awkward • Forms available for completion in a a browser • No specific application required • Data is collected in or sent to a database FrontPage

4. Word Forms • Use tables to layout the form • Add field labels • Provide clues to form completion with borders and shading • Add form controls • Lock the form • Test the form • Distribute the form

5. Save Word Form Data • Open the document that was filled in as a form in Microsoft Word. • On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Save tab. • Select the Save Data Only For Forms check box. • Click OK. • On the File menu, click Save Copy As. • Type a file name in the File name box. • In the Save as type box, select Plain Text, and then click Save. • Select a text encoding option, and then click OK. Word saves the form field data in a comma-delimited text file.

6. Why PDF? • Exchange nearly any type of document • Password-protect and digitally sign a document • Set options that prevent it from being copied, edited, or printed • Insert hyperlinks and bookmarks for simpler navigation through large documents • Nearly everyone has a program for viewing PDF files • Adobe Systems has given out over 500 million copies of its free PDF reader, Adobe Reader.

7. PDF Maker Software • Adobe Acrobat Standard ($299) • Adobe Acrobat Professional ($449) • Adobe opened the source code so many products are now available • OmniPage (<$100) • FinePrint PDFFactory PRO 1.57 ($99 list) • Jaws PDF Creator 3.0 ($79 list)

8. Creating a PDF Document • It’s as simple as printing! • PDF makers install a printer driver on your computer • To create a PDF, choose the PDF maker as the printer and print the document. • You are prompted to save the document to a file location.

9. Create Online Forms • Layout a form in Word using tables • Print the form as a PDF • Open the PDF in Acrobat • Click the Form tool • Drag a box where you want the form field to appear • Enter the properties of the field • Press Enter to create the field • Press the Hand tool to switch out of Form view

10. Form Tips • Turn on gridlines and snap before creating fields • View  Grid and View  Snap To Grid • To create rows of fields as in an expense report: • Create the first row • Hold Shift and drag a box around the row • Hold Ctrl and drag the selection box to the size you want and then click. The table fills with cells. • Set tab order (Tools  Forms  Fields Tab Order) by clicking the cells in order

11. General Acrobat Tips • Get a good head start before attempting a cartwheel • Stick your tumbling runs to avoid deductions • Mount and dismount are not the same – know the difference!

12. More Useful Acrobat Tips • Set Document Open Options to control how a form opens (File  Document Properties  Open Options) • Set Document Security options to prevent readers from printing, copying or changing the document (File  Document Security and choose Acrobat Standard Security)