Save editable PDFs using Java iText PDF API

Question

I'm experimenting with the iText5 library to generate an editable (i.e. allow user to enter values in fields like age, name etc) PDF, it looks like the user can't save the filled in PDF on his work station and the only available functionality is to take a printout of the filled in PDF form.

I tried googling this issue and found that with Adobe Reader, users can't save filled in forms and they need to have Acrobat Pro.

Is there any solution to get this job done (saving the filled in PDF form and emailing it) without needing to get Adobe Pro software?

Please feel free to ask me questions if the problem description is not clear.

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

There are other viewers that allow people to save filled out forms locally (Nitro? Foxit?). In the early years, there were also people that used iText to create a mini server on the desktop to which the data filled out in Adobe Reader was sent. This server then returned the filled out form. Once Adobe found out about this practice, they changed the EULA of Adobe Reader, saying that you are not allowed to use Adobe Reader for this purpose.

Summarized:

• If you want a solution that involves your end users to use Adobe Reader: there is none. You'd violate the EULA of Adobe Reader.
• If it's OK to use a PDF viewer other than Adobe Reader: pick another viewer that allows saving of filled out forms.

Note: this is not an iText question.

Answer 2

It looks like I was having older version of Adobe Reader (Version : X), which doesn't have the capability to save user entered data. Upgrading Adobe Reader to DC version seems to have fixed my problem where I can now save the filled in form data. Just trying to document here so that it can be useful for the fellows who may be are running into similar situations.