Adobe 62000112DM User Guide - Page 205

ADOBE ACROBAT 3D VERSION 8 198 User Guide See also "Manage form data files" on page 241 Export form data to a spreadsheet Once you've collected PDF form data in FDF or XML format, you can organize the form data into a comma- delimited spreadsheet (CSV) file. 1 Choose Forms > Manage Form Data > Merge Data Files Into Spreadsheet. 2 Click Add Files, and then select the desired data files. 3 Click Export, choose a location for the CSV file, and click Save. See also "Export records from a PDF data set" on page 241 Forms basics What are PDF forms? You're already familiar with paper forms: documents with blanks that people fill in and deliver to the appropriate person or organization. An Adobe PDF form is a computer-based version of a form, which can either be distributed through email or CDs, or published on a website. PDF forms can be ordinary PDFs with blank form fields or they can be interactive. Ordinary PDFs are a convenient way of publishing forms that must be printed, filled out by hand, and physically delivered, such as by mail or fax. An interactive form can be filled out on a computer and may be submitted through an Internet or local network connection. The built-in security features can safeguard the privacy of electronically submitted data. Interactive forms simplify the work users must do to provide the needed information. Electronically submitted forms can be labor-saving at the receiving end, too, because the data from many individuals can be set up to be collated automatically. If you already use other kinds of forms, you can quickly make them into interactive PDF forms: You can scan paper forms and you can convert electronic forms in other formats (such as Word documents, InDesign layouts, and Excel spreadsheets) to interactive PDF forms. Viewing a PDF form When you open a form that someone sends you to fill out, a document message bar appears between the Acrobat toolbars and the form itself. The left side of the message bar typically displays instructions about how to complete and return the form. If you open the form in Adobe Reader, the usage rights associated with that form are also described in this area. You can hide or show the document message bar by clicking its button . The right side of the message bar has one or more buttons. The first is a Highlight Fields button , which colors the backgrounds of all blanks to be filled in and outlines any required blanks, making it easy to see them at a glance. You navigate and adjust views of a form in exactly the same way that you do in ordinary PDFs.