Export Form Controls to Form Fields

Sometimes you need the Excel form containing form controls as an interactive PDF form (or AcroForms). Form controls are objects that can be added to a worksheet to enable interaction with a cell or a data range available in the worksheet. With setFormFields method of PdfSaveOptions class, DsExcel allows you to export the form controls as form fields to the PDF document, which will be interactive for the user.

Refer to the following example code to export Excel form controls as PDF form fields:

// Initialize Workbook.
Workbook workbook = new Workbook();
        
// Create worksheet.
IWorksheet ws = workbook.getWorksheets().get("Sheet1");
        
// Add three checkboxes.
ICheckBox checkBox1 = ws.getControls().addCheckBox(62.4, 16.8, 69, 19.2);
checkBox1.setValue(false);

ICheckBox checkBox2 = ws.getControls().addCheckBox(62.4, 36.6, 69, 19.2);
checkBox2.setValue(true);

ICheckBox checkBox3 = ws.getControls().addCheckBox(62.4, 57, 69, 19.2);
checkBox3.setValue(false);

// Add dropdown.
IDropDown dropDown = ws.getControls().addDropDown(28.8, 81.8, 103.8, 31.4);
dropDown.setPrintObject(true);
dropDown.getItems().add(new DropDownItem("Item 1"));
dropDown.getItems().add(new DropDownItem("Item 2"));
dropDown.getItems().add(new DropDownItem("Item 3"));
dropDown.setSelectedIndex(0);

// Add listbox.
IListBox lstBox1 = ws.getControls().addListBox(51.6, 134.2, 135, 99.6);
for (int i = 0; i < 6; i++) {
    lstBox1.getItems().add(new ListBoxItem("Item " + (i + 1)));
}
lstBox1.setSelectedIndex(2);

// Add option button groups.
ws.getControls().addGroupBox(234.2, 8.4, 222.6, 138.6);
ws.getControls().addOptionButton(261.2, 29.4, 71.4, 16.8);
ws.getControls().addOptionButton(267.8, 70.8, 71.4, 16.8);
ws.getControls().addOptionButton(275.6, 111.6, 71.4, 16.8);

ws.getControls().addGroupBox(244.4, 187.6, 176.4, 143.4);
ws.getControls().addOptionButton(274.4, 216.6, 71.4, 16.8);
ws.getControls().addOptionButton(279.8, 255, 71.4, 16.8);
ws.getControls().addOptionButton(286.4, 295.2, 71.4, 16.8);

// Set FormFields to true to export Excel form controls as PDF form fields.
PdfSaveOptions options = new PdfSaveOptions();
options.setFormFields(true);
        
// Save the PDF document.
workbook.save("PdfFormFieldExample.pdf", options);

type=note

Note: The ZIndex of mapped PDF form fields is always higher than other shapes.

If form controls are not present in the exported PDF document, then check and enable setPrintObject setting of the specific form control. By default, the value of this property is true for all form controls except the Button form control.

Refer to the following example code to print a Button form control while saving it as a PDF:

// Create a new workbook
Workbook workbook = new Workbook();

IWorksheet worksheet = workbook.getWorksheets().get(0);
        
// Add a button control to worksheet and set its PrintObject property
IButton btn = worksheet.getControls().addButton(360, 91.8, 103.94, 19.79);
btn.setText("Test settings");
btn.setPrintObject(true);

// Save to a pdf file
workbook.save("FormControlPdf.pdf");

Limitations

• DsExcel does not support the export of the following controls, properties, and features because they are not available in PDF form fields:
  • IButton
  • IGroupBox
  • ILabel
  • IScrollBar
  • ISpinner
  • Mixed option forGrapeCity.Documents.Excel.Forms.ICheckBox.IsChecked
  • GrapeCity.Documents.Excel.Forms.SelectionMode.Extended
  • The selection states of option buttons
  • The round border for option buttons

For more information on exporting form controls to PDF document, see Simulate UI with PDF form fields.