Question

I created a PDF with a table inside. I managed to create fields in selected cells by listening to the PdfPCellEvent:

   cell.setCellEvent( new PdfPCellEvent() {
      @Override
      public void cellLayout( PdfPCell pdfPCell,
                              Rectangle rectangle,
                              PdfContentByte[] canvas ) {
         PdfContentByte pcb = canvas[canvas.length - 1];
         PdfWriter writer = pcb.getPdfWriter();

         PdfFormField field = PdfFormField.createTextField( writer, false, false, 3 );
         field.setName( "quantity " + hashCode() );
         field.setFieldFlags( PdfFormField.FF_EDIT );
         Rectangle rect = new Rectangle( rectangle.getLeft() + 5, rectangle.getTop() - 5,
                     rectangle.getLeft() + rectangle.getWidth() - 5,
                     rectangle.getTop() - rectangle.getHeight() + 5);
         field.setWidget( rect, PdfAnnotation.HIGHLIGHT_OUTLINE );
         field.setFieldFlags( PdfAnnotation.FLAGS_PRINT );

         writer.addAnnotation( field );
         writer.flush();
      }
   }  );

It works fine as far as entering text into the fields is concerned. But once the field looses focus, the content disappears. If I set the focus to the field again, the data reappears.

My question is: what do I need to do in order for the text in the PdfFormField to stay printed?

there is a sample PDF here: http://qr.sertal.ch/output.pdf

thank you for your help.

Answer 1

I got an answer from the iText mailing list. The way to add form fields described in the book is deprecated. Here is the new way, which works fine:

   cell.setCellEvent( new PdfPCellEvent() {
      @Override
      public void cellLayout( PdfPCell pdfPCell,
                              Rectangle rectangle,
                              PdfContentByte[] canvas ) {
         PdfContentByte pcb = canvas[canvas.length - 1];
         PdfWriter writer = pcb.getPdfWriter();

         Rectangle rect = new Rectangle( rectangle.getLeft() + 5, rectangle.getTop() - 5,
                     rectangle.getLeft() + rectangle.getWidth() - 5,
                     rectangle.getTop() - rectangle.getHeight() + 5 );
         TextField field = new TextField( writer, rectangle, "quantity " + hashCode() );
         field.setRotation( A4.rotate().getRotation() );
         try {
            writer.addAnnotation(field.getTextField());
         } catch ( IOException e ) {
            e.printStackTrace();
         } catch ( DocumentException e ) {
            e.printStackTrace();
         }
         writer.flush();

         pcb.rectangle( rect );
      }
   } );

I had the most problems with the orientation on a landscape page, until I found out you could set the Rotation of the field.