comp.text.pdf FAQ

-Section 7-

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7.0 Are there any Acrobat plug-ins that work with the World Wide Web?

Yes, currently two plug-ins add web functionality to Acrobat: Weblink and WebFill.

7.1 What is Weblink?

Weblink is a plug-in to Adobe Acrobat provided by Adobe. It works withNetscape 1.1 and upwards, and some other browsers. It allows a user todefine HTML-like links in PDF with Exchange. Weblink also works with theReader to allow a user to use predefined HTML-like links.

7.1.1 How does Weblink work?

Acrobat, via Weblink, does not access the internet. When you click on anHTML link in a PDF file, Acrobat passes a request to your browser,asking it to follow the link. The link may be an HTML file, in whichcase the browser will display the file. On the other hand, the link maybe to another PDF file. In this case, the PDF file will be downloaded,then passed back to Acrobat to view (as described in section 6.2).

7.1.2 My HTML links keep timing out, especially mailto. How do I fix this?

You can add two things to your weblink.ini file:

1. Add TimeOut="time" to the [General] section. (Change "time" to the length you want.)
2. Add a [NoTimeOut] Section, and in that section add mailto=Y. (mailto can be replaced by any HTML link protocol) (i.e., ftp, http, etc.)

7.1.3 How do I add an HTML link to PDF using Weblink?

After you create a standard link, just select "World Wide Web" link action.

7.1.4 How do I add a Base URL using Acrobat?

Select the File|Document Info|Base URL menu item, and enter the URL.

7.2 What is WebFill?

WebFill is a plug-in provided for free by VerTec Solutions. It allows auser to fill out HTML-like form field areas from within Acrobat Reader2.1. The field areas are built using Exchange and TranZform Definer.

7.2.1 How does WebFill work?

Unlike Weblink, Acrobat via WebFill does access the internet. When auser clicks the Submit button, WebFill contacts the specified server andeither POSTs or GETs the information from the field areas. If the response is in PDF, the file is rendered in Acrobat. If, however, the file is another MIME type, WebFill asks the user what to do with it. For instance, an HTML file would be passed to a browser helper for display. Additionally, WebFill handles multipart replies.

7.2.2 How do I add an HTML form area using Acrobat 2.1?

You need TranZform Definer available from VerTec Solutions, Inc. (See section 15.5)