ColdFusion: iText / Add JavaScript To Form Example

I occasionally see questions about adding javascript to existing pdf's. There are (of course) some great examples on the iText site. I thought this CF translation of the AddJavaScriptToForm example might be helpful. If you review the code and comments, it actually simpler than it looks. There are some minor differences to compensate for the older iText jars in CF9 and CF8. As well as some name changes to avoid reserved word conflicts.

Source: http://1t3xt.info/examples/browse/?page=example&id=438


Javascript Code (CF8 + CF9)

<cfsavecontent variable="jsCode">
    function setReadOnly(readonly) {
        var partner = this.getField('partner');
        if(readonly) {
            partner.value = '';
        }
        partner.readonly = readonly;
    }
    function validate() {
        var married = this.getField('married');
        var partner = this.getField('partner');
        if (married.value == 'yes' && partner.value == '') {
            app.alert('please enter the name of your partner');
        }
        else {
            var prop = new Object();
            prop.cURL = "http://1t3xt.info/examples/request.php";
            prop.cSubmitAs = "HTML";
            this.submitForm( {  
                                cURL: "http://1t3xt.info/examples/request.php",
                                cSubmitAs: "HTML"
                              } 
                            );            
        }
    }
</cfsavecontent>

1) Create a Form (CF9 + CF8)
Note: CF8 does not support "finally". So for compatibility, just change the try/finally clause to a try/catch.

<cfscript>
    outputPath     = ExpandPath("form_without_js.pdf");
    document = createObject("java", "com.lowagie.text.Document").init();

    try {
        stream = createObject("java", "java.io.FileOutputStream").init( outputPath );
        writer = createObject("java", "com.lowagie.text.pdf.PdfWriter").getInstance(document, stream);
        document.open();
         
         Element = createObject("java", "com.lowagie.text.Element");
        BaseFont = createObject("java", "com.lowagie.text.pdf.BaseFont");
        //Note: CF8 + CF9 iText versions do not have a createFont() method with zero params
        bf = BaseFont.createFont( BaseFont.HELVETICA, BaseFont.WINANSI, false );
        directcontent = writer.getDirectContent();
        directcontent.beginText();
        directcontent.setFontAndSize(bf, 12);
        directcontent.showTextAligned( Element.ALIGN_LEFT, "Married?", 36, 770, 0 );
        directcontent.showTextAligned( Element.ALIGN_LEFT, "YES", 58, 750, 0);
        directcontent.showTextAligned( Element.ALIGN_LEFT, "NO", 102, 750, 0);
        directcontent.showTextAligned( Element.ALIGN_LEFT, "Name partner?", 36, 730, 0 );
        directcontent.endText();

        // initialize reusable objects
         Rectangle = createObject("java", "com.lowagie.text.Rectangle");
         PdfFormField = createObject("java", "com.lowagie.text.pdf.PdfFormField");
         RadioCheckField = createObject("java", "com.lowagie.text.pdf.RadioCheckField");
         TextField = createObject("java", "com.lowagie.text.pdf.TextField");
         Color = createObject("java", "java.awt.Color");

        married = PdfFormField.createRadioButton(writer, true);
        married.setFieldName("married");
        writer.addAnnotation( married );
        
        // Note: Field names changed to avoid CF reserved word conflicts (ie "yes", "no")
        married.setValueAsName("yes");
        rectYes = Rectangle.init( 40, 766, 56, 744 );
        yesField = RadioCheckField.init(writer, rectYes, javacast("null", ""), "yes");
        yesField.setChecked(true);
        married.addKid( yesField.getRadioField() );
        rectNo = Rectangle.init( 84, 766, 100, 744 );
        noField = RadioCheckField.init(writer, rectNo, javacast("null", ""), "no");
        noField.setChecked(false);
        married.addKid( noField.getRadioField() );
        writer.addAnnotation( married );
 
         rect = Rectangle.init( 40, 710, 200, 726 );
        partner = TextField.init( writer, rect, "partner" );
        partner.setBorderColor( Color.BLACK );
        partner.setBorderWidth( 0.5 );
        writer.addAnnotation( partner.getTextField() );
    
        document.close();
        WriteOutput("File created! "& outputPath &"<hr>");
    }
       // cleanup  
    finally {
        if (isDefined("document")) {
            document.close();
        }        
        if (isDefined("stream")) {
            stream.close();
        }        
    }
</cfscript>

2) Add the Javascript (CF9 Only)

<cfscript>
    inputPath     = ExpandPath("form_without_js.pdf");
    outputPath     = ExpandPath("form_plus_js.pdf");
    document = createObject("java", "com.lowagie.text.Document").init();
    
    try {
        // read in the pdf form
        reader = createObject("java", "com.lowagie.text.pdf.PdfReader").init( inputPath );
        stream = createObject("java", "java.io.FileOutputStream").init( outputPath );
        stamper = createObject("java", "com.lowagie.text.pdf.PdfStamper").init( reader, stream );

        // add javascript functions to the document
        stamper.getWriter().addJavaScript( jsCode );

        // create reference objects
        PdfName = createObject("java", "com.lowagie.text.pdf.PdfName");
        PdfAction = createObject("java", "com.lowagie.text.pdf.PdfAction");
        PdfDictionary = createObject("java", "com.lowagie.text.pdf.PdfDictionary");
        PushbuttonField = createObject("java", "com.lowagie.text.pdf.PushbuttonField");
        
        // extract the parent option from the form 
        formObj = stamper.getAcroFields();
        fd = formObj.getFieldItem("married");

        // retrieve the dictionaries for "yes" radio button
        // note: CF9 iText version does not have the getWidgetRef(index) method
         dictYes = reader.getPdfObject( fd.widget_refs.get(0) );
        yesAction = dictYes.getAsDict( PdfName.AA );
        if (not IsDefined("yesAction")) {
            yesAction = PdfDictionary.init();
        }
        // add an onFocus event to this field
        yesAction.put( PdfName.init("Fo"), PdfAction.javaScript("setReadOnly(false);", stamper.getWriter()));
        dictYes.put( PdfName.AA, yesAction );

        // retrieve the dictionaries for "no" radio button
        dictNo = reader.getPdfObject( fd.widget_refs.get(1));
        noAction = dictNo.getAsDict( PdfName.AA );
        if (not IsDefined("noAction")) {
            noAction = PdfDictionary.init();
        }    
        // add an onFocus event to this field
        noAction.put( PdfName.init("Fo"), PdfAction.javaScript("setReadOnly(true);", stamper.getWriter()));
        dictNo.put(PdfName.AA, noAction);
 
         // create a submit button
        writer = stamper.getWriter();
        button = PushbuttonField.init(    writer, Rectangle.init(40, 690, 200, 710), "submit" );
        button.setText( "validate and submit" );
        button.setOptions( PushbuttonField.VISIBLE_BUT_DOES_NOT_PRINT );
        validateAndSubmit = button.getField();
        // this will call the validate function when the button is clicked
        validateAndSubmit.setAction( PdfAction.javaScript("validate();", stamper.getWriter()) );
        // add the button to page 1
        stamper.addAnnotation(validateAndSubmit, 1);

        WriteOutput("File created! "& outputPath &"<hr>");
    }
    finally {
        // cleanup
        if (isDefined("stamper")) {
            stamper.close();
        }        
        if (isDefined("stream")) {
            stream.close();
        }        
    }
</cfscript>

2) Add the Javascript (CF8 Only)

<cfscript>
    inputPath     = ExpandPath("form_without_js.pdf");
    outputPath     = ExpandPath("form_plus_js.pdf");
    document = createObject("java", "com.lowagie.text.Document").init();
    
    try {
        // read in the pdf form
        reader = createObject("java", "com.lowagie.text.pdf.PdfReader").init( inputPath );
        stream = createObject("java", "java.io.FileOutputStream").init( outputPath );
        stamper = createObject("java", "com.lowagie.text.pdf.PdfStamper").init( reader, stream );

        // add javascript functions to the document
        stamper.getWriter().addJavaScript( jsCode );

        // create reference objects
        PdfName = createObject("java", "com.lowagie.text.pdf.PdfName");
        PdfAction = createObject("java", "com.lowagie.text.pdf.PdfAction");
        PdfDictionary = createObject("java", "com.lowagie.text.pdf.PdfDictionary");
        PushbuttonField = createObject("java", "com.lowagie.text.pdf.PushbuttonField");
        
        // prepare to extract form field objects
        formObj = stamper.getAcroFields();
        
        // get parent option
        fd = formObj.getFieldItem("married");

        // retrieve the dictionaries for "yes" radio button
        // note: CF8 iText version does not have the getWidgetRef(index) method or getDirectObject()
         dictYes = reader.getPdfObject( fd.widget_refs.get(0) );
        yesAction = reader.getPdfObject(dictYes.get(PdfName.AA));
        if (not IsDefined("yesAction") or not yesAction.isDictionary()) {
            yesAction = PdfDictionary.init();
        }
        // add an onFocus event to this field
        yesAction.put( PdfName.init("Fo"), PdfAction.javaScript("setReadOnly(false);", stamper.getWriter()));
        dictYes.put( PdfName.AA, yesAction );

        // retrieve the dictionaries for "no" radio button
        dictNo = reader.getPdfObject( fd.widget_refs.get(1));
        noAction = reader.getPdfObject( dictNo.get(PdfName.AA) );
        if (not IsDefined("noAction") or not noAction.isDictionary()) {
            noAction = PdfDictionary.init();
        }    
        // add an onFocus event to this field
        noAction.put( PdfName.init("Fo"), PdfAction.javaScript("setReadOnly(true);", stamper.getWriter()));
        dictNo.put(PdfName.AA, noAction);
 
         // create a submit button
        writer = stamper.getWriter();
        button = PushbuttonField.init(    writer,
                                        Rectangle.init(40, 690, 200, 710), 
                                        "submit"
                                    );
        button.setText( "validate and submit" );
        button.setOptions( PushbuttonField.VISIBLE_BUT_DOES_NOT_PRINT );
        validateAndSubmit = button.getField();
        // this will cal the validate function when the button is clicked
        validateAndSubmit.setAction( PdfAction.javaScript("validate();", stamper.getWriter()) );
        // add the button to page 1
        stamper.addAnnotation(validateAndSubmit, 1);

        WriteOutput("File created! "& outputPath &"<hr>");
    }
    catch(Any e) {
        WriteOutput("ERROR: "& e.message);
    }
    if (isDefined("stamper")) {
        stamper.close();
    }        
    if (isDefined("stream")) {
        stream.close();
    }        
</cfscript>