importing data from form to excel (beginner)

[Former Community Member]

I need assistance with a pretty lengthy survey I'm creating. I am finding it difficult to find answers on the question/help and in the forums largely because I don't know what the right questions to ask are.



I would like to create a survey where the end-uese fills it in and emails it to me. I would like to take the xml file received via email and import the results into an excel spreadsheet, one line per each survey result.



The biggest problem is that I know enough to get myself into trouble but not enough to get myself out of it and any and all assistance would be appreciated.



Thanks

[Former Community Member]

Yes I would also like to this very thing.

[Former Community Member]

If you save the xml files in a folder and then make a VBA app in Excel, then you can import the files.

/Ulf

[Former Community Member]

If you have Adobe Acrobat, you can create a spreadsheet from form data:

1. Choose File > Form Data > Create Spreadsheet From Data Files.

2. Click Add Files, select one or more files that have a file name extension of .xml, .fdf, .pdf, or .xfdf, and then click Select. (Repeat this step if you want to add more files to the list.)

3. If you want to remove a file from the list, select the file and click Remove Files.

4. Click Export.

5. Select a location on your computer to save the spreadsheet, and then click Save. The Create Spreadsheet dialog box displays Done! when Acrobat has created the spreadsheet.

If you want to open the spreadsheet file in your default application, click View File Now; otherwise, click Close Dialog.

[Former Community Member]

Thanks for the info so far. I've been able to save data as an xml file and import into Excel. Unfortunately, when I do so, each field shows up in different rows (a1 - b2 - c3 - and so on). I suspect I need to do something to combine all fields (is this what "binding" means?) them all into one record, but the HELP isn't much help.



- Karen

[Former Community Member]

HELP--I'm getting my forms back, but cannot move the data to a form or a spreadsheet. I open the pdf form, and cannot find where the Advanced> Forms>Import Data to form is on the toolbar.

For some reason, when I open my Adobe Professional 7.0 it goes into Acrobat Reader!

[Former Community Member]

Hi Carolyn,



The form you are opening has probably been Reader Extended. When Acrobat opens a Reader Extended PDF it "dums" itself down to the level of Adobe Reader. That is it will not perform any operations on the extended PDF that Adobe Reader cannot perform. So for instance the importation of data would not be available because Adobe Reader is not able to import data. The reason why Acrobat does this is to prevent a user from performing an operation that could potentially invalidate the extended PDF.



Denver

Adobe Enterprise Support.

[Former Community Member]

Hi I also have the same problem. I cannot find;

Choose File> Form data> Create Spreadsheet from data

on Adobe Acrobat Pro 9 to make the spreadsheet. The option isn't there.

The file I use to try and create my very first form was created using the Adobe Livecycle tutorial and I used Adobe Acrobat Pro to open it.

How do I find this option please? (Or what do I do to create a file that will not dum down the file?

[martintxori]

From Adobe´s web help:

Export records from a PDF data set

Use this process to save all the entries in a data set PDF package to a spreadsheet or XML file.

1. In Acrobat, open the data set PDF file.
2. In the data set navigation bar (between the toolbar area and the document pane), click Export Data.
3. In the Select Folder To Save File dialog box, specify a name, location, and file format (CSV or XML) for the form data, and click Save.

[sdaph12]

Similar to the original posting, I have also created a form for individuals to complete and email back to me. I will not be receiving a one time response, however, these individuals will email me a newly completed copy of the form at various times throughout the year for multiple years.  I need to get the data into a designated excel spreadsheet each time I receive a newly completed form. What is the simplest way to achieve this?

Thank you