Mandatory check box before form submission

Unfortunately, the user interface doesn't let you specify that a check box is mandatory. Therefore, you have to write a little bit of script.



There are two things you have to do:

1. 
   
   
   


2. Make the check box mandatory so that the user can see (if they choose to in Acrobat) that it's part of the set of mandatory fields. (Although this step isn't entirely necessary, it would be considered "good practice".)


3. 
   
   
   


4. Prevent the form from being submitted if the check box isn't checked.


5. 
   
   
   

The first part is easy: Use the Script Editor (you can make it visible, if it isn't already, by choosing the
Script Editor item from the Window menu) to specify the check box's Initialize event. Set the event's language to JavaScript and specify the following code:

this.mandatory = "error";

this.mandatoryMessage = "Must accept terms and conditions before submitting!";

Of course, you can use whatever error/notification message you would like...



At this point, you have a check box which is mandatory once the form is loaded.



The second part is a little tricky. The problem here is that even though the check box is mandatory, clicking the email submit button will still work (!). Unfortunately, you can't use the email submit button's PreSubmit event to prevent the submission either (!). The solution, in this case, is to hide the email submit button (set the Presence property on the Object palette, while the email submit button is selected, to "hidden (exclude from layout)") and place a fake submit button (a normal button object with the caption set to "Email Submit", for example) where the email submit button should be.



Once you've done this, you'll need to add script to the fake submit button which will check the value of the mandatory "terms and conditions" check box. If the value is "1", the user has checked the box and you can fire the hidden email submit button's Click event to get the form to submit. Otherwise, you can show an error message informing the user that they must agree to the terms and conditions before submitting.



The following JavaScript script on the fake submit button's Click event will accomplish this (here, the "terms and conditions" check box is named "CheckBox1" and the hidden email submit button is named "EmailSubmitButton1"):

if (CheckBox1.rawValue != "1")

{

 xfa.host.messageBox("Terms and conditions must be accepted prior to submitting!");

}

else

{

 EmailSubmitButton1.execEvent("click");

}

Stefan

Adobe Systems

Stefan



Thank you very much indeed, works perfectly !!

I have no scripting experience, where can find out about these tricks ?



Regards

Nigel

You're welcome!



You can find information in these places:

• 
  
  
  


• Designer Help Topics: "Creating Calculations and Scripts", "Object Scripting Reference", "FormCalc User Reference".


• 
  
  
  


• These forums.


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• The
  Adobe LiveCycle Designer Developer Center which has documentation on the XFA Scripting Model as well as the Acrobat Scripting Model and which also has a great collection of form samples which show you some of the "tricks of the trade" with respect to building XFA Forms.


• 
  
  
  

Stefan

Adobe Systems