Submit PDF Data via SOAP

[#1]

Situation:



Write a PDF out to a public share.

Email the location reference to a user.

Allow the person to add their data to the form.

Allow the person to submit.



I would like to submit the data to a workflow process.



From what I have read, a lot of people indicate this is done by writing a web service that acts as a proxy to the actual workflow process. Is that really the best/easiest way?



I know that LiveCycle exposes the WSDL for any workflow process that is written. Is there a way to call that directly without the proxy?



I know you can set up a Data Connection on a form. Is that the best way?



Can I simply but the end point of the LiveCycle SOAP endpoint in the "Submit To Url" field of a Submit button?



Any words of wisdom?

[#2]

There are six different ways to initiate a workflow process. 3 are created automatically when the process is activated and 3 require you to build an endpoint.



1. Automatic endpoint - Data Services - you could submit the data to a servlet or other such program and in turn have it call Data Services to start the process.



2. Automatic endpoint - EJB interface - submit the data to a servlet and have it call the EJB interface to start the process.



3. Automatic endpoint - Web Service interface - same as above but use the SOAP interface instead. You could also have the form call the SOAP interface directly but there will be some work required on the form to get the contents of the form to submit via SOAP.



4. Endpoint requires config - Watched folder - you can save out the data to a shared network drive. That drive is monitored by Livecycle and your process is kicked off when a file is dropped into that folder.



5. Endpoint requires config - Email endpoint - same as #4 except email is used and not a folder.



6. Endpoint requires config - TaskManager endpoint - make use of workspace to have the user choose the process to start and the data is submitted to the process automatically.

[#3]

(3) Perfect. Just the information I needed.



I was beginning to think that submitting a standalone (outside Workspace) form using SOAP was not "out of the box" functionality.

[#4]

Hi all,

I would like to implement option number 3.

Can anyone tell me a litlle on how to make the form ready to submit itself (the entire pdf with attachments and all) to a LC process?

Thanks in advance

Sincerely

Kim

[#5]

You cannot send the completed form (the PDF and attachments) via a web service call. There is no means to  get the PDF programmatically while inside of the form. You can however post the completed form (and attachments) to a servlet and have the servlet create the web service call if required.

You can send just the data through a web service call but that is all.

Paul

[#6]

Hi, sorry to rehash this but I just wanted to make sure I understood.

My scenario is that I have a form that has reader extensions, a policy and digital signatures applied through a custom renderer in workspace. I would like to give them the capability to submit the form both through workspace and to download the form to submit it from their desktop. To allow for the second I have to create a servlet, have the submit button point to it to submit the pdf, and the servlet will in turn submit to the process.

Is that accurate? Is there possible a sample you could point me to?

Thanks

Billy

[#7]

There is a way!

If you don't want to implement the servlet, you could try this alternate way:

Let the user send an email to the adobe email server with the filled pdf attached. Email end point of your process can receive the email and can process the attachment(s) and go on... You could also start a new process instance after recieving the email.

PS:Need to take care while configuring email end point. If filters are not proper, your process could receive emails designated for other processes too.

Nith

[#8]

The above solution is opt for the forms with attachments and beyond your enterprise firewal (i.e. out of your workspace); however you should convert all form attachments to workflow attachments in order to processing them further.

Nith

[#9]

Gotcha, thanks for clearing that up!

Billy