Adobe Accessibility - Tagged PDFs - Accessing PDF form data

[joecool01_nz]

Hi,

I am an Abobe newbie and am trying to understand the purpose of tagged PDFs. I understand that to ensure accessibility a PDF file must contain embedded PDF tags, e.g. so screen readers can identify and describe content. I have a couple of questions with regards to accessing the data contained within a PDF business document.

For example, we generate an invoice out of our SAP system which is generated using the SAP Adobe LiveCycle Designer. For some customers the invoice is sent electronically, e.g. via FTP or email. Some customers wish to extract the data from the electronic invoice. Could the PDF tag structure embedded within the form be used to extract data from the invoice? Is this a potential use of the PDF tags? I also have read about embedded XML contained within a PDF. Is this different to the embedded PDF tags? I assume it is? And if it is different, would using the embedded XML be the preferred method of extracting form data?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Rob F

[Former Community Member]

Assuming that you are generating a form out of SAP, then there are tools within Acrobat/Reader that allow you to export the data from the form. It will come out in an XML format that follows the schema that is defined by your SAP system. In Acrobat/Reader 10 the menu item is located under the Tools/Forms/More Form Options/Manage Form Data

Paul

[joecool01_nz]

Thanks for your reply Paul. Yes, have read about the embedded XML within the SAP generated forms. So would this be the recommended method of accessing the data rather than using the PDF tag structure?

[Former Community Member]

Yes the tag structure is used by screen readers when reading the form and does not affect the data structure. That is controlled by binding expressions on the fields and can be controlled by schema definitions or sample xml data files.

Paul

[joecool01_nz]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for you reply. Just another, hopefully quick, question - with a form designed using LCD, could you switch off the PDF tags but retain the embedded XML? i.e. is there are dependency between the 2?

Thanks and regards

Rob

[Former Community Member · Accepted solution]

There is no dependancy between the two so Yes you can disable accessability and still get the data out.

Paul

[joecool01_nz]

Thanks Paul. That's of great help!