Format question

[manu7607]

Hi, I would like to know what is the difference between the XDP format and the XML dynamic pdf ?

Thanks

[Former Community Member]

1) a data format (XML Document Package). This is a format that is submitted by PDF forms that are created using XFA technology that can contain multiple components (like the data, the completed PDF, comments and the template itself) in different nodes. This format is generally used by the LiveCycle Server in Process Management.

2) XDP is also the native format of the templates that come out of Designer. If you click on the XML tab in Designer you will see the XDP format. This extension has been retained for historical reasons and as the name suggest it is a document format but it will only contain the template. It may be a dynamic or static definition if a template. This XDP definition is used to convert the template into a PDF. Designer, Acrobat, Reader and LiveCycle Forms on the server have the ability to interpret these XDP templates and create PDFs out of them. In teh case of Acrobat amd Reader the XDP must be wrapped in a PDF 1st. They will not understand the native XDP file extension....they will assume that it is a data file.

Hope that helps

Paul

[manu7607]

Ok thanks for your answer

and your last reflexion about the XDP suggest another question for you

How do you "wrapp" your XDP into a pdf? Thanks

[Former Community Member]

I knew you would ask that ....it is not something that you can do. LiveCycle Server Forms product will do it for you when you choose to render the dynamic form client side. The module to turn the CDP template into a PDF also exists in Reader and Acrobat. So for performance reasons the server can send the XDP (wrapped in a PDF) to the client and the client will render it there...on the fly!

Make sense?

Paul

[manu7607]

I don't get everything.

My form is a .XDP file right ?

After what kind of command I need to call into my .net page in order to display for my user

a dynamic form in pdf format?

[Former Community Member]

You can save your form out of Designer as a render PDF already. Then your .Net app would only have to set the mimetype and send the PDF (just like any other) to the client.

If you are interestd in merging data onto the form or rendering the form at run time then your .Net app could make a call to LiveCycle Forms to render the XDP as a PDF for you.

It sounds to me like you want the 1st option. Save the file as a dynamic PDF out of designer...then you will have a PDF to deal with not an XDP.

Paul

[manu7607]

Unforunately for me I would like to deal with the second solution, being able to put some values into the forms in some specific fields depending on the customer before displaying so as i have understand from where I am in my studies right now I need to save that as a .XDP file and after use a component of the LIVECYCLE E SUITE. And i think I only downlod the trial version of acrobat 9. And I  will download the trial version of LCDES soon and concerning my other post it was to have an idea of the price of something like that because Im just a programmer in a company and I don't have an unlimited budget but thanks for theadvice I will contact them as soon as I can.

thanks again for your help

[Former Community Member]

It is Enterprise software and needs to run on its own server so it wil be expensive.

Paul