Help with table calculations

[Former Community Member]

Hi, all, I am working on a form that was previously made in Excel. I wanted to remake this in an expandable pdf fillable so that I can add the accessibiltiy information to the form. The first link is to the static pdf converted from Excel here:

https://acrobat.com/#d=lIGyn*lpuWSQ-Qzkklml6w

The second link is the the form as my strained brain has recreated it. I'm sure there is probably a better method than I have chosen and I am open to all suggestions. But I can't get the table to total.

In the first table, all the calcs work correctly, ie 11, 12, 13, 14 and the total from 14 does show up in 15. but I need 17 to show the amount after the Discount (#16) is deducted. You would think something simple would do the trick, like SubTotal - Discount. That doesn't work.

Column 19 should total in the footer row next to 21. It doesn't. And column 23 should total into space #24. I have been trying for hours at a time to come up with the magic script to make this form work but......now I've decided to grovel for help.

https://acrobat.com/#d=mzovRUkKit7JnPVebPKgZw

[Niall_O_Donovan · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Here is your form back to you: https://acrobat.com/#d=a06D-SL7SK58ZulXCKNSuw. Please note that all of the scripts are FormCalc, as we are using the sum function and the wildcard. Neither of these will work in JavaScript.

Have a look at this post on how to reference objects, in particular the deomonstration of Control+Click:

http://www.assuredynamics.com/index.php/2011/05/som-expressions/

Also with buttons with linear gradient I would change the click behaviour from Inverted to Outline or None. It will be a little easier on the eyes. I have changed the two Add buttons. Also I think that you are getting in to readibility issues with the contrast between the button background and the black caption. I would recommend a read of this post, which outlines an approach to primary buttons (like the add rows) and secondary buttons (like the delete rows):

http://www.assuredynamics.com/index.php/2010/12/buttons/.

Maybe this discussion on colours:

http://www.assuredynamics.com/index.php/2011/02/any-colour-as-long-as-its-black/

Hope that helps,

Niall

[Niall_O_Donovan]

...Also with numeric fields (and in particular ones that display curriency) I would be inclined to right align the field (in the Paragraph palette) and set the right margin to 1.5mm.

[Former Community Member]

Excellent. I kept getting an error when I was trying to write FormCalc that the form was xfa blah, blah, blah so I just kept trying different combinations of scripts that I have gleaned from your website as well as this one. I think I even made up a new language or two in the process but I guess it will take a while for LiveCycle to catch up.

I have little snippets of script samples taped all over the walls in my cube. The ones you put in my form are going right up there. I have downloaded everything you have posted on your website but sometimes I just can't figure out what I'm supposed to do to make my form perform the way I need it to.

So thanks, a thousand times, thanks.

[Former Community Member]

And just one more quick question. How do I make the Row1 expandable? There will be several lines of text explaining the services that were rendered.

[Niall_O_Donovan]

Hi,

Have a look at this example that works through making fields dynamic and it includes screenshots:

http://assure.ly/g80MVY.

In the Layout palette, you can tick "Expand to fit" under the height property.

Good luck,

Niall

[Former Community Member]

Got it. Thanks and glad you're back.