Scripting support for HTML5 forms

Last update: 2023-11-08
  • Created for:
  • User

JavaScript, FormCalc properties, and methods supported in HTML5 forms are as listed below:

$event

Property Description
 Exception
prevText Specifies the content of the field before it changes in response to the actions of a user. This value can be recalled, similar to an undo feature.

Does not work for drop-downs and list boxes. PrevText does not work correctly for the following cases:

  • On typing some special character keys (for example, $ or , or & or @ and more) in Numeric fields on the iPad, and
  • For the Date field (when date is entered through calendar).

Setting value through script is not supported.
target Specifies the object upon which the event is acting. Setting value through script is not supported.
newtext Specifies the content of the field after it changes in response to user actions.

The newText property does not work properly for following cases :

  • On selecting-replacing texts
  • On deleting, copying, and pasting texts.
  • On typing some special character keys (for example, $ or , or & or @ and more) in Numeric fields
  • On using shift+alphanumeric combination.
  • On using date/time fields.
Setting value through script is not supported.
change Specifies the value that a user types or pastes into a field immediately after they perform the action.

The change property does not work properly for following cases:

  • On selecting-replacing texts
  • On deleting, copying, and pasting texts.
  • On typing some special character keys (for example, $ or , or & or @ and more) in Numeric fields
  • On using shift+alphanumeric combination.
  • On using date/time fields.

Setting value through script is not supported.
keydown Determines whether a user is pressing an arrow key to make a selection. This property is available only for list boxes and drop-down lists. None
modifier Determines whether the modifier key (for example, Ctrl on Microsoft® Windows®) is held down when a particular event executes. None

$host

Property Description Exception
apptype Returns the application type of the host. Available only for client applications. Returns HTML 5.
name Returns the name of the current application. Returns the browser name and its version. For example, in Chrome browser, the value returned is Chrome <version>.
numPages Returns the number of pages in the document. Pagination policy of HTML5 forms is not identical to PDF forms pagination policy. So the numPages API can return a different values in both the cases.
platform Returns a string representing the platform of the computer running the script. None
title Specifies the title of the document. It is available only for client applications. It returns title of HTML document in form, rather than the form metadata title as if there are PDF Forms.
version Returns a string representing the version number of the current application. It returns the version of the form.
calculationsEnabled Specifies whether calculate scripts will execute.
 None
validationsEnabled Specifies whether validation scripts will execute.
 None
pageUp Goes to the previous page. HTML5 forms do not follow the same pagination policy as PDF Form, so the previous page of an HTML5 form is different from previous page of a PDF Form.
pageDown Moves to the next page of a form. Use the pageDown method at runtime.
setFocus Sets the keyboard focus to the field specified. The field is specified as an object, or by the SOM expression of the field. It is available only for client applications.
resetdata Resets the fields to their default values within a document. Clears all data in a form with merged data, rather than restoring it to default values.
messageBox Displays a dialog box on the screen. It is available only for client applications Message box of type Yes/No is converted to OK/Cancel. Message box with three buttons is not supported.
currentPage

Sets the currently active page of a document at runtime.

Page values are 0-based, so the first page of a document returns a value of 0.

The currentPage property is available when layout:ready executes on a client. However, it is not available when layout:ready executes on the server because the property will not execute until the form layout executes.

 None

field

Property Description
 Exception
presence Controls the participation of the associated object in different phases of processing. If the object is a container, the contents of the container inherit whatever restrictions this control applies. None
access Controls user access to the contents. Does not work for the exclusion group. Moreover, HTML5 forms gives same treatment to non-interactive and protected objects.
name An identifier that is used to identify this element in script expressions. HTML5 forms do not allow setting name property for objects. It is read-only property for HTML5 forms.
value A content element that encloses a single unit of data content. None
rawValue Specifies the unformatted value for this field. None
formattedValue Specifies the formatted value for this field. Setting formattedValue through script is not supported.
editValue Specifies the edit value for this field. Setting editValue through script is not supported.
formatMessage Specifies the format validation message string for this field. Setting formatMessage through script is not supported.
fillcolor Specifies the background color value for this field. You need to set the border.fill.presence property to visible separately. It does not correctly return default color of the field.
border The border object describes the border surrounding an object.
ui The ui object encloses the user interface description of a form object.
mandatory Specifies the nullTest value for the field.
borderColor Specifies the border color value for this field. You need to set the border.edge.presence property to visible separately. It does not correctly return default border color of the field.
length The number of items in the list. None
addItem Adds new items to the current field. None
clearItem Removes all the items from the field. None
boundItem Gets the bound value of a specific display item of a drop-down list or list box. None
execCalculate Executes the calculate script of the field. None
execValidate Executes the validate script of the field. None
execEvent Executes the event script of the object. None
getItemState Returns the selection state of the specified item None
setItemState Sets the selection state of the specified item. None
getDisplayItem Retrieves the item display text for the specified item index. None
getSaveItem Retrieves the data value for the specified item index. None
deleteItem Deletes the item at the specified index. None
setItems Sets the specified items in the current field. It replaces pre-existing items. None
h A measurement of the height for the layout. None
w A measurement specifying the width for the layout. None
x Specifies the x coordinate of the container's anchor point relative to the upper-left corner of the parent container when placed with positioned layout. None
y Specifies the y coordinate of a container's anchor point relative to the upper-left corner of the parent container when placed with positioned layout. None
caption The caption object describes a descriptive label associated with a form design object.
 None
validate The validate object controls validation of user-supplied data on a form. The validate object can be activated multiple times during the life of a form. None
parentSubform Specifies the parent subform (page) of this field. Always returns parent subform instead of returning first non-scoping parent subform.
selectedIndex The index of the first selected item. None

Form

Property Description Exception
formNodes Returns a list of all form model objects that are bound to a specified data object.

InstanceManager

Property Description
name An identifier that is used to identify this element in script expressions.
occur Describes the constraints over the number of allowable instances for its enclosing container.
min Specifies the minimum number of instances that can be instantiated.
max Specifies the maximum number of instances that can be instantiated.
count Specifies the current number of instances instantiated.
setInstances Adds or removes the specified subforms or subform sets from this node.
addInstance Adds a new instance of a subform or subform set to this node.
removeInstance Removes a subform or subform set from this node.
moveInstance Moves a child object of a form model object to another specified location within the form model. The corresponding data model information for the object is also relocated within the data model.
insertInstance Inserts a new instance of a subform or subform set to this node.

list

Property Description
length The number of elements in the list.
item A zero-based index into the collection.
append Appends a node to the end of the node list.
remove Removes a node from the node list.
insert Inserts a node before a specific node in the node list.

node

Property Description Exception
createNode Creates new node based on a valid class name. None
isContainer Specifies whether this object is a container object. None
isNull Indicates whether the current data value is a null value. None
resolveNode Evaluates the specified SOM expression, beginning with the current XML form object model object, and returns the value of the object specified in the SOM expression. None
resolveNodes Evaluates the specified SOM expression, beginning with the current XML form object model object, and returns the value of the object specified in the SOM expression. None
oneOfChild Creates new node based on a valid class name. None
getElement Returns a specified child object. None
getAttribute Gets a specified property value. None
setAttribute Sets the value of a specified property. None

model

Property Description Exception
NA NA NA

Subform

Property Description Exception
instanceIndex Specifies the index of the object, relative to the other instantiated instances. None
execEvent Executes the event script of the object. None
getInvalidObjects Returns a list of nodes contained within the subform (inclusive), that have failed the validation test. None
border The border object describes the border surrounding an object. None
borderColor Specifies the border color value for this field. You need to set the border.edge.presence property to visible separately. None
h A measurement of the height for the layout. None
w A measurement specifying the width for the layout. None
x Specifies the x coordinate of the container's anchor point relative to the upper-left corner of the parent container when placed with positioned layout. None
y Specifies the y coordinate of a container's anchor point relative to the upper-left corner of the parent container when placed with positioned layout. None
validate The validate object controls validation of user-supplied data on a form. The validate object can be activated multiple times during the life of a form. None
name An identifier that is used to identify this element in script expressions. None
presence Specifies an object's visibility. None
access Controls user access to the contents of a container object, such as a subform. None
execValidate Calculates the index of a subform or subform set based on where it is located relative to other instances of the same form object. None
instanceManager The instanceManager object manages the instance creation, removal, and movement of form model objects.
 None

submit

Property Description
target The URL to which the data is submitted. Omission of this attribute implies the XFA processing application obtains the URI using a product-specific technique, such as accessing product-specific information in the config object.

tree

Property Description Exception
nodes Returns a list of all child objects of the current object.
  • Not supported for xfa.nodes, desc
  • Number of nodes reported for PDF and HTML are different.
name Specifies the name of this node. Setting the name using scripts is not allowed in HTML.
parent Gets the parent for this node. None
index Returns the position of this node in its collection of like-named, in-scope, like-child relationship nodes. None
somExpression Gets the SOM expression for this node. None
resolveNode Evaluates the specified SOM expression, beginning with the current XML form object model object, and returns the value of the object specified in the SOM expression. None
resolveNodes Evaluates the specified SOM expression, beginning with the current XML form object model object, and returns the value of the object specified in the SOM expression. None

subformset

Property Description Exception
instanceManager The instanceManager object manages the instance creation, removal, and movement of form model objects. None

content

Property Description Exception
isNull Indicates whether the current data value is the null value.

dataValue

Property Description Exception
isNull Indicates whether the current data value is the null value.

edge

Property Description Exception
color The color property describes a unique color for the pattern object.
  • The default value cannot be retrieved.
  • The changes are reflected in Model and are available for scripting but are not synced to HTML elements. Hence, the changes are not reflected in the UI.

fill

Property Description Exception
color The color properties define a unique color of fill.
  • The default value cannot be retrieved.
  • The changes are reflected in Model and are available for scripting but are not synced to HTML elements. Hence, the changes are not reflected in the UI.

linear

Property Description Exception
color The color property describes a unique color for a linear gradient fill on a form.
  • The default value cannot be retrieved.
  • The changes are reflected in Model and are available for scripting but are not synced to HTML elements. Hence, the changes are not reflected in the UI.

line

Property Description Exception
edge The edge object describes an arc, line, or one side of a border or rectangle.
 Attributes such as color, cap, and more are not supported.

pattern

Property Description Exception
color The color property describes a unique color for the pattern object.
  • The default value cannot be retrieved.
  • The changes are reflected in Model and are available for scripting but are not synced to HTML elements. Hence, the changes are not reflected in the UI.

radial

Property Description Exception
color The color property describes a unique color for the radial object
  • The default value cannot be retrieved.
  • The changes are reflected in Model and are available for scripting but are not synced to HTML elements. Hence, the changes are not reflected in the UI.

stipple

Property Description Exception
color The color property describes a unique color for the stipple object.
  • The default value cannot be retrieved.
  • The changes are reflected in model and are available for scripting but are not synced to HTML elements. Hence, the changes are not reflected in the UI.

draw

Property Description Exception
ui The ui object encloses the user interface description of a form object.
caption The caption object describes a descriptive label associated with a form design object.
presence Specifies an object's visibility.
name Specifies an identifier that may be used to specify this object or event in script expressions. Setting the value at the runtime is not supported
value The value object encloses a single unit of data content.

corner

Property Description Exception
color The color property describes a unique color for the corner object.
  • The default value cannot be retrieved.
  • The changes are reflected in model and are available for scripting but are not synced to HTML elements. Hence, the changes are not reflected in the UI.

checkButton

Property Description Exception
border The border object describes the border surrounding checkButton object. The changes are reflected in model and are available for scripting but are not synced to HTML elements. Hence, the changes are not reflected in the UI.

choiceList

Property
 Description Exception
border The border object describes the border surrounding choiceList object.

dateTimeEdit

Property Description Exception
border The border object describes the border surrounding dateTimeEdit object.

Image

Property Description Exception
contentType Specifies the type of content in the referenced document, expressed as a MIME type. None
name
 An identifier that is used to identify this element in script expressions. None

imageEdit

Property Description Exception
border The border object describes the border surrounding imageEdit object.

numericEdit

Property Description Exception
border The border object describes the border surrounding an object. none

object

Property Description Exception
className Determines the name of the class of this object.
 none

rectangle

Property Description Exception
edge The edge object describes an arc, line, or one side of a border or rectangle.
 Attributes such as color, cap, and more are not supported.

textEdit

Property Description Exception
border The border object describes the border surrounding an object.
 None

exclGroup

Property Description Exception
layout Specifies the layout strategy to be used by this object. None
border Specifies the border surrounding this field. None
mandatory Specifies the nullTest value for the field. None
borderColor Specifies the border color value for this field.A border must be defined before you can change the color by scripting. None
borderWidth Specifies the border width for this field. None
h A measurement of the height for the layout. None
transient Specifies whether the processing application must save the value of the exclusion group as part of a form submission or save operation. None
w A measurement specifying the width for the layout. None
x Specifies the x coordinate of the container's anchor point relative to the upper-left corner of the parent container when placed with positioned layout. None
y Specifies the y coordinate of a container's anchor point relative to the upper-left corner of the parent container when placed with positioned layout. None
caption The caption object describes a descriptive label associated with a form design object.
 None
validate The validate object controls validation of user-supplied data on a form. The validate object can be activated multiple times during the life of a form. None
dataNode Gets the data node to which a form node is bound after merge. None
presence Specifies an object's visibility.
access Controls user access to the contents of a container object, such as a subform. For individual items in the exclgrp, it always returns open.
name Specifies an identifier that may be used to specify this object or event in script expressions. None
members Specify the members of exclusion group. None
selectedMember Returns the selected member of an exclusion group. None
execCalculate Executes any scripts on the calculate event of the specified object, and any child objects. None
calculate The calculate object controls the calculation of a field's value.
 None

arc

Property Description Exception
edge The edge object describes an arc, line, or one side of a border or rectangle.
 Attributes such as color, cap, and more are not supported.

border

Property Description Exception
edge The edge object describes an arc, line, or one side of a border or rectangle.
 Attributes such as color, cap, and more are not supported.

$layout

Property Description Exception
h Determines the height of a given form design object.
  • Height (h) property is not supported for page area and content area.
  • Parameter 'Offset from first content area the XFA-Form object occurs on' is not supported.
w Determines the width of a given form design object.
  • Width (w) property is not supported for page area and content area.
  • Parameter 'Offset from first content area the XFA-Form object occurs on' is not supported.
x Determines the x coordinate of a given form design object relative to its parent object.
  • x coordinate (x) property is not supported for page area and content area.
  • Parameter 'Offset from first content area the XFA-Form object occurs on' is not supported.
y Determines the y coordinate of a given form design object relative to its parent object.
  • y coordinate (y) property is not supported for page area and content area.
  • Parameter 'Offset from first content area the XFA-Form object occurs on' is not supported.
pagecount Determines the number of pages of the current form.
  • layout.pageCount() method returns different values for PDF and HTML forms.
  • On decreasing page count by hiding an object, abspagecount method returns incorrect value.
pagecontent Retrieves types of form design objects from a specified page of a form. None
absPageCount Determines the page count of the current form.
  • layout.pageCount() method returns different values for PDF and HTML forms.
  • On decreasing page count by hiding an object, abspagecount method returns incorrect value.

items

Property Description Exception
presence Specifies an object’s visibility. None

FormCalc

FormCalc is an XFA-specific language for creating e-form centric logic and calculations roots. FormCalculation provides a powerful set of build functions.

FormCalc Supported Functions

FormCalc Expression Support

Category Description Sample
Simple Expression Add, subtract, multiply, divide, and parentheses (a+b)*3
Variable declaration Define a variable var a
var a=3
a=3
Logical expression
  • Logic (and/or)
  • Comparison (greater/less/ equal)
 A or 1
1 <> 2
A NE B
A or 1
1 <> 2
A NE B
If expression
if (a>b) then 2 endif
while
while (i lt 5) do i = i + 1 endwhile
for
for i = 100 downto 1
do s = s + i endfor
for each
for each i in (1, 2, 3)
do s = s + i endfor
function declaration Define a custom function in FormCalc func foo(n) do var f = n endfunc

Acrobat API Support

  1. Arithmetic Functions

    1. Abs()
    2. Avg()
    3. Ceil()
    4. Count()
    5. Floor()
    6. Max()
    7. Min()
    8. Mod()
    9. Round()
    10. Sum()

  2. Scientific Functions

    1. Acos()
    2. Asin()
    3. Atan()
    4. Atan2()
    5. Cos()
    6. Sin()
    7. Tan()
    8. Exp()
    9. Log()
    10. Pow()
    11. Sqrt()
    12. Deg2Rad()
    13. Rad2Deg()
    14. Pi()

  3. Financial Functions

    1. Apr()
    2. Cterm()
    3. Fv()
    4. Ipmt()
    5. Npv()
    6. Pmt()
    7. Ppmt()
    8. Pv()
    9. Rate()
    10. Term()

  4. Logical Functions

    1. Choose()
    2. If()
    3. Oneof()
    4. Within()

  5. String Functions

    1. At()
    2. Concat()
    3. Left()
    4. Len()
    5. Lower()
    6. Ltrim()
    7. Replace()
    8. Right()
    9. Rtrim()
    10. Space()
    11. Stuff()
    12. Substr()
    13. Upper()
    14. WordNum()

  6. Date and Time

    1. Date()
    2. num2date()
    3. DateFmt()
API Description Aberration
console.println() This acrobat API dumps the output toJavaScript console.
app.alert() This acrobat API sends out an alert message throughJavaScript popup.
app.beep() Causes the system to play a sound. No action is performed.
app.execDialog() Presents a modal dialog box to the user. Modal dialog boxes must be closed by the user before the host application can be directly used again. No action is performed.
app.launchURL() Launches a URL in a browser window.
app.setInterval() Specifies a JavaScript script and a time period. The script is executed every time the period elapses. The return value of this method must be held in a JavaScript variable. Otherwise, the interval object is subject to garbage-collection, which would cause the clock to stop. To terminate the periodic execution, pass the returned interval object to clearInterval.
app.setTimeOut() Specifies a JavaScript script and a time period. The script is executed one time only, after the period elapses.The return value of this method must be held in a JavaScript variable. Otherwise, the timeout object is subject to garbage-collection, which would cause the clock to stop. To cancel the timeout event, pass the returned timeout object to clearTimeOut.
app.clearInterval() Cancels a previously registered interval initially set by the setInterval method. In HTML5 forms, the API does not function correctly.
app.clearTimeOut() Cancels a previously registered time-out interval. Such an interval is initially set by setTimeOut. In HTML5 forms, the API does not function correctly.
app.eval() Runs a given script.
app.activeDocs An array containing the Doc object for each active document. If no documents are active, activeDocs returns nothing; that is, it has the same behavior as d = new Array(0) in core JavaScript. Returns an empty array for HTMl5 forms.
app.calculate If true (the default value), calculations can be performed. If false, calculations are not permitted. Always true for HTMl5 Forms.
app.constants A wrapper object for holding various constant values. Currently, this property returns an object with a single property, align. HTML5 forms return an empty align object.
app.focusRect Turns the focus rectangle on and off. The focus rectangle is the faint dotted line around buttons, check boxes, radio buttons, and signatures to indicate that the form field has the keyboard focus. A value of true turns on the focus rectangle. Always true for HTML5 forms.
app.formsVersion The version number of the viewer forms software. Check this property to determine whether objects, properties, or methods in newer versions of the software are available if you want to maintain backward compatibility in your scripts. 11.001 always.
app.language The language of the running Acrobat viewer. Always "ENU" for HTMl5 forms.

Supported XFA events

The following client sided XFA events are supported:

  • Initialize
  • Validate
  • Calculate
  • Click
  • Enter
  • Exit
  • Change
  • ValidationState
NOTE

HTML5 forms are rendered on the client-side (browser). Use client side validate and calculate scripts instead of server-sided scripts.

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