Merging dynamic XFA PDF forms with LiveCycle Assembler
This article explains why the LiveCycle Assembler Service cannot merge a dynamic XFA-based PDF form with standard PDFs into a single editable linear PDF. It also explains how to package the files in a PDF Portfolio while preserving the original XFA form’s editability. To fix this, use the documented Portfolio DDX structure, provide all referenced files to Assembler, and verify the resulting Portfolio in Adobe Acrobat.
Description description
Environment
- Adobe Experience Manager Forms 6.5 on JEE (all service packs and patch levels)
- LiveCycle Assembler Service
- Adobe Acrobat for PDF Portfolio validation
Issue/Symptoms
When you use the LiveCycle Assembler Service and DDX to combine multiple PDF documents, the operation fails if one input is a dynamic XFA-based form and the output must preserve the form’s editability without flattening it.
- The business requirement is to combine or package multiple PDFs while keeping the dynamic XFA form editable and non-flattened.
- A standard merge can return PDFM_S02013: The ‘insertDocument’ operation failed… Caused by: PDFM_S02011: Document cannot be assembled because it is an XFA-based form.
- A PDF Portfolio attempt return ALC-ASM-S00-002: Failed to execute the DDX - error messages provided.
Cause
LiveCycle Assembler does not support merging a dynamic XFA PDF into a single linear PDF while preserving the XFA content’s editability. The supported method for packaging these files while preserving editability is PDF Portfolio packaging with the documented DDX structure.
Resolution resolution
Follow the steps below to resolve the issue:
- Do not merge a dynamic
XFAPDF form with other PDFs into a single linear PDF when you need to preserve XFA editability because this operation is not supported. The Assembler must flatten or remove the XFA content to insert its pages, which breaks editability. - Use PDF Portfolio packaging instead of a linear merge. Package the dynamic XFA PDF and the other PDFs as separate embedded files within one Portfolio while preserving the original XFA form as an editable file.
- Use the correct Portfolio
DDXstructure with the appropriateNavigator,PackageFiles, andFileelements. - Supply all files referenced by the DDX document to the Assembler invocation as input-map keys.
- Open the resulting PDF Portfolio in Adobe Acrobat and confirm that both files appear as Portfolio items.
- Extract and open the dynamic XFA PDF from the Portfolio and verify that it remains editable.
- If the Portfolio DDX fails, verify the input-map keys and files, confirm that a valid Portfolio navigator file is available, check the AEM Forms service pack and Assembler service versions, and capture the complete error messages returned by Assembler.