Data Extraction from fillable PDF

Question

Hi All, 
 I have a fillable pdf with some user input text fields ,checkbox, I wish to save data which the users enters on click of a submit button.The PDF is being viewed currently using DocViewer component. How Do I accomplish the same using the Document Extraction feature or any other Appian feature available? Does doc extraction works for fillable PDF? 
 
 Thanks

Mike Schmitt · Answer

All of that is doable except you won't be able to allow a user to edit the PDF within an Appian form. You'll need to have them open it in their local PDF viewer, save changes, then upload the changed version to Appian. 
 I'm not sure where "download the newly updated PDF" comes into this, since the user who made the edits to the PDF will already have the latest version of the PDF on their local hard drive at this point. Subsequent users would be able to download a copy of it, at least.

Mike Schmitt · Answer

I'm a little unclear on the sequence of events you're hoping to achieve. 
 Are you saying you're having the user enter data within an Appian form and you want to populate that within a PDF, or are you saying you're showing a PDF in the document viewer component and trying to allow the user to make changes to it there (which isn't possible)? Where does Document Extraction come into this? 
 Perhaps if you specify step-by-step what your desired user experience would be, we can help clarify what your options are.

Mike Schmitt · Answer

Shikha said: but the requirement is to have a PDF only 
 This seems like a regressive "requirement". Appian forms are the best way to enter the data with validation, pretty much in all cases. You're adding a lot of extra steps, both in terms of user input as well as in-process work, and therefore extra chances for in-process bugs as well as chances for end-user errors.

Data Extraction from fillable PDF

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