Re: PDF Signature Fields

[Henning Hraban Ramm <texml@fiee.net>]

Am 2016-03-09 um 22:04 schrieb Andreas Schneider <aksdb@gmx.de>:

> Very good point(s).
> 
> Just for more reference:
> We use such forms heavily in-house, sometimes with a multi-stage approach.
> Example: the employee fills out his details, etc., and signs that part. The fields he had to fill are now locked (but saved, ofcourse ;-)). That PDF is now sent to his or her boss, who fills out the organisational details, and signs that part. Finally the PDF goes to HR or whoever who gives the final signature. Since all employees have signature cards (chips with PKCS signatures on them) the whole process get's safe, accountable and paper-free. In the past stuff like this required printing, hand-signing, scanning, sending, printing-again, ... you get the idea.
> These forms are currently handcrafted using Acrobat.
> 
> I will analyse the resulting PDF streams, try to match that against the PDF spec and what the eforms-package does.
> If that lines up, I'll provide the necessary details here.

You can already create the forms with ConTeXt and then extend them with Acrobat - that’s at least a lot less work.

I’m not up-to-date WRT PDF specs, previously all the signature stuff wasn’t in a public spec. But if there exists a LaTeX package, it can’t be that hard any more.

I recently created forms for a kindergarten patron foundation - parents have to fill more than 50 pages of forms, each in two copies, for all the necessary details and responsibilities. Most of the fields are used several times (name and birthday of the child, name and address of the kindergarten etc.) Because it was easy, I made interactive forms and suggested to evaluate them with a script that transfers the data into a database. Unfortunately, the teachers seem to be computer illiterate, they want to fill out everything manually (or have the parents do it). Maybe they’re just sadomasochists.


Greetlings, Hraban
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