Date Picker dropdown not showing when not using Editor

[fruitlessnoodle]

Hello,

I use PDF-XChange Editor to create a date-picker in a document. If I then open that same document in another pdf app, such as PDF-XChange Viewer, and select the date-picker, then then dropdown does not appear. I only get a textbox with marching ants. It has date functionality and, for example, will not accept input that is not a date, but the dropdown never appears. This seems like a significant bug. Is there a way to fix this?

Thanks

[Daniel - PDF-XChange]

Hi, fruitlessnoodle

Unfortuantely this is not a bug, but an effect of how form fields work. Technically there is no such thing as a "date" field, it is simply a normal text field which we include some pre-determined JavaScript within.
By extension this means that the field itself relies on other applications to read and execute the JavaScript in a way they deem fit.

~ Some applications will not show the dropdown arrow as we do, instead simply presenting the calendar when the field is clicked anywhere. These apps (Adobe, Foxit, Bluebeam, etc. to name just a few) effectively handle the field exactly as intended.
~ Others, typically older apps like our Viewer, may in some cases only validate the field to ensure it matches the format which was defined, as you reported. This is primarily due to newer JS functions being used. The viewer is roughly a decade out of date at this point so some issues like this are to be expected.
~ Finally there will be applications which do not support JavaScript at all, and are incapable of seeing this field as anything more than a normal text field.

As we have no control over what other applications will do, or how they interpret something as volatile as JavaScript, there is not really anything that can be done here. You will see much the same error no matter which modern application you use to create the date field. Whether Us, Adobe, Foxit, even Bluebeam, we all create date fields in almost the exact same way, and they will all have similar issues with less capable/older applications.

Kind regards,

[fruitlessnoodle]

Hi Daniel,

Thanks for explaining that. I understand and it makes sense now. I just need change my approach to fillable forms, I guess. I need to cater for a wide range of end users, many of whom will have outdated pdf viewers.

[Stefan - PDF-XChange]

Hello fruitlessnoodle,

Unfortunately as Daniel stated above - there's not much we can do for older applications other than you advising your users to update and use modern PDF software. There is no 'standardised' way in which a 'date field' should appear or work in the PDF specification, and even if such is added in the future - this will still only work and be applied as an update to modern PDF software, and older versions will still stay out of sync and not showing these things properly.

Kind regards,
Stefan

[fruitlessnoodle]

Thanks, Stefan. I really appreciate you guys making the effort to reply and educate me.

[Daniel - PDF-XChange]