Currently when we change a setting on an existing field in a form - the field is totally removed from the PDF layout and must be reinserted into the PDF formatting. This is frustrating when we're changing simple spelling errors on a field title or updating a number field to allow a decimal point. This creates the potential for fields to be "lost" in PDF reports if the builder forgets to go and update the PDF when they've made a quick setting change on an existing field. I'm not sure if this has been fixed with the new Beta Builder system but as a user with our forms on the old layout this is a frustrating setting.
1
Comments
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Hi Doug Borrowman,
Thanks for posting to the Community! I completely understand your frustration with the PDF Designer not always recognizing changes made to the form. This is due to the different versions of the form and the PDF being technically separate from each other and the variability of the PDF output based on the data that is entered into each unique submission. I don't foresee this ever being something we can change in the PDF Designer's current state due to these limitations but perhaps it will possible in future iterations of PDF designing. I will bring this up with our Product team to see if addressing this will be possible in the future.
I haven't done this in a while, but in my head, when you would edit the title of the field in the form builder, the title in the PDF Designer wouldn't change unless you deleted and added it back in or edited it manually. Disappearing altogether is not something I ever remember happening, but thanks for pointing this out. I'll be sure to look out for it. When you have a lot of people depending on the form you built, then the output gets screwed up, I definitely get how frustrating and embarrassing that can be.
How the testing version works has always been bit confusing to me. Maybe Lauren can answer this: If you publish a new form in test mode, can you make changes to the PDF Designing without it affecting the published (live) version? If you decide not to publish, does the PDF Designer changes revert to the previous version?
Hi AIMS System Administrator
Thanks for joining the conversation! Firstly, yes some things will update when changed in the form, namely Field Labels and Field Types will be recognized by the PDF as long as those settings are changed on the original field that is already in the PDF design. Deleting a field simply to change the Field Type or Label or other Field Settings is not an efficient Form Building technique and will result in repeating work in the PDF Designer. But Tables/Loop Screens are the biggest offenders, changing anything within them, field labels and types included, often means deleting the table from the PDF design and adding it back in.
As far a Testing Function goes, that is also a completely different version as well. The admin will see a completely separate tile dedicated to a (Testing) version of the form on both web and mobile. Any test submissions created will be deleted when the form is published or reverted back to the original. Users will still only see the Published version and the PDF that aligns with that version. Changes made to the PDF design on the (Testing) version will only go into affect when the form is Published and changes made to the PDF on the current Published version are separate as well. There are several variables to take into account, so a form that is Published with changes to the PDF saved after Publishing may only kick-in for the next submission if the user Syncs their device.
I know this is confusing, I hope I explained it clearly. Please let me know if you have any other questions!