Types of PDF Forms
Estimated Reading Time: 1 MinutesThere are two (or three) types of PDF forms: AcroForm and XFA (static and dynamic):
- AcroForms are the traditional, most common type of PDF forms; These can be created using Adobe Acrobat.
- Static XFA PDF forms contain an XML stream that contains the form field information, as well as the traditional PDF (AcroForm) structure describing form fields. These can typically be opened and processed by non-Adobe viewers or tools, as long as they utilize the traditional PDF AcroForm structure, rather than the XFA.
- Dynamic XFA PDF forms are basically an XML stream wrapped in a PDF shell. The display of dynamic XFA PDF Forms in Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader changes based on the field content and the options that are selected. These form types are created by AEM Designer (previously Adobe LiveCycle Designer), but typically cannot be viewed or processed by non-Adobe viewers such as Chrome or Safari. In that case, the viewer may display the placeholder content which is usually a warning to upgrade or use Adobe Reader.
XFA (static and dynamic) PDF forms are created by Adobe AEM Designer (previously LiveCycle Designer), typically as part of a form workflow in conjunction with Adobe Experience Manager Forms or LiveCycle Server installations often used by government and large enterprise companies.