How to connect Excel to a PDF form that uses check boxes

[PA_VA13]

Hi! We've run into an issue where a reference site wants us to send them data via their PDF fillable form instead of our excel sheet. We currently use excel to log and track all of our data (lots of data) and only a small portion is selected from it per case via a macro to create the information the we would send. The only tutorials I have found to link the two only shows for PDF text fields, however their form uses check boxes to select tests. Is there a way to either send data from excel to the PDF to fill it out to include the check boxes or can I do it in reverse where they fill out the PDF and then the information is sent to the excel database. The goal is to fill out one to complete the other as I have staff that will not do both and then I will lose data.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Jeffrey Mahoney]

I would definitely create an Excel Sheet form that looks identical to their PDF form. I've done it many times before. For each case, populate the form and then export that to a PDF. A macro can be created to save the PDF with a name based on fields on the form for the filename.

 

[PA_VA13]

I can try that method, but I'm not sure if the reference site would be ok with us using a re-created form instead of their actual form. Entering specific data for each case in the text fields I think I link between the PDF and Excel database. It's all of these check boxes for tests that I am having issues with. If I re-create the PDF form into an Excel sheet how can I send the checked boxed data back to the main data? We send anywhere between 5 to 30 cases a day and each case would need its own form. The pics are the excel form that we currently use for each case that I have a Macro to pull all of the data and all of the tests we want from the data base to here. The list of tests I need to link to in the PDF is the 2nd photo.

 

[Jeffrey Mahoney]

My suggested method would allow you to control the data easier. That is a lot of checkboxes. If you used traditional ActiveX checkboxes, they can be linked to cells. You can created a named range for each checkbox so you can populate your other form. Or you can use a macro to copy the status of each checked option over to your main data.

I did some research to be able to grab data from PDF files and was successful. It was kinda clumsy, but it worked. That was two years ago, so I don't remember the method.

 

[PA_VA13]

Thank you! I'll try the ActiveX checkboxes and see what happens.