PDFBox deletes content when performing any operation in this PDF file with forms:

Simply open it and save it under a different name and 3 pages of the document will be deleted.

public static void main(String[] args) {
        File pdfFile = new File("C:\\Users\\Test\\Documents\\testForms.pdf");
        
        try (PDDocument document = Loader.loadPDF(pdfFile)) {
            document.save("C:\\Users\\Test\\Documents\\testForms_mod.pdf");
            
        } catch (IOException ex) {
            Logger.getLogger(Test.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
        }
}

PDFBox deletes content when performing any operation in this PDF file with forms: https://drive.google/file/d/1Jivm_Nw8Q4oTjZLOQPpUgu196YczWZjx/view?usp=sharing

Simply open it and save it under a different name and 3 pages of the document will be deleted.

public static void main(String[] args) {
        File pdfFile = new File("C:\\Users\\Test\\Documents\\testForms.pdf");
        
        try (PDDocument document = Loader.loadPDF(pdfFile)) {
            document.save("C:\\Users\\Test\\Documents\\testForms_mod.pdf");
            
        } catch (IOException ex) {
            Logger.getLogger(Test.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
        }
}

• pdfbox

Share Follow asked Mar 3 at 20:05 rampunsengrampunseng 1122 bronze badges 0

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1 Answer 1

Sorted by: Reset to default 0

The form is not an ISO Standard AcroForm. This can be seen on opening as simply ONE PDF COVER PAGE with an Adobe proprietary imbedded Document (A X[mp]FA).

The document you are trying to load requires Adobe Reader 8 or higher. You may not have the
Adobe Reader installed or your viewing environment may not be properly configured to use
Adobe Reader.

The true PDF is simply object 34 of 44.

34 0 obj
<</Length 499>>
stream
q /RelativeColorimetric ri 0 0 0 rg
BT
/T1_0 1 Tf 12 0 0 12 72 711.324 Tm
(The document you are trying to load requires Adobe Reader 8 or higher. You may not have the ) Tj 1.109 TL 12 0 0 12 72 698.016 Tm
(Adobe Reader installed or your viewing environment may not be properly configured to use ) Tj T*
(Adobe Reader. ) Tj T* (  ) Tj T*
(For information on how to install Adobe Reader and configure your viewing environment please ) Tj T*
(see  http://www.adobe/go/pdf_forms_configure.) Tj
ET Q
endstream
endobj

When opened it will become dynamic and run scripting to alter appearances.

You can accept an alternative variation but it will not be the Approved Document that has an embeded signature. Basically these Forms are designed ONLY to be used in ARE (Adobe Rights Enabled) software. They will generally become corrupted in any other PDF editor.

SOME will allow for Bulk Data Entry via "Drag and Drop" onto the PDF viewer or file opening an associated FDF, but many do not.

When edited Adobe software advises how to proceed. Or detects there were unofficial changes.

What you may sometimes see is the pages may keep altering here from 4 to 7 dynamic pages with dynamic changing data tracking barcodes.