You can cause an action to occur when a bookmark or link is clicked, or when a page is viewed. For example, you can use links and bookmarks to jump to different locations in a document, execute commands from a menu, and perform other actions. Actions are set in the Properties dialog box.
For bookmarks or links, you specify an action that occurs when the bookmark or link is clicked. For other items, such as pages, media clips and form fields, you define a trigger that causes the action to occur and then define the action itself. You can add multiple actions to one trigger.
The Locked option prevents the appearance and actions associated with an object from being accidentally changed.
To enhance the interactive quality of a document, you can specify actions, such as changing the zoom value, to occur when a page is opened or closed.
-
To create a series of actions, choose another action from the menu, and click Add again. Use the Up and Down buttons to arrange the actions in the order you want them to occur.
Note:
If you set an action that switches to Full Screen view on Page Open or Page Close, the next time the same page opens or closes, Full Screen view is turned on.
Multimedia Operation (Acrobat 9 And Later)
Executes a specified action for a multimedia object in the file (such as playing a sound file). The multimedia object must be added to the file before you can specify an action for it.
Open A File
Launches and opens a file. If you are distributing a PDF file with a link to another file, the reader needs the native application of that linked file to open it successfully. (You may need to add opening preferences for the target file.)
Open A Web Link
Jumps to the specified destination on the Internet. You can use http, ftp, and mailto protocols to define your link.
Play A Sound
Plays the specified sound file. The sound is embedded into the PDF document in a cross-platform format.
Play Media (Acrobat 5 Compatible)
Plays the specified QuickTime or AVI movie that was created as Acrobat 5-compatible. The specified movie must be embedded in a PDF document.
Play Media (Acrobat 6 And Later Compatible)
Plays a specified movie that was created as Acrobat 6-compatible. The specified movie must be embedded in a PDF document.
Reset A Form
Clears previously entered data in a form. You can control the fields that are reset with the Select Fields dialog box.
Set Layer Visibility
Determines which layer settings are active. Before you add this action, specify the appropriate layer settings.
Show/Hide A Field
Toggles between showing and hiding a field in a PDF document. This option is especially useful in form fields. For example, if you want an object to pop up whenever the pointer is over a button, you can set an action that shows a field on the Mouse Enter trigger and hides a field on Mouse Exit.
Triggers determine how actions are activated in media clips, pages, and form fields. For example, you can specify a movie or sound clip to play when a page is opened or closed. The available options depend on the specified page element.
Mouse Up (Acrobat Pro DC)
When the mouse button is released after a click. This is the most common button trigger, because it gives the user one last chance to drag the pointer off the button and not activate the action.
Page Visible (media clips only)
When the page containing the media clip is visible, regardless of whether it is the current page. It’s possible for a page to be visible without being the current page, such as when a continuous page layout displays pages side-by-side.
Mouse Down
When the mouse button is clicked (without being released). In most cases, Mouse Up is the preferred trigger.
On Receive Focus (media clips only)
When the link area receives focus, either through a mouse action or tabbing.
The JavaScript language was developed by Netscape Communications as a means to create interactive web pages more easily. Adobe has enhanced JavaScript so that you can easily integrate this level of interactivity into your PDF documents.
You can invoke JavaScript code using actions associated with bookmarks, links, and pages. The Set Document Actions command lets you create document-level JavaScript actions that apply to the entire document. For example, selecting Document Did Save runs the JavaScript after a document is saved.
In Acrobat Pro DC, you can also use JavaScript with PDF forms and action wizard. The most common uses for JavaScript in forms are formatting data, calculating data, validating data, and assigning an action. Field-level scripts are associated with a specific form field or fields, such as a button. This type of script is executed when an event occurs, such as a Mouse Up action.
To learn how to create JavaScript scripts, download the JavaScript manuals from the Adobe website. Developing Acrobat®Applications Using JavaScript™ contains background information and tutorials, and the JavaScript™ for Acrobat®API Reference contains detailed reference information. These and other JavaScript resources are located on the Adobe website.