Convert Microsoft Word documents | LiveCycle Designer 7.x, LiveCycle Designer ES (8.x)

What's covered

Conversion limitations

Objects that aren't imported

The "How Designer converts Word objects and settings" section of Adobe LiveCycle Designer Help provides information about how specific elements convert and about limitations that you may encounter when you import a Microsoft Word document (.doc, .dot, .rtf) into LiveCycle Designer. This document covers objects and limitations that are not listed in LiveCycle Designer Help.

Before you import a Word document, see "How to avoid conversion problems" and "Importing Microsoft Word files" in LiveCycle Designer Help for instructions and requirements.

Conversion limitations

Adobe LiveCycle Designer files are based on XFA (XML Forms Architecture). You may encounter limitations when you import Word documents, because some objects are supported by Word but not by XFA.

The following objects import with the limitations noted below:

Fonts

If fonts in the Word document aren't installed on the computer, LiveCycle Designer returns an error message. See document 333490 , "Error 'Missing fonts made application quit' when you open a Microsoft Word file (LiveCycle Designer 7.x - 8.x)" for more information.

Font effects

Font effects convert without limitations, except in the following cases:

-- Double strikethrough converts to single strikethrough

-- Shadow converts to standard text

-- Emboss and Engrave convert to white text

-- Small caps and all caps convert to standard text

-- Hidden text converts to standard text

Form fields

The following form fields convert as noted:

-- Checkbox converts to checkbutton

-- Dropdown converts to choicelist

-- Textinput converts to textedit

VBScript converts to comments.

Form fields that span lines are converted to a single form field on the first line.

Forms (printed)

Forms that use underscores or underlined spaces instead of form fields to denote areas to be filled convert to text edit form fields.

Frames

Frames that you convert from text boxes convert to subforms. Elementsof the frame are direct children of the subform with positioned layout.

Frameboundaries convert to subform borders. Styling is limited by the properties of the Edge element in XFT 2.1.

Headers and footers

Headers and footers are created on the master page in LiveCycle Designer.

Inline shapes

LiveCycle Designer converts simple line art (for example, lines, rectangles, or circles) to an equivalent representation in XFT. Everything else (complicated line art, images) is converted by the clipboard mechanism to a GIF image. Line art is rasterized.

Tables

Table boundaries convert to borders of subforms; the conversion is limited by the properties of the Edge element in XFT 2.1 (some border styles aren't supported).

Text boxes

Text boxes convert as shapes. Objects inside the text box convert as children of the text box in the way described for individual objects.

Objects that aren't imported

The following objects aren't imported into LiveCycle Designer when you import a Word document:

-- The functionality of OLE Objects in Word isn't imported

-- Text effects (for example, Blinking Background or Marching Black Ants)

-- Underline color

-- Page backgrounds

-- HTML framesthat corresponds to separate Word documents (frames that are made out of text boxes are imported)

-- Text highlights inside form fields

-- Text that overlaps a form field