Use PDF Forms in the Web Browser

FormVu is an SDK for converting PDF Form files into standalone HTML with interactive form components.

Display in a Browser

Users can continue to use Forms in a web browser. Converted PDF forms retain their appearance and interaction. Data can be saved to the original file.

Integrate into Web Apps

PDF forms can be easily and securely integrated into a Web application workflow while retaining all their interaction and functionality.

Keep data safe

Forms are converted and hosted on your Computers. FormVu is not a cloud service and makes no calls outside. So customer data is always safe.

How to get started?

FormVu offers various ways to run the software, here are some (but not all) of the common methods you can use to try it out:

HTMLConversionOptions conversionOptions = new HTMLConversionOptions();
// Set conversion options here e.g. conversionOptions.setImageScale(1.2f);

FormViewerOptions viewerOptions = new FormViewerOptions();
// Set FormViewer options here e.g. viewerOptions.setEnableFDFJavaScript(true);

File input = new File("C:/MyDocument.pdf");
File output = new File("C:/MyOutputDirectory/");

PDFtoHTML5Converter converter = new PDFtoHTML5Converter(input, output, conversionOptions, viewerOptions);

try {
    converter.convert();
} catch (PdfException e) {
    e.printStackTrace();
}
java -Xmx512M -jar formvu.jar /inputDirectory/ /outputDirectory/

# Or add in custom settings to adjust the output to your preference
java -Dorg.jpedal.pdf2html.exampleSettingOne=<value> -Dorg.jpedal.pdf2html.exampleSettingTwo=<value> -Xmx512M -jar formvu.jar /inputDirectory/ /outputDirectory/
<?php
// PHP is one of the many languages we support for the web service. Check our support pages to see the full extent

require_once __DIR__ . "/PATH/TO/vendor/autoload.php";

use IDRsolutions\IDRCloudClient;

$endpoint = "https://cloud.idrsolutions.com/cloud/" . IDRCloudClient::INPUT_FORMVU;
$parameters = array(
    //'token' => 'Token', // Required only when connecting to the IDRsolutions trial and cloud subscription service
    'input' => IDRCloudClient::INPUT_UPLOAD,
    'file' => __DIR__ . 'path/to/file.pdf'
);

$results = IDRCloudClient::convert(array(
    'endpoint' => $endpoint,
    'parameters' => $parameters
));

IDRCloudClient::downloadOutput($results, __DIR__ . '/');

echo $results['downloadUrl'];

Example PDF Forms converted into HTML

All of these examples have been converted with FormVu

AcroForm Example Conversions

XFA Example Conversions

How it works

1. FormVu reads in and parses the PDF Form file

FormVu reads the Form file and processes all the information available. Including all various details such as the forms contained, which pages they appear on, what each page contains.

2. All static PDF content is processed and output

As PDFs contain static content in its pages, such as images and text, in order to display the file correctly, FormVu converts the static content into something useable by the HTML output.

3. FormVu outputs as HTML

FormVu converts the form functionality into the closest HTML representation available. Resulting in an interactive HTML page with the same appearance & functionality of the provided file.

4. Use your converted HTML output

Once converted, you have the HTML output to use as you wish. Throw it up onto a web server to display the content, and make use of HTML form submissions, saving back as a PDF, or integrate it into your web application.

Key Benefits

Convert all Forms

FormVu supports converting both AcroForms and XFA Forms. All forms are converted into HTML5/CSS and JavaScript preserving style and layout.

Save back into PDF or POST the form data

Once a form has been filled out in HTML, you have options on how it should be processed. You can save the new entries as a PDF again, allowing you to document your answers. Or you can POST the data as HTML form data or as JSON.

Keep Client Data Secure

Convert documents on your own servers so that sensitive customer data stays safely within your firewall. FormVu does not use metrics tracking and even works without a network connection.

Save Developer Time

It took us more than 20 years to build a PDF converter this good. Why waste developer resources fixing ageing open source tools when you can work on the things that matter to your business instead?

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the conversion work?
You can run FormVu from the command line or call it programmatically from any language. Simply specify the PDF file you wish to convert and FormVu will generate the HTML
Is there support?
Yes! Our team of engineers are eager to resolve any issues you encounter. Our development and support is all done in-house from our offices in the UK.
Is there a free trial?
Yes, you can try FormVu for free.
How does licensing work?
FormVu can be licensed under a simple flat yearly fee. There is no need to track usage, and converted documents will continue to work even if you choose not to renew your license.
How often is FormVu updated?
There is a new release every 6 weeks in addition to the daily pre-release builds.
Does it convert all PDF files?
FormVu only converts interactive form files. If you are looking for a static PDF conversion BuildVu is a closer fit to your needs.