<< Latest Post

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Non Windows PDF & Invisible fields in Adobe under Windows

Recently, I received some PDF documents created in a Mac and all the form fields were blank when I opened that document in adobe under Windows. I could only see the content, when I click on a particular form field.

Apparently, some PDF documents filled and saved using non-adobe software on non-windows operating systems like OS X (Preview app) may not open properly in adobe in Windows. The original data is still available but they are just hidden. This behavior is because of the way the PDF document was structured by the original application. Some of the flags required for adobe were not enabled by the original application. 

We could fix this by using a customized JavaScript as described in this article.

I used Adobe Reader X and when I followed the above method, I got a literal error message - "Internal Error". This could be because of the fact, that adobe reader x prevents a user from launching a JavaScript from a menu item. This could be easily fixed by enabling a flag in the preferences -

Edit -> Preferences -> JavaScript -> Enable menu items JavaScript execution privileges.

posted by Shanmuganathan Sivaraj at 2:15 PM | 0 Comments





Tuesday, November 06, 2012

Windows 8



I spent some time this weekend with Microsoft's new flagship operating system - Windows 8. The most noticeable and radical change in the new system is that there is NO start button. They have replaced the start button with a big, vibrant & colorful start screen and icons with multicolored tiles.


A quick walk-through

Moving the mouse to the bottom-left-corner (the original start button location) will show a hidden start screen tile, which will take us back to the home start screen. Similarly, moving the mouse to top-right-corner will bring a "charms bar" with search option, which will be the default way to find things in this non-start button windows operating system.


One of the tiles in the start screen is Desktop. If we click on it, we will end up with the regular all familiar Windows environment with task-bar, wallpaper, icons etc., but without a start button. This will make us think that the new operating system is just a wrapper around Windows 7 with start screen replacing the start button.


My Quick Take  

At first glance, Windows 8 seems to be built for touch screens. It is a bold step by Microsoft to build an operating system assuming future will be all about touch screens. Microsoft's strategy was to build a single operating system for all kind of devices (mobile or desktop). Unfortunately, their vision seems to have been limited by hardware capabilities, so they have decided to go in Apple's way (a la iOS & OS X) and built two different operating systems - Win RT & Windows 8.


Apple owns both hardware & software, but Microsoft only builds its software and depends on other hardware manufactures for the final product. With Windows 8, Microsoft has taken a step to redefine, hardware (in particular computer) manufacturers vision and is asking them to go in the direction of touch screens for all devices. Don't get me wrong, Windows 8 will work fine in our regular non-touch screen laptop or desktop, but some of its functionality will make us want for a touch screen. For e.g. - there is no close button or familiar x mark in the top right corner, instead we have to hold our mouse and drag the window down towards task-bar and drop it, just like swiping the window down -  which I feel would be easier in a touch screen rather than using a mouse.


Consumers will be given no choice, as the new laptops & desktops will be pre-loaded with the new operating system. But, Microsoft's success depends largely on how soon the corporate world embraces the new operating system. Many of them balked on Windows Vista and are still moving to Windows 7. Many of them just finished testing their applications in Windows 7 or Internet Explorer 8, so I am not sure whether they will be in a hurry to move to a new one. In the short-run  I feel, Windows 8 will go the way of Windows Vista & 7 and will go through a slow adoption process. If the new desktops & laptops come with touch screens, corporate world will slowly move to Windows 8 as they replace the old work computers with new ones.


posted by Shanmuganathan Sivaraj at 10:09 AM | 0 Comments