[PDFBOX-4454] PDFmergerUtility is changing the names of form fields to dummyField#X when fields have the same name.

• Type: New Feature
• Status: Closed
• Priority: Critical
• Resolution: Duplicate
• Affects Version/s: 2.0.13
• Component/s: AcroForm
• Labels: PDFMergerUtility
• Assignee: Unassigned
• Reporter: Seth Freeman
• Created: 01/Feb/19 20:49
• Updated: 02/Feb/19 18:32
• Resolved: 02/Feb/19 18:32

Description

 

The merger renaming form fields that have the same name is a feature that should be optional. In my situation, I need all the fields to keep their pre-merge names.

In my case, we are using 3 different medical forms that intentionally all have fields with the same name. In Acrobat merging would set the fields output equal to each other. I'm working on a project to automate filling these forms with information provided by the patient. Right now merging with PDFbox breaks this.

My current workaround is to just fill each form separately then combine them, but this makes edits later down the line needlessly complex. 

The simplest solution would be to have options to maintain the names.

Issue Links

• duplicates: PDFBOX-3111 Replicate Acrobat behavior when merging PDFs with interactive forms