<html><head><meta name="color-scheme" content="light dark"></head><body><pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[designiv]{web}
\usepackage{grayhints}\previewOff
\usepackage{fancyvrb}

\addtoWebHeight{1in}
\def\cs#1{\texttt{\char`\\#1}}
\let\app\textsf
\let\pkg\textsf
\let\uif\textsf
\parindent0pt

%\EnterCommitFailEvent{\jsT\jsT
%  event.target.strokeColor=color.red;\jsR\jsT\jsT
%  event.value=(event.target.savevalue);}
%\CommitSuccessEvent{event.target.strokeColor=color.black;}

\begin{document}

\begin{center}
    \large\bfseries Gray Hints - Formats
\end{center}
The `gray hints' technique works well with fields that require special
formatting such as the ones provided by built-in formats of \app{Adobe
Acrobat}, these formats are Number, Percentage, Date, Time, Special, and
Custom. How `gray hints' functions when one of these special formats is
used may be acceptable, but if not, we offer an alternative. First we compare
two date fields. The one on the left is the default, the one on the right is
`enhanced.'\medskip

\textField[\textColor{\matchGray}
    \TU{Enter a date of your choosing}
    \AA{%
      \AAOnFocus{\JS{\FocusToBlack}}
% Using the Adobe Built-in functions directly
      \AAKeystroke{AFDate_KeystrokeEx("yyyy/mm/dd");\r
        \KeyToGray}
      \AAFormat{AFDate_FormatEx("yyyy/mm/dd");\r
        \FmtToGray{yyyy/mm/dd}}
      \AAOnBlur{\JS{\BlurToBlack}}
    \AACalculate{\CalcToGray}
}]{Datefield1}{1in}{11bp}\kern2bp\quad
\textField[\textColor{\matchGray}
    \TU{Enter a date of your choosing}
    \AA{%
      \AAOnFocus{\JS{\FocusToBlack}}
% using a customized version of Adobe built-in functions, with LaTeX access
      \AAKeystroke{\DateKeyEx("yyyy/mm/dd");\r
        \KeyToGray}
      \AAFormat{\DateFmtEx("yyyy/mm/dd");\r
        \FmtToGray{yyyy/mm/dd}}
      \AAOnBlur{\JS{\BlurToBlack}}
    \AACalculate{\CalcToGray}
}]{Datefield2}{1in}{11bp}\hfill\begin{minipage}{\linewidth-2in-6bp-1em-6pt}\footnotesize
The underlying JS function tries hard to make a date from the input. You can enter a date
in most any format as long it is in the order of the date elements YEAR MONTH DAY (yyyy/mm/dd), as determined by the
formatting template. (For example, try 2018 Jan 10).
\end{minipage}\medskip


\textbf{Note:} In the discussion that follows, we assume you are using
\app{Adobe Acrobat DC} (or prior), \app{Adobe Reader DC} (or prior) or
\app{PDF-XChange Editor}. These PDF viewers support the JavaScript used
by this package.\medskip

\textbf{Discussion:} Enter an \emph{invalid date} into each field (such as
the number 17), and \emph{commit} that number to the field. There are several
ways of committing form data: (1) press the \uif{Enter} key; (2) tab out of the
field; (3) click or tap outside the field; and (4) move to another
page.\footnote{Apparently, \app{PDF-XChange Editor} does not commit field
data when the page is turned, unlike the Adobe PDF viewer.} The behavior of
the field is the same for cases (2)--(4); in those cases, the field loses
focus (or is blurred). In the first case, the data is committed, but
\emph{not blurred}. This latter case is a bit of a problem because the blur
event has JavaScript that sets the field text color, as appropriate.\medskip

In the above two fields, enter the number 17 (or any invalid date) and commit
the data using method (2) or (3); now repeat the exercise for the two fields,
but commit using method (1). Do you notice a difference?\medskip

\textbf{Discussion of (2) and (3):} This is the usual case; after the alert
dialog box is dismissed, the fields are grayed out again. That's the effect
desired by this package.\medskip

\textbf{Discussion of (1):} When the data is committed by pressing the
\uif{Enter} key and the alert box is dismissed, for the field on the left
`yyyy/mm/dd' appears in black, whereas, for the field on the right, the
string `continue editing' appears in black. In each case, you can click
within the field and continue editing the date. Use methods (2) or (3) to
commit your final response. Of the two fields, the behavior of the field on
the right is the preferred one.\medskip

The behavior of the field on the right requires some special code.
\begin{Verbatim}[xleftmargin=15pt,fontsize=\small,numbers=left,numbersep=9pt,commandchars={!~@}]
\textField[\textColor{\matchGray}
    \TU{Enter a date of your choosing}
    \AA{%
      \AAOnFocus{\JS{\FocusToBlack}}
      \AAKeystroke{\DateKeyEx("yyyy/mm/dd");\r
        \KeyToGray}
      \AAFormat{\DateFmtEx("yyyy/mm/dd");\r
        \FmtToGray{yyyy/mm/dd}}
      \AAOnBlur{\JS{\BlurToBlack}}
    \AACalculate{\CalcToGray}   % &lt;-!normalfont~ required for !app~PDF-XChange Editor@@
}]{Datefield2}{1in}{11bp}
\end{Verbatim}
The code above is identical to that of the left-hand field with two
exceptions, marked above by (5) and~(7). On these lines, the commands
\cs{DateKeyEx} and \cs{DateFmtEx} are used (instead of the Adobe built-in
functions directly). When these two are inserted, then we get the behavior of
the field on the right on page 1.\medskip



When the changes shown in lines~(5) and~(7) are made, you can customize the
behavior of the field when the date is committed by pressing the \uif{Enter}
key.\medskip

\EnterCommitFailEvent{event.value=("weiter bearbeiten");}
\textField[\textColor{\matchGray}
    \TU{Enter a date of your choosing}
    \AA{%
      \AAOnFocus{\JS{\FocusToBlack}}
      \AAKeystroke{\DateKeyEx("yyyy/mm/dd");\r
        \KeyToGray}
      \AAFormat{\DateFmtEx("yyyy/mm/dd");\r
        \FmtToGray{yyyy/mm/dd}}
      \AAOnBlur{\JS{\BlurToBlack}}
    \AACalculate{\CalcToGray}
}]{Datefield3}{1in}{11bp}\medskip

Here, we use \cs{EnterCommitFailEvent} and declare,
\begin{Verbatim}[xleftmargin=15pt,fontsize=\small]
\EnterCommitFailEvent{event.value=("weiter bearbeiten");}
\end{Verbatim}
which changes the text string that appears when \uif{Enter} is pressed for an invalid date.\medskip

\EnterCommitFailEvent{%
  event.target.strokeColor=color.red;
  event.value=(event.target.savevalue);}
\CommitSuccessEvent{event.target.strokeColor=color.black;}
We can get a different effect with
\begin{Verbatim}[xleftmargin=15pt,fontsize=\small]
\EnterCommitFailEvent{%
  event.target.strokeColor=color.red;
  event.value=(event.target.savevalue);}
\CommitSuccessEvent{event.target.strokeColor=color.black;}
\end{Verbatim}
The action declared by \cs{EnterCommitFailEvent} is to change the border
color to red, and secondly, to set the value of the field to the saved value
(\texttt{event.target.savevalue}). The property \texttt{savevalue} is defined
through the use of the special commands \cs{DateKeyEx} and \cs{DateFmtEx}.
The action of \cs{CommitSuccessEvent} returns the fields border color to
black.\medskip

\textField[\textColor{\matchGray}
    \TU{Enter a date of your choosing}
    \AA{%
      \AAOnFocus{\JS{\FocusToBlack}}
      \AAKeystroke{\DateKeyEx("yyyy/mm/dd");\r
        \KeyToGray}
      \AAFormat{\DateFmtEx("yyyy/mm/dd");\r
        \FmtToGray{yyyy/mm/dd}}
      \AAOnBlur{\JS{\BlurToBlack}}
    \AACalculate{\CalcToGray}
}]{Datefield4}{1in}{11bp}\medskip

Now, when an invalid date is entered using the \uif{Enter} key, the border
color of the field is changed to red to indicate to the user that the date
in invalid and needs to be modified. Tabbing or clicking outside the field, as
usual, blurs the field; any invalid date is removed and the grayed hint
appears.\medskip

To return to the default declarations, expand \verb!\EnterCommitFailEvent{}! and
\verb!\CommitSuccessEvent{}!. The underlying default actions are,
\begin{Verbatim}[xleftmargin=15pt,fontsize=\small]
\newcommand\FailStringDef{continue editing}
\newcommand\EnterCommitFailDef{event.value=("\FailStringDef");}
\end{Verbatim}
A localization of language can be performed by redefining
\cs{FailStringDef}
\begin{Verbatim}[xleftmargin=15pt,fontsize=\small]
\renewcommand\FailStringDef{weiter bearbeiten}
\end{Verbatim}

The next example changes the border, the text color, and the error message.\medskip

\EnterCommitFailEvent{\t
  event.target.strokeColor=color.red;\r\t\t
  event.target.textColor=color.red;\r\t\t
  event.value=("needs editing");
}
\CommitSuccessEvent{\t\t
  event.target.strokeColor=color.black;
}

\noindent
\textField[\textColor{\matchGray}
    \TU{Enter a date of your choosing}\AA{%
    \AAOnFocus{\JS{\FocusToBlack}}
% using a customized version of Adobe built-in functions, with LaTeX access
    \AAKeystroke{\DateKeyEx("yyyy/mm/dd");\r
      \KeyToGray}
    \AAFormat{\DateFmtEx("yyyy/mm/dd");\r
      \FmtToGray{yyyy/mm/dd}}
    \AAOnBlur{\JS{\BlurToBlack}}
    \AACalculate{\CalcToGray}
}]{Datefield5}{1in}{11bp}\qquad(enter `17' then press enter)\medskip

This same scheme should work for all the built-in Acrobat formats, let's look
at the number format.\medskip

\EnterCommitFailEvent{}\CommitSuccessEvent{}
\textField[\TU{Enter an integer}
    \textColor{\matchGray}\AA{%
    \AAKeystroke{\NumKey(0,1,0,0,"",true);\r\KeyToGray}
    \AAFormat{\NumFmt(0,1,0,0,"",true);\r
      \FmtToGray{Enter an Integer}}
    \AAOnFocus{\JS{\FocusToBlack}}
    \AAOnBlur{\JS{\BlurToBlack}}
    \AACalculate{\CalcToGray}
}]{Integer}{1in}{11bp}\medskip

\textbf{Creating a Percent text field.}\medskip

\textField[\textColor{\matchGray}\AA{%
    \AAKeystroke{\PercentKey(2,1);\r
      \KeyToGray}
    \AAFormat{\PercentFmt(2,1);\r
    \FmtToGray{Enter a number}}
    \AAOnFocus{\JS{\FocusToBlack}}
    \AAOnBlur{\JS{\BlurToBlack}}
    \AACalculate{\CalcToGray}
}]{Percent}{2in}{11bp} (don't enter the percent symbol \%)\medskip

\textbf{Creating a Phone Number text field.}\medskip

Enter a phone number: \textField[\textColor{\matchGray}\AA{%
    \AAKeystroke{\SpecialKey(2);\r
    \KeyToGray}
    \AAFormat{\SpecialFmt(2);\r
    \FmtToGray{(123) 456-7890}}
    \AAOnFocus{\JS{\FocusToBlack}}
    \AAOnBlur{\JS{\BlurToBlack}}
    \AACalculate{\CalcToGray}
}]{Phone}{2in}{11bp}\medskip

The underlying JS function tries hard to make a phone number out of the input. The phone number can
be entered in any recognized format; even something like 1234567890 is formatted.\medbreak

\textbf{Creating a Custom time format text field.}\medskip

\def\parentt{(tt)} % necessary to insert within arg of \TimeFmtEx
\textField[\textColor{\matchGray}\AA{%
    \AAKeystroke{\TimeKey(0);\r
    \KeyToGray}
    \AAFormat{\TimeFmtEx("h:MM \parentt");\r
    \FmtToGray{Enter a time}}
    \AAOnFocus{\JS{\FocusToBlack}}
    \AAOnBlur{\JS{\BlurToBlack}}
    \AACalculate{\CalcToGray}
}]{Time}{2in}{11bp}\kern1bp\pushButton[\TU{Push to Use Current Time}
\CA{UCT}\A{\JS{%
    var cTime=util.printd("h:MM",new Date());\r
    var f=this.getField("Time");\r
    f.value=cTime;
}}]{pbTime}{}{11bp}\medskip

Detailed information on formatting with the built-in functions of \app{Acrobat} may be found at
the \href{http://blog.acrotex.net}{Acro\negthinspace\TeX\space Blog}; in particular, see the article
\url{http://www.acrotex.net/blog/?p=218}.

\end{document}
</pre></body></html>