How to: Use PDF Graphics API to Add Interactive Form Fields

• Sep 19, 2023
• 3 minutes to read

Important

You need a license for the DevExpress Office & PDF File API Subscription or DevExpress Universal Subscription to use these examples in production code.

The following code snippet uses PDF Graphics API to add interactive form fields – text box and radio button group.

View Example

Program.cs

using DevExpress.Pdf;
using System.Drawing;

using (var processor = new PdfDocumentProcessor()) {
    // Create an empty document.
    processor.CreateEmptyDocument("..\\..\\Result.pdf");

    // Create graphics and draw form fields.
    using (PdfGraphics graphics = processor.CreateGraphicsPageSystem()) {
        DrawFormFields(graphics);

        // Render a page with graphics.
        processor.RenderNewPage(PdfPaperSize.Letter, graphics);
    }
}


static void DrawFormFields(PdfGraphics graphics){
    // Create a text box field and specify its location on the page.
    var textBox =
         new PdfGraphicsAcroFormTextBoxField("text box", new RectangleF(30, 10, 200, 30));

    // Specify text and appearance parameters.
    textBox.Text = "Text Box";
    textBox.Appearance.FontSize = 12;
    textBox.Appearance.BackgroundColor = Color.AliceBlue;

    // Add the text box field to graphics.
    graphics.AddFormField(textBox);

    // Create a radio group field.
    var radioGroup =
         new PdfGraphicsAcroFormRadioGroupField("First Group");

    // Add the first radio button to the group and specify its location.
    radioGroup.AddButton("button1", new RectangleF(30, 60, 20, 20));

    // Add the second radio button to the group.
    radioGroup.AddButton("button2", new RectangleF(30, 90, 20, 20));

    // Specify radio group selected index
    radioGroup.SelectedIndex = 0;

    // Specify appearance options:
    radioGroup.Appearance.BorderAppearance =
         new PdfGraphicsAcroFormBorderAppearance()
        {
            Color = Color.Red,
            Width = 3
        };

    // Add the radio group field to graphics.
    graphics.AddFormField(radioGroup);
}

Program.vb

Imports DevExpress.Pdf
Imports System.Drawing

Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String)
    Using processor As New PdfDocumentProcessor()

        ' Create an empty document.
        processor.CreateEmptyDocument("..\..\Result.pdf")

        ' Create graphics and draw form fields.
        Using graphics As PdfGraphics = processor.CreateGraphicsPageSystem()
            DrawFormFields(graphics)

            ' Render a page with graphics.
            processor.RenderNewPage(PdfPaperSize.Letter, graphics)
        End Using
    End Using
End Sub

Private Shared Sub DrawFormFields(ByVal graphics As PdfGraphics)

    ' Create a text box field and specify its location on the page.
    Dim textBox As New PdfGraphicsAcroFormTextBoxField("text box", New RectangleF(30, 10, 200, 30))

    ' Specify text and appearance parameters.
    textBox.Text = "Text Box"
    textBox.Appearance.FontSize = 12
    textBox.Appearance.BackgroundColor = Color.AliceBlue

    ' Add the text box field to graphics.
    graphics.AddFormField(textBox)

    ' Create a radio group field.
    Dim radioGroup As New PdfGraphicsAcroFormRadioGroupField("First Group")

    ' Add the first radio button to the group and specify its location.
    radioGroup.AddButton("button1", New RectangleF(30, 60, 20, 20))

    ' Add the second radio button to the group.
    radioGroup.AddButton("button2", New RectangleF(30, 90, 20, 20))

    ' Specify radio group selected index,
    radioGroup.SelectedIndex = 0

    ' Specify appearance parameters
    radioGroup.Appearance.BorderAppearance = New PdfGraphicsAcroFormBorderAppearance() With {.Color = Color.Red, .Width = 3}

    ' Add the radio group field to graphics.
    graphics.AddFormField(radioGroup)
End Sub