Question Filling in PDF forms inside browser not working. What am I missing?

[yoji]

Apologies if this a duplicate.
As it says it title, this does not seem to be working. My wife trying fill in a pdf form online and insists it needs to be done in browser.. so it can be submitted at end as part of process flow (if you download.. process flow does not work).
I have opened in Edge (Chromium), Firefox and Chrome (all latest versions on Win 10 fully up to date and patched) and none will show fields as fillable.
If I download and open in Adobe DC reader.. fields do become fillable if I use the "fill and sign" option in the "Sign" tab/menu.. but as I say... it needs to be done in browser.
I cant find a sensible answer in google search.. butt did see it should be possible in Edge for simple forms.. and some talk of some restrictions in modern browsers (presumably due to security)
So can anyone give me a clear an concise "state of play" here... it MUST be possible, and easy, surely? what am I missing?
So is this a non standard form or something?

Here is link to form exactly as presented in web site -> https://img.auctionhouse.uk.net/fil...rm.pdf?v=82b7babe-7c8e-451a-8339-0155b5c2ed22

Here is link without the extra info after the pdf extension.. https://img.auctionhouse.uk.net/files/staffordshire/proxybiddingform.pdf

Should be the same.. but behaves differently in IE... in IE without extended info it does seem to open in Adobe addin with AcitveX control... (but still not fillable)... with the extended info in link .. it does not.


Thanks in advance for any insight.
Cheers

P.S. the for does seem to be fillable on my brother in laws crappy old android mobile phone.. so WTH?? !!!

 

[hang-the-9]

I would contact whatever place this form is coming from and let their support know of the issue.

 

[Grobe]

The pdf reader software have to support forms, having a online PDF form in a web browser doesn't make any sense because when you see the pdf, it's already being downloaded to the web browser cache directory on your local computer - in a whole piece or partially.

For a PDF with forms, the normal process should be

• Download the pdf to local computer.
• Open the PDF file in a program that support forms (acrobat reader, Foxit reader, etc.) - then save the PDF file.
• Upload the new/updated PDF file to whatever web service you're using.

 

[yoji]

The pdf reader software have to support forms, having a online PDF form in a web browser doesn't make any sense because when you see the pdf, it's already being downloaded to the web browser cache directory on your local computer - in a whole piece or partially.

For a PDF with forms, the normal process should be

• Download the pdf to local computer.
• Open the PDF file in a program that support forms (acrobat reader, Foxit reader, etc.) - then save the PDF file.
• Upload the new/updated PDF file to whatever web service you're using.

Thanks for taking the time to reply.. appreciated

But why would Edge Chromium not support form fills? when it clearly says it does support
Roadmap for PDF reader in Microsoft Edge - Microsoft Tech Community
But another doc does have caveats (JavaScript forms not supported.. and XML forms are legacy and not supported)
PDF reader in Microsoft Edge | Microsoft Docs
And SO MANY online guides suggest Edge be made the default PDF handler
So should we expect it to work? or how can I tell if this form is one of the unsupported formats?

UPDATE: My wife now informs me that the process flow does NOT require the form to filled in within browser.... but can be saved,, filled in and then submitted ( that will teach me to trust a non-tech!! I did challenge.. but she was insistent (in that tone wives save exclusively for their husbands when they think they are complete idiots!!! 😉 )

But it now piqued my interest... should Edge (or any of the modern browsers?) show and allow it be filled in? (for submitting directly on-line.. or perhaps saving locally)?

Or is it "give up on any kind of edit/fill pdf support in browsers... always expect to have to download... fill in.... upload" ?

Edge seems to put much store on ability to in effect draw on a PDF in edge, which to my mind is only marginally better that useless.. yet its missing the obvious and much more important "Fill in any PDF form that has fields". unless they expect you to draw your responses in the fields?


Cheers

 

[Grobe]

Without having dived into that deep, I'd say no. You shouldn't expect a web browser to be able to alter any document, because it implies write access to your local disk. Which again may be exploited later via some vulnerability.