How to Replace LiveCycle Forms with Adobe Experience Manager
Question details
The user is looking for the equivalent workflow in Adobe Experience Manager to replace a LiveCycle dynamic PDF that submits form responses as an XML attachment via email.
- Product
- Adobe Experience Manager
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Migrating dynamic PDF form creation and data submission workflows from Adobe LiveCycle to Adobe Experience Manager.
- Observed behavior
- The user cannot easily locate the equivalent form creation and XML email submission workflow in AEM that previously existed in LiveCycle.
Evaluate whether your project strictly requires XFA (dynamic forms) or if standard PDF forms can be used, as standard forms offer significantly broader compatibility across modern PDF readers.
Use AEM Forms Designer for XFA Form Development
AEM Forms Designer is the direct successor to LiveCycle Designer and provides the necessary tools for creating and managing dynamic XFA forms.
Since standard Adobe Acrobat cannot create XFA forms, you must use AEM Forms Designer to continue working with dynamic forms previously managed in LiveCycle.
Ensure you have AEM Forms Designer installed on your system, as it replaces the legacy LiveCycle Designer.
Import or open your existing LiveCycle dynamic PDF form within the AEM Forms Designer workspace.
Set up your form's submit button properties to handle XML data routing through the user's default email client, matching your previous LiveCycle workflow.
Configure Standard Acrobat Forms to Submit XFDF Data
If you transition to standard PDF forms instead of XFA, you can still submit form data as an XML-based file known as XFDF.
Manage Standard PDF Forms Seamlessly with WPS Office
While Adobe Experience Manager is built for complex enterprise XFA workflows, standard PDF forms offer much better cross-platform compatibility. WPS Office provides a free, highly compatible, and lightweight alternative for filling, viewing, and managing standard PDF forms, alongside powerful Word, Excel, and PowerPoint tools.
- 1. Download and install: Visit the official WPS website to download and install the free WPS Office suite.
- 2. Open standard PDFs: Launch the WPS PDF tool and open any standard PDF form.
- 3. Fill and save effortlessly: Easily interact with form fields, input your data, and save the document with broad compatibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I create XFA forms in standard Adobe Acrobat?
No, standard Adobe Acrobat does not have the capability to create XFA forms. You must use AEM Forms Designer, which is the direct successor to LiveCycle Designer, for any XFA form development.
What is the difference between XFA forms and standard PDF forms?
XFA (XML Forms Architecture) forms are dynamic and require specialized Adobe software to create and fill, which often leads to compatibility issues in non-Adobe PDF viewers. Standard PDF forms (AcroForms) are static in their layout but are universally supported across almost all PDF reading software.
How do I extract form data as XML from a standard PDF?
In standard PDF forms, you can configure the form's submit button to export data using the XFDF format. XFDF is an XML-based file format (with an .xfdf extension) specifically designed to capture and extract PDF form data.
