Systems, methods, and computer program product for use in association with electronic documents

A computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium;
• a computer program, stored on the computer readable storage medium, wherein the computer program, when executed by a computer, direct the computer to perform a method comprising:
• providing a form overlay in a printer control format, the form overlay having at least one data tag field;
• and
• generating a PDF form in response to the form overlay, wherein the PDF form includes at least one PDF form field that is generated in response to the at least one data tag field of the form overlay.

A method for universally modifying an electronic document comprising the acts of:

• creating an underlying electronic document having a selected one of a plurality of native formats;
• creating a blank form overlay, having a selected one of a plurality of native formats, based on the underlying electronic document by defining at least one data tag field;
• printing the blank form overlay to a file, on the computer readable storage medium, such that the act of printing causes the format of the blank form overlay to change from its selected one of a plurality of native formats to a PCL format;
• accessing the blank form overlay in PCL format on the computer readable storage medium;
• converting the format of the blank form overlay from PCL to IAPDF, such that each data tag field is converted to a data acro field;
• filling out the blank form overlay, by selectively adding data in the at least one data acro field, such that a completed electronic form is created;
• submitting the completed electronic form in a IAPDF format to the computer readable storage medium;
• and
• processing the completed electronic form on the computer readable storage medium via a script.

A method for universally modifying an electronic document comprising the acts of:

• creating an underlying electronic document having a selected one of a plurality of native formats;
• saving the underlying electronic document in its selected one of a plurality of native formats to a computer readable storage medium;
• accessing the underlying electronic document in its selected one of a plurality of native formats from the computer readable storage medium;
• creating a blank form overlay, having a selected one of a plurality of native formats, based on the underlying electronic document by defining at least one data tag field;
• saving the blank form overlay in a selected one of a plurality native formats to the computer readable storage medium;
• accessing the blank form overlay in its selected one of a plurality of native format from the computer readable storage medium;
• printing the blank form overlay to a file, on the computer readable storage medium, such that the act of printing causes the format of the blank form overlay to change from its selected one of plurality of native formats to a PCL format;
• accessing the blank form overlay in PCL format on the computer readable storage medium;
• converting the format of the blank form overlay from PCL to IAPDF, such that each data tag field is converted to a data acro field;
• saving the blank form overlay in IAPDF format to the computer readable storage medium;
• accessing the blank form overlay in IAPDF format on the computer readable storage medium;
• filling out the blank form overlay, by selectively adding data via an input device in the at least one data acro field, such that a completed electronic form is created;
• submitting the completed electronic form in a IAPDF format to the computer readable storage medium;
• and
• processing the completed electronic form on the computer readable storage medium via a script thereon.

A computer implemented method for responding to information submitted from a client to an intranet or internet server, the information being indicative of data entered into one or more PDF form fields of a PDF document, the method comprising:

• receiving the information submitted from the client;
• generating a data file having at least one data field in response to the information;
• generating a merged form in response to the data file and a form overlay in printer control format, the form overlay having at least one data tag field;
• and
• generating a PDF document in response to the merged form.

A computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium;
• a computer program, stored on the computer readable storage medium, wherein the computer program, when executed by a computer, direct the computer to perform a method comprising:
• receiving the information submitted from the client;
• generating a data file having at least one data field in response to the information;
• generating a merged form in response to the data file and a form overlay in printer control format, the form overlay having at least one data tag field;
• and
• generating a PDF document in response to the merged form.

A system for responding to information submitted from a client to an intranet or internet server, the information being indicative of data entered into one or more PDF form fields of a PDF document, the system comprising:

• means for receiving the information submitted from the client;
• means for generating a data file having at least one data field in response to the information;
• means generating a merged form in response to the data file and a form overlay in printer control format, the form overlay having at least one data tag field;
• and
• means for generating a PDF document in response to the merged form.