April 1999
e.docs
By Liz Levy
Acrobat Adds Collaborative Twists
PDF is already a popular choice as a universal document format and a way to bring documents to the Web; the latest release of Adobe Acrobat will help the Portable Document Format extend its reputation into content management and collaboration.
In launching Acrobat 4.0, Adobe Systems (San Jose, CA) has offered enhanced ways to convert MS Office documents to PDF, capture Web content, re-use content within a PDF file, annotate and authenticate documents, and prepare files for cross-media output (Web, email, network, CD-ROM, print, press).
Acrobatıs new MS Office functionality lets you convert Word, Excel and PowerPoint files to PDF. Acrobat 4.0 installs a ıcreate PDFı icon on the applicationıs tool bar. Clicking the icon launches Adobe PDFMaker 4.0, a utility for creating PDF files. Users can also drag and drop graphics, spreadsheets, text or HTML to the icon and the file will automatically open as a new PDF file. Data can easily be extracted from the PDF, allowing it to be managed, queried and reused in workflow and other applications.
Acrobatıs new annotation tools include the traditional pencil drawing, text underline or highlight, document stamp and text strikethrough. You can place text boxes (sticky notes) anywhere in a document. Annotations are also available when you attach files or audio comments to a PDF. When these annotation tools are combined with the new digital signature capabilities, users have a new way to authenticate and verify changes to documents.
Digital signatures also add security to business-to-business e-commerce applications. Users can view and annotate contracts, proposals, marketing reports, HR forms, or other document types, add their digital signature, and pass on the file via email to a recipient in an approval workflow. Every time a signature is added to a PDF file, Acrobat creates a new version.
Acrobatıs digital signatures are based on Public/Private Key (PPK) architecture. Third-party digital signature plug-ins such as PenOp and VeriSign are also supported.
Another convenient feature of Acrobat 4.0 is Web page capture. Users can download whole Web sites or select a capture level and save the data in PDF format, retaining the structure and links. This can be used for Web development where multiple users annotate or update selected items, aggregating intelligence and facilitating the reuse of data.
In many ways, Acrobat 4.0 delivers on some of the promise of XML (extensible markup language), turning the portable document format into a more intelligent container for content rather than a mere file format. Adobe execs say they view PDF and XML as complimentary rather than competing technologies, but they are quick to point out that XML has yet to gain the broad acceptance and widespread use enjoyed by PDF.
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