Adobe PDF Converter Use the form code below for converting PDF files for our MSN-TV browsers. Just enter the URL of any PDF file you want to read in the form below and click the button to get the Adobe website PDF CGI program to convert the document and deliver an HTML document to your browser. Be aware that PDF documents are very long - the PDF format is for condensing and archiving long documents. You may see that sometimes the document you want to read is too large for your WebTV browser's memory (RAM) capacity! Enter the URL of a PDF Document    You can use the code to install an Adobe PDF Converter on your WebTV tools webpages. Also, the form is HTML so you can use it in your MSN-TV email signature box too. For fast access, you can put the code in an HTML email and save it in your email inbox or saved mail folder. Here's the code I used for the converter form: <h3 align="center"> <font color="#ffd700">Enter the URL of a PDF Document</font> </h3> <div align="center"> <form method="post" action="http://access.adobe.com/perl/convertPDF.pl" enctype="x-www-form-urlencoded"> <br> <br> <input type="text" size="65" name="url" value="http://" maxlength="500"> <br> <br> <input type="submit" name="submit" value="Convert PDF Document to HTML"> &nbsp;&nbsp; <input type="reset" name="reset" value="Clear Form"> </form> </div> Note: If you C&P or type the code, be sure to remove any extra spaces and returns in the code. Remember: use only single spaces between HTML tag attributes, and use <br> tags for line spacing only. In PageBuilder webpage "Add text" boxes, you can use "Return(s)" instead of break tags and PageBuilder will insert a break tag for each return. Change the layout and wording of the form as you like. Just leave the form "action" and "enctype" attribute values as is! The URL input text box size should be "65" for webpages and "45" for email pages. This form uses the CGI program on the Adobe webpage, and works the same as if you went to the Adobe page and used the form. However, you cannot use links to other PDF webpages on converted pages, because with MSN-TV you must enter each indivdual webpage URL into the form. For multipage PDF conversion, you cannot use any multipage navigational links - you must find the URL of each individual page and enter separately in the converter form. The Adobe online PDF reader is not for general use by computer users! The reader is for vision-impared persons; but, because MSN-TV browsers cannot download the Adobe PDF Reader software, it is OK by Adobe for MSN-TV subscribers to use the online PDF viewer form on a "need to use" basis. Do not use the online reader for frivilous, unnecessary browsing of multiple PDF files. Orderly online research among large PDF data archives should be done as efficiently as possible. You should remember our MSN-TV Newsletter told us about using the Adobe online PDF reader. The article is still in the Member Center Tech Talk archives. From the current Newsletter, click the "Tech Talk" article, then click "More Articles", scroll down to "Tech Talk", and click "Converting PDF files to HTML" for the Newsletter article that is the basis for this tutorial. I suggest that you make your own personal PDF file reader, instead of going to the Adobe webpage. Many have warned about the general public using the Adobe PDF online reader, which is correct; but, MSN-TV users are authorized to use the reader when necessary! The following is a copy of an email I received about using the online reader, which should clear up any questions about Webbers using the online form: E-mail message - From: access-b@adobe.com (access-b) Date: Fri, Aug 24, 2001, 9:15am (EDT-3) To: jaxred@webtv.net Cc: access-b@adobe.com (Access-B) Subject: RE: Using Online tool with WebTV? The access-b@adobe.com email address is for questions and issues regarding the tools maintained at http://access.adobe.com as well as questions about Adobe Acrobat products with regards to Accessibility (i.e. the specific features of Acrobat which assist physically and visually impaired users to read and access PDF files.). Currently WebTV does not support Acrobat Reader or the PDF file format, without that support you can not view PDF files or use the access plug-in for PDF-to-text conversion. If you need to convert a PDF file that is on a web site, and you have an email account, you can submit the URL (or address) of the PDF you want to have converted. Below are the instructions that you will find on our website http://access.adobe.com/access_email.html. The conversion will be returned to you as a text file within your email. The form you mentioned http://access.adobe.com/simple_form.html can also be used by WebTV users. The service was originally designed for the blind and visually impaired, but we don't mind if sighted individuals use the online tools occasionally. Just keep in mind our bandwidth is limited and if you were to use the service frequently to convert large numbers of files, that it could make it more difficult for the visually impaired to get the conversions they need. Also remember if you use the service, that it can only convert the text in a PDF, not graphical images, or form fields, so you might find the service of limited use to you, depending on what you need to convert. Your best bet would be to access PDF files from a computer with Acrobat or Acrobat Reader installed, rather than from WebTV. Regards, Alyssa Access.adobe.com -----Original Message----- From: owner-access-b@adobe.com [mailto:owner-access-b@adobe.com]On Behalf Of jaxred@webtv.net Sent: Thursday, August 23, 2001 5:39 AM To: access-b@adobe.com Subject: Using Online tool with WebTV? Many of our State of Florida public records and databases are in Adobe PDF format that cannot be accessed with WebTV because our browsers cannot download the PDF Reader. Is it permissable for WebTV users to use the online PDF conversion form, at: http://access.adobe.com/simple_form.html to read and print out PDF documents on the internet? If not, is there another online Adobe PDF conversion tool at your website that WebTV users can use to read PDF documents? Thanks very much! JaxRed So, there you go, folks - the official word from Adobe staff; which dispells all the warnings we have been given about Webbers using the Adobe website PDF reader! But, you should indeed heed the warnings about excessive use - do not use the reader unless you truely have a need to convert a PDF file for personal use! Click the links in the above email and thoroughly read about the purpose and use of the Adobe website resources. Enjoy! Have a nice day, folks! JaxRed