File does not seem to be saved

[bobweasel]

After performing the write, I opened it in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, and saw the edits are applied. However, when I try to close the file, I am promoted to save the file. If I click no, I would be prompted every time I open and close the file. However, when I try to attach the file in an email and preview it, the edits are no longer visible. This is solved by clicking yes on the save dialog instead, and I noticed that the file size increases after that.

Environment

Which environment were you using when you encountered the problem?

$ python -m platform
Windows-10-10.0.19044-SP0


$ python -c "import pypdf;print(pypdf.__version__)"
3.10.0

Code + PDF

This is a minimal, complete example that shows the issue:

from pypdf import PdfReader, PdfWriter

reader = PdfReader("1.pdf")
writer = PdfWriter()

page = reader.pages[0]
fields = reader.get_fields()

writer.append(reader)

writer.update_page_form_field_values(
    writer.pages[0], {
        "Given Name Text Box": "asdf",
        "Family Name Text Box": "fam",
        "Address 1 Text Box": "add1",
        "House nr Text Box": "2",
        "Address 2 Text Box": "add2",
        "Postcode Text Box": "123456",
        "City Text Box": "city",
        "Country Combo Box": "Belgium",
        "Gender List Box": "Man",
        "Height Formatted Field": "30",
        "Driving License Check Box": "city",
        "Favourite Colour List Box": "Black",
        "Language 1 Check Box": "/Yes",
        "Language 2 Check Box": "/Off",
    }
)

# write "output" to pypdf-output.pdf
with open("filled-out.pdf", "wb") as output_stream:
    writer.write(output_stream)

Share here the PDF file(s) that cause the issue. The smaller they are, the
better. Let us know if we may add them to our tests!
http://foersom.com/net/HowTo/data/OoPdfFormExample.pdf

Traceback

This is the complete Traceback I see:

No traceback

[pubpub-zz]

@bobweasel
.update_page_form_field_values() has a new param auto_regenerate which affects need_appearances flag. it can take 3 values:
True/False which set/clear the flag and None to keep the old value
when True this flag as the viewer to refresh the appearance based on from the "/V" field and the document is asked to be saved.
Unfortunately for history reason reason the default value is True. add ,auto_regenerate = False which should prevent the behavior you are observing.

[bobweasel]

It's not working, setting the value to False or None results in the values not showing up at all.

[kubaPod]

Just looking around for similar issue and tried your example.
It worked for me on Win 10 pypdf 3.12.0
Btw: "Driving License Check Box": "city", should be "/Yes", right?

[pubpub-zz]

@kubaPod Can you publish your output pdf ?

[kubaPod]

@pubpub-zz sure:

filled-out.pdf

generated with:

from pypdf import PdfReader, PdfWriter

reader = PdfReader("1.pdf")
writer = PdfWriter()

page = reader.pages[0]
fields = reader.get_fields()

writer.append(reader)

writer.update_page_form_field_values(
    writer.pages[0], {
        "Given Name Text Box": "asdf",
        "Family Name Text Box": "fam",
        "Address 1 Text Box": "add1",
        "House nr Text Box": "2",
        "Address 2 Text Box": "add2",
        "Postcode Text Box": "123456",
        "City Text Box": "city",
        "Country Combo Box": "Belgium",
        "Gender List Box": "Man",
        "Height Formatted Field": "30",
        "Driving License Check Box": "/Yes", # also changed
        "Favourite Colour List Box": "Black",
        "Language 1 Check Box": "/Yes",
        "Language 2 Check Box": "/Off",
    },
    auto_regenerate = False
)

# write "output" to pypdf-output.pdf
with open("filled-out.pdf", "wb") as output_stream:
    writer.write(output_stream)

[pubpub-zz]

@bobweasel
can you confirm you are getting the same results as @kubaPod so we can close this issue

[bobweasel]

Hmm might be something to do with the file policy? I can't post the PDF here due to confidentiality reasons, but the problem still persist. See if someone else encounters it.

[pubpub-zz]

Can you send it to @MartinThoma info@martin-thoma.de by mail?

[pubpub-zz]

@bobweasel : +1?

[pubpub-zz]

I'm closing this issue until you can send the pdf else nothing can be done

[bobweasel]

@pubpub-zz just sent to the indicated email

[pubpub-zz]

@bobweasel
Sorry for coming so late : I've found an strange thing in your file: there is multiple spaces in the DA field of the annots after the font Inducing an issue that is now solved.

the PR is available if you want to test.

I've observed an odd result when filling the form : the spacing is not respecting the 'cases' : the current appareance we are generating does not cope with comb flag. I will open a new PR with a free form for people to help to find how to do it