User Guide

Acrobat SDK User’s Guide 67

Using Online Collaboration and

Annotations

This chapter describes how to use the Acrobat SDK to assist with online collaboration

workflows and annotations.

This chapter includes the following sections:

● Using Online Collaboration

● Using Annotations in Document Workflows

● Using Stamps in Approval Workflows

Using Online Collaboration

Acrobat provides a platform for the development of a variety of collaborative review

systems to fit various needs. A complete, integrated Acrobat and Adobe PDF online

collaboration solution includes the following major elements:

● Adobe PDF documents created from source documents authored in various word

processing, page layout, and other applications.

● A Web browser environment, running the Adobe Acrobat plug-in, which allows users to

view a PDF document on a network folder or a Web server, add comments to it, and

work online with comments from the whole workgroup.

● A central, online comment repository for collecting and storing reviewer comments

separate from the associated PDF document being reviewed.

● Optionally, depending on the complexity of the solution required, a user interface to the

review and comment workflow, potentially including automated routing and

notification, implemented by the solution developer using server-side applications.

● A Review Management feature which allows users to invite new reviewers, send

reminders, and go back online after working offline.

This online collaboration process allows multiple users to comment on a single document

and to view comments from others in real time. Also, they can comment on a document at

their own convenience and upload their comments at a later time with the offline option.

For all repository types, commenting can only occur when the user opens the PDF file

within a Web browser.

For more information about setting up online collaboration using Acrobat, see Acrobat

Online Collaboration: Setup and Administration.