calling a.NET web service from inside a pdf file

Question

I'm working on a mini project in which I need to insert 'the number of parts in stock' dynamically and display it on the pdf page(probably in a control??) I have a web service i can call to get the number of parts in stock.

Is there a way that, when a pdf file loads we can make a call to the web service, returning the number of parts in stock....and display it on the pdf page?

If so, what controls can i use and what tools will i Need?

Greatly appreciate any help on this...Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

LiveCycle Designer can be used to generate a XFA-based PDF form which can behave that way (call a webservice via SOAP, then populate fields with the results). Although you need to 'Reader-extend' the PDF so that it can call the services when opened with Adobe Reader, otherwise will only work on Acrobat.