DocuSign Java Rest Api - Combining Anchor Tagged Custom File and PDF Form Field Transformation (Composite Templates)

Question

In my application, I have a package of PDFs that I combine and send to DocuSign. This works perfectly using SignHere and Initial here AnchorTags; however, I have now need to include certain PDF's that require user input fields (such as a W-9 form). I have tried multiple ways of creating the template, without success. I've been able to get DocuSign to recognize all of the PDF form fields (in the templates UI) but I haven't been able to get those to the user.

I have two significant issues:

First, I can't get DocuSign to include both my custom file and the template I created with input fields in the recipient's document.

I'm able to get the W-9 template to the recipient (but not the custom file) but without any input fields or tags.

I have pasted my code below

// create a new envelope to manage the signature request
EnvelopeDefinition envDef = new EnvelopeDefinition();       

envDef.setEmailSubject(documentName);

// add a document to the envelope
Document doc = new Document();          
doc.setDocumentBase64(Base64.getEncoder().encodeToString(fileBytes)); //custom file
doc.setName(documentName); 

//this is the objectid of the ElectronicDocument
doc.setDocumentId(ElectronicDocumentId); 

List<Document> docs = new ArrayList<Document>();
docs.add(doc);
envDef.setDocuments(docs); 


Signer signer = new Signer(); 
signer.setEmail(primarySignerEmail);
signer.setName(primarySignerName);
signer.setRecipientId(primarySignerId); 
signer.setAccessCode(primaryAuthCode); 
signer.setRoleName("PrimaryTenant"); //so we attach them to w9template


////create tab code not included

//create the tabs and assign to signer
Tabs tabs = new Tabs();
tabs.setSignHereTabs(signHereTabs); 
tabs.setInitialHereTabs(initialHereTabs);
tabs.setDateSignedTabs(dateSignedTabs);
signer.setTabs(tabs);


Blob     blob = w9Template.getFileBlob();
int blobLength;
try {
    blobLength = (int) blob.length();
    w9Bytes = blob.getBytes(1, blobLength);     
    blob.free();
} catch (SQLException e) {
    logger.warn(e);
}  

if (w9Bytes != null){

    //create compositTemplate for w-9
    CompositeTemplate compositeTemplate = new CompositeTemplate();
    InlineTemplate inlineTemplate = new InlineTemplate();
    inlineTemplate.setSequence("2");


    //create w-9 document
    Document docw9 = new Document();    
    docw9.setDocumentBase64(Base64.getEncoder().encodeToString(w9Bytes));
    docw9.setName("W-9");               
    docw9.setDocumentId(ElectronicDocumentId); 
    docw9.transformPdfFields("true");

    compositeTemplate.document(docw9);

    inlineTemplate.setRecipients(new Recipients());
    inlineTemplate.getRecipients().setSigners(new ArrayList<Signer>());
    inlineTemplate.getRecipients().getSigners().add(signer);

    List<InlineTemplate> inlineTemplateList = new ArrayList<InlineTemplate>();
    inlineTemplateList.add(inlineTemplate);
    compositeTemplate.inlineTemplates(inlineTemplateList);

    List<CompositeTemplate> compositeTemplateList = new ArrayList<CompositeTemplate>();
    compositeTemplateList.add(compositeTemplate);
    envDef.setCompositeTemplates(compositeTemplateList);            

}

// add recipient(s) to the envelope
envDef.setRecipients(new Recipients());
envDef.getRecipients().setSigners(new ArrayList<Signer>());
envDef.getRecipients().getSigners().add(signer);


// send the envelope by setting |status| to "sent". To save as a draft set to "created"
envDef.setStatus("sent");

try
{               
    // instantiate a new EnvelopesApi object
    EnvelopesApi envelopesApi = new EnvelopesApi();

   // call the createEnvelope() API
   // use the |accountId| we retrieved through authenticate() function to      create the Envelope
  EnvelopeSummary envelopeSummary = envelopesApi.createEnvelope(accountId, envDef);
        logger.debug("EnvelopeSummary: " + envelopeSummary);
}
catch (com.docusign.esign.client.ApiException ex)
{

} 

In advance, I thank you for your effort. I have been trying to figure this out out all day.

Answer 1

When you specify a Composite Template in the Envelope definition, only the information specified in the CompositeTemplate will be used to create the envelope.

For your scenario you can use two CompositeTemplates and specify the same signer in both of them. For the PDF form fields to be recognized, you will have to set the "DefaultRecipient" property on the signer to true.

You can specify each of your document in its own CompositeTemplate. This will ensure both your documents are present in the envelope.

I have updated your code

// create a new envelope to manage the signature request
EnvelopeDefinition envDef = new EnvelopeDefinition();       
envDef.setEmailSubject(documentName);

// add a document to the envelope
Document doc = new Document();          
doc.setDocumentBase64(Base64.getEncoder().encodeToString(fileBytes)); //custom file
doc.setName(documentName); 

//this is the objectid of the ElectronicDocument
doc.setDocumentId(ElectronicDocumentId); 

Signer signer = new Signer(); 
signer.setEmail(primarySignerEmail);
signer.setName(primarySignerName);
signer.setRecipientId(primarySignerId); 
signer.setAccessCode(primaryAuthCode); 
signer.setDefaultRecipient("true");
signer.setRoleName("PrimaryTenant"); //so we attach them to w9template


////create tab code not included

//create the tabs and assign to signer
Tabs tabs = new Tabs();
tabs.setSignHereTabs(signHereTabs); 
tabs.setInitialHereTabs(initialHereTabs);
tabs.setDateSignedTabs(dateSignedTabs);
signer.setTabs(tabs);

CompositeTemplate compositeTemplate1 = new CompositeTemplate();
InlineTemplate inlineTemplate1 = new InlineTemplate();
inlineTemplate1.setSequence("1");

compositeTemplate1.document(doc);

inlineTemplate1.setRecipients(new Recipients());
inlineTemplate1.getRecipients().setSigners(new ArrayList<Signer>());
inlineTemplate1.getRecipients().getSigners().add(signer);

List<InlineTemplate> inlineTemplateList1 = new ArrayList<InlineTemplate>();
inlineTemplateList1.add(inlineTemplate1);
compositeTemplate.inlineTemplates(inlineTemplateList1);

 List<CompositeTemplate> compositeTemplateList = new ArrayList<CompositeTemplate>();
 compositeTemplateList.add(compositeTemplate1);


 Blob     blob = w9Template.getFileBlob();
 int blobLength;
 try 
 {
    blobLength = (int) blob.length();
    w9Bytes = blob.getBytes(1, blobLength);     
    blob.free();
 } catch (SQLException e) {
    logger.warn(e);
 }  

if (w9Bytes != null)
{
    //create compositTemplate for w-9
    CompositeTemplate compositeTemplate2 = new CompositeTemplate();
    InlineTemplate inlineTemplate2 = new InlineTemplate();
    inlineTemplate2.setSequence("2");


    //create w-9 document
    Document docw9 = new Document();    
    docw9.setDocumentBase64(Base64.getEncoder().encodeToString(w9Bytes));
    docw9.setName("W-9");               
    docw9.setDocumentId(ElectronicDocumentId); 
    docw9.transformPdfFields("true");

    compositeTemplate2.document(docw9);

    Signer signer2 = new Signer(); 
    signer2.setEmail(primarySignerEmail);
    signer2.setName(primarySignerName);
    signer2.setRecipientId(primarySignerId); 
    signer2.setAccessCode(primaryAuthCode);
    signer2.setDefaultRecipient("true");

    inlineTemplate2.setRecipients(new Recipients());
    inlineTemplate2.getRecipients().setSigners(new ArrayList<Signer>());
    inlineTemplate2.getRecipients().getSigners().add(signer2);

    List<InlineTemplate> inlineTemplateList2 = new ArrayList<InlineTemplate>();
    inlineTemplateList2.add(inlineTemplate);
    compositeTemplate2.inlineTemplates(inlineTemplateList2);

    compositeTemplateList.add(compositeTemplate2); 
}

envDef.setCompositeTemplates(compositeTemplateList); 



// send the envelope by setting |status| to "sent". To save as a draft set to "created"
envDef.setStatus("sent");

try
{               
    // instantiate a new EnvelopesApi object
    EnvelopesApi envelopesApi = new EnvelopesApi();

   // call the createEnvelope() API
   // use the |accountId| we retrieved through authenticate() function to      create the Envelope
    EnvelopeSummary envelopeSummary = envelopesApi.createEnvelope(accountId, envDef);
        logger.debug("EnvelopeSummary: " + envelopeSummary);
}
catch (com.docusign.esign.client.ApiException ex)
{

}