Ever need to fill out the fill-in forms on a PDF document while using a computer without Adobe Reader installed? PDFescape is an online PDF viewer and editor that has almost all the features you could ever need. And that includes the ability to fill in forms, something which you won't find in most other online PDF viewers.

PDFescape works with Firefox 1.5 or newer, Internet Explorer 6 or 7, and Safari.

Aside from filling in forms, you can also use PDFescape to perform basic edits like adding shapes and text to documents. Unregistered users can then export these documents but you're file will have a watermark. Registered users can save documents online and purchase "premium credits" to publish documents without watermarks. You get some free credits just for signing up.

[via MakeUseOf]

It's already possible to make and distribute surveys through Google Docs, but the process can be a pain. As survey-takers log-in to edit the spreadsheet, sometimes they don't follow directions or they edit parts they're not supposed to edit. What's worse is that users have to register with Google in order to use Google Docs, but this new Google Docs feature, called "forms," makes survey distribution and information collection incredibly easy.

Forms are created in Google Docs spreadsheets via the share tab, where you'll need to make sure you select "to fill out a form." Multiple-choice or free-response questions can be added as you wish. Then add some email addresses, and wait for the responses to arrive. Survey-takers don't need to sign-in and can access the survey through an email message or a link. The responses will be added to your spreadsheet automatically.

[via Google Blogoscoped]

Yes, I know, bad pun. Sorry.

Anyway... if you need forms of any kind for your web site but don't have the time to program one from scratch (or the money to pay someone else to do it!), Icebrrg might be the solution for you. It lets you easily create a variety of forms - surveys, contact forms, job applications, invitations - through a simple WYSIWYG interface. Icebrrg handles all the back-end logic and data collection for you.

One huge benefit of using Icebrrg to build forms instead of a hosting them on a third-party site is that the forms you create will match the look and feel of your site. You can create an account for free and find out if Icebrrg fits your needs. The free account limits you to a maximum of three forms and ten fields, and doesn't include data storage options, but paid plans start at an affordable $9/month.

Sidewalk is a nice-looking Ajaxy web form builder. While it doesn't have very advanced validation options (just "required" or not), adding and arranging form elements is fast and easy and setting up a new form from scratch really does take just minutes. The drag-and-drop positioning, though becoming passé in the age of Prototype, is still cool, and Sidewalk forms can be embedded in any web page just by copying and pasting a bit of JavaScript, which I think is one of its greatest selling points. When someone fills out your form their answers are e-mailed to you as well as added to a web-based database where you can search the responses and export them to CSV. Sidewalk isn't without its limitations, though. One missing feature that might be a show-stopper for some is the inability to edit fields once they've been created. For simple text fields this isn't a big deal, but for radio groups or drop-downs with many options it's a pain to have to re-create the whole thing just to make one small change. Another limitation is that, unless I'm missing something, it's only possible to create one form per account. Sidewalk is free to try for 30 days, after which time your forms will remain active and editable, but responses will only stay in the database for one day. A more permanent account will cost you $7.99/mo.