Section alternates are usually based on a “condition” (if “condition” is true then use alternate section, else use original section). When the alternate section occurs all meta-data variables should be available in the alternate section but objects from the base section are not created automatically. You have to copy & paste or create them yourself.
I’m running Cform designer v3.2.10.6261 and when I make a condition to cause a alternate section to be used I have data in the section (Section > Data Variables). In your form project, what’s the condition causing the alternate to occur?
What you describe doesn’t sound like how it should be working but there may be something else in your project causing it to behave this way. It could be something in your form project or something in the JDE PDF itself. I can’t say exactly without seeing your project.
Try a test outside of the form project and JDE PDF file you’ve been working with. Run a simple Address Book report (R014021) then make a form project using that PDF as the input file. Make a section alternate then see if the alternate section has data in it when it occurs. The condition should be something you know will evaluate as true, something simple like Customer_Name > A and Customer_Name < C. Does the alternate show data in the Section > Data Variables dialog?
Hope this helps, let me know if you have more questions.
Karen.