Using HotDocs to Customize a Standard Template

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When editing a template using HotDocs functionality within your word processor, the following information will aid you in this process:

§ Always click the $images\btn_save_template_hotdocs.gif$ Save button on the HotDocs toolbar not the word processor toolbar. This action is necessary to ensure that the template and the companion component file are linked. Saving the file creates a Rich Text Format (RTF) file for the document itself and a CMP component file that contains the HotDocs variables associated with the template. It also is necessary to create HVC and JavaScript (JS) files for the template. These files can only be produced using HotDocs Professional.

§ Always close the template using the $images\btn_close_hotdocs.gif$ Save and Close button on the HotDocs toolbar not the word processor toolbar.

§ The file in the word processor window has two types of text: regular static text (typically in a black font color) and text variables/components (in a blue font color) that retrieve values from Secretariat into the template). Make sure that you do not edit a variable inadvertently when changing text in the document. Doing so will cause the variable to be unusable and the template to be invalid.

§ To add a Bridgeway-provided HotDocs variable to a document that is not already in the document, select the variable you want to use from the list of provided variables (see the HotDocs Variables for Secretariat/eCounsel Document Assembly technical notes for a list of variables).

Click the $images\btn_component_manager.gif$ Component Manager button on the HotDocs toolbar. On the Component Manager dialog box, click the New Component button.

On the New Component dialog box, select the Text Variable component type and click OK.

On the Text Variable Editor dialog box, type the name of the selected variable and click OK. Close the Component Manager dialog box.

In the word processor window, click the mouse pointer at the point where you want to create the variable. Click the $images\ebx_-1391888180.gif$ Variable Field button on the HotDocs toolbar. On the Variable Field dialog box, select the variable you entered above and click OK.

§ To change properties of a Bridgeway-provided HotDocs variable, simply double-click the variable name in the word processor to open the Variable Field dialog box. From this dialog box, you can change the formatting for the value.

$images\icn_exclaim.gif$ Do not change the Variable Type of any Bridgeway provided variable. Doing so will cause a data type mismatch and render the template unusable.

For example, if a variable includes a forced return as part of the variable, you can specify to remove the forced returns. On the Variable Field dialog box, clear the checkmark from the Use default check box and click on the Non-breaking checkbox to select it.

To change a date format, clear the Use default checkbox, and select a format for the date.