hotdocs tips

Expression Model: ANSWERED(VAR) and ANSWERED(DIALOG)

What are the elements?
- ANSWERED: The function
- VAR: Any variable. All variables will have an “answered” or “unanswered” status. Note, that you can force an answered status on a variable under two conditions: (1) if the variable has a “default” and the dialog on which the variable appears has been asked, or (2) the variable is a True/False variable on a dialog with an Ask All setting and that dialog has been asked.
- DIALOG: Any dialog. This tests whether the dialog has been “asked” in an interview.

Usage of ANSWERED expression:
- Usage is disparaged by the software developers as “unnecessary”. A properly designed template should have sufficient nesting of logic such that you need not test whether a particular variable has been answered. This is particularly true when you use variable in IF EXPRESSIONS.
- It is also disparaged because the way HotDocs does (or rather does NOT) clear data. If a variable is “hidden” based on a dialog scripting rule, the hidden variable still retains its value. For this reason, you should not depend on the answered status of a variable to determine whether a phrase should be included if there are parent conditions not expressed in the template.
- Usage is recommended if you want something special to happen, other than the ordinary, if a variable has not been answered. While you can use “tokens” in the advanced properties of a variable, you may want to put the rules into a computation.

Instruction Model: AGE(DATE)

What are the elements?

- AGE: The function
- DATE: The start date for measuring the age. It can be a birth date or the date a debt was incurred.

How do you use it?


AGE(CLIENT Date of Birth DA)

Instruction Model: ABSOLUTE VALUE(NUM)

What are the elements?

- ABSOLUTE VALUE: The function
- NUM: A number value, positive or negative

How do you use it?

Use it in a fillpoint or computation for a variable entered in the system


ABSOLUTE VALUE(Profits NU)

Use it to test the result of a calculation


ABSOLUTE VALUE(Gross Revenue NU - Expenses NU)

Instruction Model: ZERO(NUM)

What ZERO expression does is return the number value (if there is a number) or zero.

Use for a sum of different number variables

SET Fruit Total NU TO ZERO(Apples CNT) + ZERO(Oranges CNT) + ZERO(Tangerines CNT)

Use to provide a Total off a Repeat

0
REPEAT Inventory RPT
SET RESULT TO RESULT + ( ZERO(Item CNT) * ZERO(Item Price NU) )
END REPEAT

Correcting Bloated Images in RTF Templates

To keep Word from saving two copies of the graphic in your template:

Close Word (if it’s running.)
Click Start > Run . The Run dialog box appears.
In the Open box, type regedit and click OK. The Registry Editor opens.
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Microsoft > Office > Version > Word > Options. (Replace Version with the version of Word you are using.)
In the right pane of the window, right-click and choose New > String Value. A new string is created called New Value #1.
Rename the value to ExportPictureWithMetafile. (To do this, you can choose Rename from the shortcut menu.)
Once the name is changed, right-click on the string and choose Modify. The Edit String dialog box appears.
In the Value data box, enter 0.
Click OK.

Now, you need to remove the graphics (save them to another document if you have more than one). Then save the document without the graphics. You should exit Word and then restart it. Now paste your images back in. Check the file size.

Limit Spreadsheet Lines Appearing

Basha Systems use a CNT prefix for specific purpose number variables, to differentiate between a “true” number variable used in document assembly templates, and those number variables used for tracking, counting & limiting. Lets presume we are dealing with a spreadsheet to enter in children’s names and DOB’s. In the dialog PRIOR to the spreadsheet dialog relating to children, create a variable something similar to Var_CNT. The prompt should be something like “How many children do you wish to enter?” In the script of the spreadsheet dialog, place the following:

LIMIT Var_CNT

This will ensure that the spreadsheet is LIMITed to the number of lines that the user has indicated are required. You may wish to REQUIRE the Var_CNT variable, so the user must enter a number to gain access.

If the spreadsheet dialog is actually “Spreadsheet on Parent”, you should script the dialog so that it doesn’t even appear until such time as the Var_CNT variable has been answered. Using this approach, the REQUIRE option is redundant.

Instruction Model: ADD TEXT TO MULT_CHOICE

What are the elements?

- ADD: The instruction to Add Text
- TEXT: A Text Value, a Text Variable, or a Text String consisting of Text and Variables
- MULT_CHOICE: A Multiple Choice Variable (Single select and Multi-Select)

Other Related Instructions?

- CLEAR MULT_CHOICE: Will clear ALL options and prompts for a Multiple Choice Variable

How do you use it?

1. Build from a Repeat
The sample below is used to set the options for a Beneficiary selector. This option could itself appear on a REPEAT. The beneficary variable is first CLEARed. Then the script loops through the list of children, adding each child’s name, one at a time to the option list.

CLEAR BENEFICIARY Name MC
REPEAT CHILDREN RPT
      ADD CHLD Name TE TO BENEFICIARY Name MC
END REPEAT

2. Build from a Script
The sample below is used to set the options for a Beneficiary selector. This option could itself appear on a REPEAT. The beneficary variable is first CLEARed. Then the script loops through the list of children, adding each child’s name, one at a time to the option list.

CLEAR CLI Married MC
ADD "Married|Client is married" TO CLI Married MC
ADD "Single|Client is single" TO CLI Married MC
ADD "Divorced|Client is divorced" TO CLI Married MC
ADD "Widowed|Client is widowed" TO CLI Married MC

3. Build from a Repeat and Add Custom Prompt
The sample below is used to set the options for a list of children to disinherit from a will. The variable is first CLEARed. Then the script loops through the list of children. For the option value, it adds each child’s name. However, for the prompt, it puts in the child’s relationship to the , one at a time to the option list.

CLEAR HEIR Disinherit Name MS
REPEAT CHILDREN RPT
      // Change prompt based on gender of child
      IF CHLD Gender MC = "Male"
           ADD "«CHLD Name TE»|Client's son «CHLD Name TE»" TO HEIR Disinherit Name MS
      ELSE
           ADD "«CHLD Name TE»|Client's daughter «CHLD Name TE»" TO HEIR Disinherit Name MS
      END IF
END REPEAT

SET Command and GRAYed Variables

We need to avoid HotDocs GRAYIng the variable. The solution? A button that calls a computation.

Lets say we create a variable called Var1_CO - this is the variable that will be called by the button on our dialog. The content of this computation will be exactly the same as the script above. We don’t wish to do anything different, we just wish to shift the source of the SET command.

In our dialog additional text section, we type

@COMPUTE:Var1_CO: Populate

@COMPUTE is the command to tell HotDocs we want a button to call a computation. Var1_CO is the name of the computation variable we are calling. Populate is the button text which will be displayed. When we click this button, the value is SET (provided all conditions have been made), and the variable is editable.

Adding Spacing to Dialog Elements

When working with Dialog Elements, particularly Horizontal Lines, you may wish to add a line (or vertical space) before the dialog element. You COULD add a separate dialog element for the spacing. But that adds to your scripting and dialog management. Instead, you should add a Code before and after the Prompt for the Dialog Element.

Convert Time Matters Date to a HotDocs Date

Dates in Time Matters display as Dates on the Matter form. But, they are actually stored as Numbers. When you bring them into HotDocs via the Database Connection or Active Integration, you get a number, and not a date. This solution is courtesy of Bart Earle. Dates are stored as the number of Days from December 28, 1800. The solution is to create a computation that takes that number and converts it into a date that can be used and formatted by HotDocs.