Group Form Fields So Answers Can Flow From One Field to Another

These instructions can also be used to create a form field at both the Form Document tab of the assembly window and in HotDocs Filler.

Sometimes an answer must begin in one field and continue in other fields. For example, you may have a Text variable whose answer must span two or more pre-printed lines. You can create edit fields for each line, and then group the fields so that answers flow from one field to another. Fields grouped this way are called run-on groups.

Once fields are grouped, HotDocs treats the group as a single field. This means that the Text variable and any conditions for the variable will be assigned to the grouping, not the individual fields in the group.

If you are automating a fillable PDF template and you plan to save the assembled document as a fillable PDF, you cannot group fillable fields since necessarily, each fillable field is linked to a separate “variable.” Answers—both in HotDocs and Adobe—must be entered on individual lines. This means that when you reach the end of one field, you must tab to the next field and continue typing your answer. (This inability to group fields is a limitation of Adobe. If you have access to the form, you may consider replacing individual fields in the group with a single, multi-line field. Text you enter may not match the lines perfectly, but you will not have to tab between fields to enter the answer.)

To flow an answer across multiple fields

  1. Edit a form template. (See Edit a Form Template.)
  2. Create all the text fields across which the answer should flow. (See Create a Form Field.)
  3. Select all the fields that will be used for the answer. (See Select a Field.)
  4. Click Group (Field menu). A bounding frame appears around the grouped fields. (You can also right-click and select Group from the shortcut menu.)
  5. Attach a variable to the grouped fields. (See Attach a Variable to a Field.)

When fields are grouped, you cannot change properties for individual fields. You must first ungroup the fields. (See Ungroup Form Fields.)

A form may require an answer to appear in a series of single-character fields or boxes (for example, a Social Security number). To place one character or digit in each field requires additional formatting. See Attach a Variable to Single-Character Boxes for details.

To group fields that appear on separate pages in the form, see Flow a Single Answer Across Two or More Pages in a Form.

By default, HotDocs asks questions in the interview by reading fields in the form from left to right, top to bottom. As it encounters a field, it asks the variable associated with it. If the variable is linked to a dialog, it asks the dialog instead. When directly filling the form, HotDocs tabs through the form fields using this same method. However, sometimes grouped run-on fields can create problems with the tab order. To ensure that text in a run-on group flows in the correct order, you may need to specify a fill order for fields in the group. (See Change the Tab Order of Fields.)