Component Type and the Presentation of Prompts, Titles, and Names in HotDocs Interviews

Several components types in HotDocs can display Name, Title, and Prompt text in interviews, to enable users to identify the component they are using.

When you create or edit variable and dialog components, the Component Editor displays three property fields:

Name – the unique name for the component; HotDocs typically displays the name when viewing the component within HotDocs Author; for example, ClientOrganizationTypeMS.
Title – the identifying text displayed for the component in the interview; for example, Organization Type.
Prompt (variables only) – the descriptive text for the component; HotDocs typically displays the prompt next to the answer field for the component in the interview; for example, Select an organization type from the following options.

The interview displays the text you specify for each property in different locations. If one property is empty, the interview uses text from another property instead, following a set order of precedence. For example, if you enter a name for a Text variable component but not a title or prompt, the interview displays the name text next to the answer field.

Common Tasks

Appearance of Names, Titles, and Prompts for different component types

You cannot use the percent symbol (%) or HotDocs scripting keywords – such as ELSE, REPEAT, TEXT, and TRUE – in the component name.

HotDocs' use of names, titles and prompts depends on where a component appears in the interview. The table below describes the different component types, where the interview displays their property text, and the order of precedence in which the interview uses the component's properties:

The Title property of a variable (if you do not explicitly specify a Title) shows (in gray) a truncated version of the Prompt, or (if you do not create a Prompt) the value of the variable's Name property

Component Type	Where Text Appears in Interview	Order in Which Component Properties are Used
Variable	Next to the related answer field in the dialog pane Reference in an answer summary	Prompt / Title / Variable name
Variable (when used in a spreadsheet-style dialog)	In the column heading of a spreadsheet dialog	Prompt / Title / Variable name
Variable (when not used in a spreadsheet-style dialog)	As the dialog title in the interview outline As the dialog title in the dialog pane title bar	Title / Prompt / Variable name
Dialog (non-repeated style)	As the dialog title in interview outline As the dialog title in dialog pane title bar	Dialog title / Dialog name
Dialog (Series-style repeat)	As the dialog title in interview outline	Repeated series label / Dialog title / Dialog name
Dialog (Series-style repeat)	As the dialog title in dialog pane title bar	Dialog title / Dialog name
Dialog (Spreadsheet-style repeat)	As the dialog title in interview outline As the dialog title in dialog pane title bar	Dialog title / Dialog name

When variables are linked to or used in dialogs, the text that appears in the interview outline and in the dialog pane title bar comes from the dialog, not the variable.

You should always test assemble your template to ensure the combinations of titles, prompts, and names make sense for the interview. See Introduction: Test HotDocs Templates.