Creating Your Own Format

If you need a format other than those available to you in the Format drop-down list, HotDocs enables you to create your own by typing one into the Format box. You can accomplish this in three different locations:

 

Create a Custom Format in the My Formats section of the HotDocs Options Dialog Box

  1. In Workspace Explorer, in the Workspace Explorer Taskbar, click Options.
  2. Click My Formats.
  3. Find the format list for the type of custom format you want to create, and at the bottom of the format list, double-click the empty text box.
  4. Type the custom format into the text box, being sure to follow the structure of existing formats. For example, if you want a template user's full day/month/year answer to appear in the assembled document as just the year, at the bottom of the Date Formats list, type yyyy into the text box.

Custom formats created in this way will be available in the Format drop-down lists in the HotDocs Field Editor and Component Studio.

Create a Custom Format in the HotDocs Field Editor

  1. Open a template.
  2. In the body of the template, select the placeholder field you want to edit.
  3. In the HotDocs Field Editor, in the Field Properties box, click in the Format text box.
  4. Type the custom format into the text box, being sure to follow the structure of existing formats. For example, if you wanted to have a single digit number prefixed with four zeros, type 00009 into the text box.
  5. (Optional) If you want add your custom format to My Formats (and make it available in all Format drop-down lists), right-click anywhere on the text box and select Add to My Formats.

Create a Custom Format in Component Studio

  1. Open Component Studio.
  2. In the main component list, select the variable you want to edit.
  3. Click the Behavior tab.
  4. In the Default format box, type the custom format into the text box, being sure to follow the structure of existing formats. For example, if you wanted a selection of Yes in an interview to become a phrase such as is married and No to become is not married type is married/is not married into the text box.
  5. (Optional) If you want add your custom format to My Formats (and make it available in all Format drop-down lists), right-click anywhere on the text box and select Add to My Formats.