Dialog Editor

You can use the Dialog Editor to add or remove items from a dialog and set dialog properties, including whether it is a repeated dialog.

To access the Dialog Editor, you can:

In Component Studio, click New > Dialog to create a new dialog
Click on an existing dialog in from the components list in Component Studio
Open a dialog in a pop-up editor by clicking the Edit Component button in the Field Editor

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Common Tasks

Component Toolbar

Basic component actions appear in the component toolbar, above the component properties.

Button	What it Does
Test	Displays the selected component in the HotDocs Test Browser.
Rename	Displays the Rename Component dialog box that enables you to rename your component and perform other rename-related options. The Rename button is not available from the pop-up editor (the editor invoked from the Field Editor).
Duplicate	Displays the Duplicate Components dialog box that enables you to create a copy of this component in the component file.
Tools	Shows or hides the Tools pane on the right.
Delete	Displays the Delete Component dialog box that enables you to delete the component. You can also view a list of templates or components that currently reference the selected component and you may have to fix after deletion.

Component Identity Properties

At the top of the editor you can see the name that HotDocs uses to identify this dialog and the repetition type.

Property Name	What it Does
Name	Enables you to view and edit the name of your component. This field is editable for a component that is not referenced by a template or other component; otherwise, a non-editable box containing the name of the component. If non-editable, use Rename in the component tool bar.
Repetition	Enables you to choose what style of dialog the template user sees in an interview: None – Ensures that your dialog is a regular dialog, and does not repeat Series – Makes your dialog a repeated dialog that displays the repeats in a series of identical dialogs Spreadsheet – Makes your dialog a repeated dialog that displays the repeats in a spreadsheet where every row is a repetition

Contents Tab

The Contents tab displays a list of the components in your template that you already added to the dialog. For a new dialog, the tab is empty until you begin adding components. The order of the components on the Contents tab dictates the order in which HotDocs presents each element on the list during the interview. When you first view the list, the order of the components corresponds to the order in which you add the components to the dialog. You drag and drop the components to rearrange them.

You drag and drop components onto the contents tab from the right Components tab, whether singly, or using multiple-select. If you do drag multiple components at once, the order of the items you add matches the current sort order of the right component list.

For dialogs with the repetition set to series or spreadsheet, the contents tab also enables you include or exclude a variable as part the dialog's key. An yellow key button indicates the variable is included part of the key and an "empty" key button indicates an excluded variable.

Layout Tab

The Layout tab provides an interface for you to design the look and feel of the dialog and how it presents its variables during the interview by reordering components.

Content and Layout Toolbar

The content and layout toolbar, at the bottom of the Content and Layout tabs, contains buttons that enable you to add new components to the current dialog and to your component file.

You must add a corresponding placeholder field in the template separately if you want HotDocs to place the data the added component gathers during the interview into the assembled document.

Button	What it Does
Create Text Variable	Creates a new Text variable to your component file and to the dialog.
Create Number Variable	Creates a new Number variable to your component file and to the dialog.
Create Date Variable	Creates a new Date variable to your component file and to the dialog.
Create True/False Variable	Creates a new true/false variable to your component file and to the dialog.
Create Single Select Variable	Creates a new single select variable to your component file and to the dialog.
Create Multi Select Variable	Creates a new multi select variable to your component file and to the dialog.
Create Child Dialog	Creates a new dialog to your component file and to the dialog as a child dialog.
Create Table Variable	Creates a new Table variable to your component file and to the dialog as a child dialog.
Create Text Dialog Element	Creates a new text dialog element to your component file and to the dialog.
Create Image Dialog Element	Creates a new image dialog element to your component file and to the dialog.
Create Divider Dialog Element	Creates a new divider dialog element to your component file and to the dialog.
Create Spacer Dialog Element	Creates a new spacer dialog element to your component file and to the dialog.
Create Script Link Dialog Element	Creates a new script link dialog element to your component file and to the dialog.
Create Web Link Dialog Element	Creates a new web link dialog element to your component file and to the dialog.

Script Tab

You can use the script tab to create a script to make your dialog dynamic. Drag and drop a model from the Models tab and replace the placeholders by dragging and dropping a component from the Components tab to begin creating your dialog script.

Element	What it does
Find (Ctrl+F)	Opens the Find dialog so you can search for specific text within your script. Check boxes enable you to search based on the case of the text you type, as well as searching for entire words. Alternatively, search your script by pressing Ctrl+I, and then type the text you want to find. If the search finds the text, pressing Ctrl+I again searches for another instance of the text lower in your document, while pressing Ctrl+Shift+I highlights the previous instance.
Find Next (F3)	Enables you to search your script for another instance of the text you already searched for using the Find dialog. Check boxes enable you to search based on the case of the text you type, as well as searching for entire words.
Find and Replace (Ctrl+H)	Opens the Find and Replace dialog, so you can search for and replace text within your script.
Toggle line numbering	Adds line numbers to the script editor.
Go To	Enables you instruct HotDocs to place the cursor at the line number or character position you provide.
Auto Format	Indents matching pairs of instructions based on the level of their insertion.
Indent Block	Indents the block of text you select.
Unindent Block	Unindents the block of text you select.
Comment Block	Tells HotDocs to ignore the block of script you select.
Uncomment Block	Tells HotDocs to remove the comment tag on the block of script you select.
Locals (Local Variables)	Enables you to create new local variables when you click the create button or view a list of existing local variable which you can drag and drop into a script. You can right-click on an existing local variable to delete it.

Display Tab

The Display tab provides you with properties that enable you to change how a dialog appears during the interview:

Property Name	What it Does
Dialog Title	Enables you to give your dialog a title that appears in the interview outline and in the dialog title bar in the interview window.
Add button text	(Only available for the Repetition options: Series or Spreadsheet) For a Series dialog, it enables you to type a label for the button that invokes the repeated dialog. For a Spreadsheet dialog, it enables you to type a label for the button that adds a new row to a spreadsheet dialog; the button appears when a template user clicks Edit Row.
Series label	(Only available for the Repetition option: Series) Applies to the interview outline—enables you to label the series in a Repeated Series dialog. If the template user leaves the dialog unanswered, HotDocs displays the dialog name in the interview outline.
Prompt position	Enables you to select one of the following properties for all the variables in the dialog: Prompts above inputs – places the prompt above the answer box. Prompts left of inputs – places the prompt to the left of the answer box. Automatic (based on prompt length) – places the prompt according to the values you specify in the Maximum prompt width box. Prompts that are shorter than the number you choose appear to the left of the answer box. Prompts that are longer than the number you choose appear above the answer box. If you use the Layout tab to place more than one variable on a single row (side-by-side) in a dialog, prompts always appear above the answer box, no matter what setting you choose using the Prompt position property.
Right-align prompts	Right-justifies your prompts (creates a ragged left edge). This property is only available if you select Left or Automatic in the Prompt position drop-down list. If the prompt appears above the variable, it is left-aligned by default.
Maximum prompt width	(Only available for the Prompt position options: Prompts left of inputs and Automatic) Sets the limit on the size of the prompt string before wrapping (if you set Prompt position to Left) or moving above the answer box (if you set Prompt position to Automatic). You can choose a value between 12 and 50 units (one unit equals to the width of the character 5).
Hide spreadsheet buttons	(Only available for the Repetition option: Spreadsheet) When selected, HotDocs hides the edit row and delete row buttons below a spreadsheet.
On Parent	Only applies when the dialog has a parent dialog. Controls whether or not the contents of the dialog appear on the parent of this dialog.
Show buttons for child dialogs	Only applies when the dialog has a child dialog. Causes HotDocs to display a button on this dialog that a user clicks during the interview to display the child dialog. If you do not select this property, a reference to a child dialog appears only in the interview outline, and users must manually select the dialog reference in the outline to answer any questions within the child dialog.
Prompt to use when displayed as button on parent dialog	Enables you to type a prompt for this dialog if it is a child dialog displayed as a button in the parent dialog. The dialog's name or title still appears in the interview outline and in the child dialog itself. Specifying a prompt lets you provide more instructive text for accessing and then answering questions in the child dialog. If you don't specify a prompt, HotDocs uses the dialog title.
Rows to display	(Only available for the Repetition option: Spreadsheet) Enables you to specify the number of rows the spreadsheet dialog can display in the interview; by default, the dialog displays 1 row, and only displays others as you click Insert Row (or the button at the bottom of the editable dialog mentioned in the description of Add button text).

Additional Information Expander

The Additional information expander, located at the bottom of the component editor, enables you to open the additional information pane so you can edit the additional information property:

Property Name

Explanation

Additional information

Enables you to provide supplemental help text (or an external URL) to help your template users better understand how to answer a question in an interview. Template users access this information by viewing the additional information pane in the interview interface.

Text – enables you to type helpful information in the text box which is displayed in the additional information pane in the interview

You can use HTML and CSS in the text box to format the text that displays in the additional information pane in the interview. As such, if you want to preserve angle brackets in your text (for example, <Your Name>) you must use the codes < and > to insert the brackets (for example, <Your Name>).

URL – enables you to type a URL for a website in the text box (be sure to include the http:// protocol in your link). This link is displayed in the additional information pane in the interview.

To provide you a quick way to know if this pane contains any content, the content (if any) is summarized to the right of the pane's label.

Behavior Tab

The Behavior tab contains properties that govern how and whether HotDocs displays this dialog:

Property Name	What it Does
Enable component grouping	The enable component grouping check box enables you to group multiple True/False variables or child dialogs as a single control HotDocs displays as a selectable list on the dialog. If you decide to group them as a single control, you have further properties to choose from: Select one – Groups True/False variables, or child dialogs together and replaces each item's selection control with a radio button so users can choose only a single option from the group of variables Select multiple – Groups True/False variables, or child dialogs together and replaces each item's selection control with a check box so users can choose from several options Select the None of the above check box to add an option to the list labelled "None of the above" to allow a template user to choose none of the options without leaving the dialog unanswered.
Link contents to this dialog	Causes HotDocs to display the variables on this dialog as questions on this dialog during the interview. If you clear this property and you do not specify a dialog in an ASK instruction, HotDocs presents the variable questions on individual dialogs. Clearing this property also enables you to use one variable in two or more dialogs, as explained here.
Ask automatically	(Only available for the Repetition options: Series or Spreadsheet) If you clear Link contents to this dialog, Ask automatically has no effect, unless you place a Repeated dialog within your template (ex: [REPEAT Your Dialog Name][END REPEAT]); in this case, Ask automatically causes all variables on the dialog to show up on the repeat.
Suppress when irrelevant	If selected, then when an answer earlier in the interview has made all the variables in the dialog irrelevant, HotDocs doesn't ask the dialog.
Always stop	When selected, ensures HotDocs asks the dialog—even if it has already been answered—when a user clicks the Next Unanswered Dialog button in the interview.

Notes Tab

To provide you a quick way to know if this tab contains any content, you can see a + symbol on the tab if there is a note.

As you create components, you may want to include notes to remind yourself of decisions you made when creating the component. For example, maybe you need to remember information about restrictions you applied to a Number variable, or remind yourself of the purpose of the component in the template.

The notes tab enables you to type any notes you want about the component and its role in the template.

This information is not visible in the interview; it is for the author’s reference only.

Tools Pane

On the right side of the component editor you can view a tools pane containing various (Components, Models, Used in, or Field Editor) tabs for this component.

You can use the Tools button on the Component toolbar to show or hide the tools pane.

Components Tab

Displays a filterable list of components contained in the component file.

Right-click on a component in this list to view a quick actions menu that enables you to: Edit, Rename, Cut, Copy, Paste, or Delete a component.

Element	What it Does
Search box	Enables you to quickly locate components within the component file that you can add to the current component. As you type, search results display immediately. You can clear the search box by clicking X.
Filter (Available Components)	You can filter your search results by the following parameters you select the various options: All Components – displays all components in your component file Available Components – displays only the variables in your component file that are able to added to the dialog All Variables – displays all variables in your component file Variables in Dialog – (this filter only available in a Dialog component's Script tab) displays only the variables that have been added to the current dialog Text Variables – displays only the text variables in your component file Number Variables – displays only the number variables in your component file Date Variables – displays only the date variables in your component file True/False Variables – displays only the true/false variables in your component file Single Select Variables – displays only the single select variables in your component file Multi Select Variables – displays only the true/false variables in your component file Table Variables – displays only the true/false variables in your component file Dialogs – displays only the dialogs in your component file Computations – displays only the computations in your component file Fixed Tables – displays only the fixed tables in your component file Dialog Elements – displays only the dialog elements in your component file
Sort (drop-down arrow)	Enables you to sort the component file's components. You can choose between the following sort options: by Name—sorts components by their names from A to Z by Type—places variables first, followed by computations, table variables, selection variables, dialogs, and finally fixed tables; this order is reversed when Reverse is also selected Natural—sorts components from A to Z Reverse—sorts components from Z to A
Select Multiple is this available in any actual tab?	Places check boxes to the left of each component name (and also adds Select All and Deselect All buttons below the components filter) so that you can perform the actions available to you in the right-hand pane (rename, delete, etc.) on more than one component at a time. You can also select multiple components in the component list pane using the same keyboard shortcuts you would.
Create	Enables you to create a component depending on the type you select in the drop-down list. If you set the Filter (All Components) on the left to a given type, the create button displays and creates this type when you click the create button.
Component list pane	Displays the contents of the component file according to search parameters, sorting, and any filters or multiple selection you apply. Select a component from the list to view it in the right pane, or double-click a component to pin it open for editing.

Models Tab

Displays the list of instruction and expression models that are available for you to use in this script. To add one or more models to the script, drag and drop them into the script editor. Then you can drag items from the Components tab or Locals tab and drop them on the model placeholders to complete the line of script.

You can see different models in the expanded lists depending on whether you are creating a computation or a dialog script. Two expanders, Dialog Instructions and Dialog Validation Functions, are only available in when you are creating a dialog script.

Locals Tab

The Locals tab appears in the Tools pane after you create at least one local variable or parameter for your script. This tab contains the local variables and parameters that are available for you to use in the current script. You can add a local variable or parameter to your script by dragging and dropping it from the right pane into the script editor.

To reorder parameters, right-click in the parameters section of the locals tab and click Move Up or Move Down. Because a computation containing parameters may be used in multiple locations, be careful when rearranging the parameters. The computation may depend on the parameters being answered in a certain order to make a script work, so changing the order may cause the computation to malfunction elsewhere.

You can only insert a parameter when working with a computation script. Parameters are not available for dialog scripts.

Info Tab

When you select a component in the Components column of Component Studio, you can look at the Info tab on the far right of the component editor to see the type of the currently selected component, as well as a list of other components or templates (if there are any) that use the component you select.

Element	What it Does
Type	Displays the type of the component you selected in the Components column.
Used in	Displays a list of other components or templates (if there are any) that use the component you select. Double-clicking an item in the Used In section opens that item for editing, and places focus on the first reference to the component you selected in the Components column.

Field Editor Tab

When you select a text-based component property that can contain fields, such as a prompt for a variable or a cell in a Fixed Table, the Field Editor tab appears in the Tools panel. Any HotDocs fields you add to the text that appear in an interview. When a template user provides an answer for that placeholder field in the interview, the answer appears in the component's interview display text.

The Field Editor works in this context just as it does in a DOCX template or in HotDocs Composer.

If you use a placeholder field in a component's interview display text, you must ensure the template user provides an answer for that placeholder before the interview displays the component containing the placeholder field.