Dialog Script Instructions

Dialog script instructions are a class of instructions in the HotDocs scripting language that enable you to change how variables on a given dialog appear and behave in an interview. For example, the Gray instruction colors the designated variable gray and keeps your template user from interacting with the grayed-out variable.

Common Tasks

Among others, dialog script instructions enable you to perform the following common tasks:

Add Script to a Dialog
Limit the number of answers allowed for a repeated dialog
Hide or gray variable questions
Require certain questions be answered before the user can proceed to the next dialog
Make variables within a dialog conditional, just as they are in the underlying template text

List of Instructions for Dialog Scripts

The following is a brief explanation of instructions you can use in dialogs.

Instruction	Description
DEFAULT	The DEFAULT instruction suggests a value for a variable if the variable is unanswered.
ERRORTEXT	The ERROR TEXT system local variable enables you to create an error message to display to your template users during an interview.
GRAY, UNGRAY, GRAY ALL, UNGRAY ALL	The GRAY, UNGRAY, GRAY ALL, and UNGRAY ALL instructions control the appearance of a dialog's components in an interview, depending on the answers a user provides. The GRAY instruction disables a single component and makes it appear inactive, while UNGRAY enables the component again. Likewise, GRAY ALL disables all components on the dialog and makes them appear inactive, while UNGRAY ALL makes them appear active again.
HIDE, SHOW, HIDE ALL, SHOW ALL	The HIDE, SHOW, HIDE ALL, and SHOW ALL instructions control whether the user is able to see variables in a dialog. The HIDE instruction hides a single variable, while SHOW reveals the variable again. Likewise, the HIDE ALL instruction hides all variables in the dialog, while SHOW ALL reveals the variables again.
LIMIT	The LIMIT instruction limits the number of times a dialog can be repeated.
REQUIRE, REQUIRE ALL	The REQUIRE and REQUIRE ALL instructions require users to answer either a single question or all questions in a dialog before they can move to the next dialog, or finish the interview.