Step 4 of the HotDocs Author workflow: Create regions and rules

Field Editor: Repeated Region

You use the Field Editor to designate a repeated region in your template. This creates a REPEAT instruction field at the beginning of the repeated region and a END REPEAT instruction field at the end of the repeated region. It also enables you to designate a repeated dialog so that HotDocs can gather multiple answers for each question the dialog presents to your template users in the interview. During document assembly, HotDocs then adds these answers as a list it creates at the location you designated as a repeated region.  

To view the options for a repeated region, in the Field Editor select Create a repeated region icon Create a repeated region.

Common Tasks

 

Field Type

The Field Type section of the HotDocs Field Editor displays whether the currently selected HotDocs Field is a placeholder field or an instruction field. This section appears when you select an existing field in the template.

Field Properties

 

Element What it Does
Repeated Dialog Name Enables you to select a repeated dialog to use for this repeated region. You can use the drop-down list to select an existing dialog or type in a new one. Click the edit button to use the pop-up dialog editor and access the same component properties you see in the Dialog Editor in Component Studio. The dialog should contain the variables within the repeated region.
Dialog Contents Displays a list of the variables on the selected dialog. Use the ... button to drag the list down to make it longer.
List Format Enables you to choose a list format for the list of answers the repeated dialog gathers in the interview. This list format tells HotDocs how to format that list of answers when assembling a document.

Advanced Properties

Select the Advanced Properties expander to see further options for the repeated region:

Property Name What it Does
Sort repetitions by this variable Enables you to select the variable you want to use to sort the list. You can use the drop-down list to select an existing variable or type in a new one. Click the edit button to use the pop-up variable editor and access the same component properties you see in component studio. You can then choose how the list is sorted:
  • Sort ascending (A-Z) – orders from lowest value at the top to highest at the bottom (or alphabetically from the top down) using the variable you selected
  • Sort descending (Z-A) – orders from highest value at the top to lowest at the bottom (or alphabetically from the bottom up) using the variable you selected
Then sort repetitions by this variable (Only appears when you select a variable from the Sort answers by this variable drop-down) Enables you to select the variable you want to use to sort within the already sorted list. You can use the drop-down list to select an existing variable or type in a new one. Click the edit button to use the pop-up variable editor and access the same component properties you see in component studio. You can then choose how the list is sorted:
  • Sort ascending (A-Z) – orders from lowest value at the top to highest at the bottom (or alphabetically from the top down) using the variable you selected
  • Sort descending (Z-A) – orders from highest value at the top to lowest at the bottom (or alphabetically from the bottom up) using the variable you selected
Repetition filter computation Enables you to select a computation that returns a true/false value that HotDocs uses to filter answers out of the list that don't meet the criteria. You can use the drop-down list to select an existing computation or type in a new one. Click the edit button to use the pop-up editor and access the same component properties you see in component studio. You can then choose when HotDocs uses the filter:
  • Sort repetitions; then apply filter – HotDocs performs any sorting instructions first and then filters the list according to the selected computation
  • Apply filter; then sort remaining repetitions – HotDocs first filters the list according to the computation and then performs any sorting instructions
Preserve empty paragraph Enables you to force HotDocs to keep an empty paragraph left behind when HotDocs removes a HotDocs field when assembling a document.
Comment

You can use this to add notes about the field. A field with a comment attached displays a grey C next to the field name on the template.