Fixed Table Component Editor

You use the Fixed Table Component Editor in Component Studio to designate the column names and type of data each column in a Fixed Table component contains. You also use the editor to add the actual contents to each row in your Fixed Table component. You also use the Key to specify which column's values HotDocs can replace a placeholder field with when assembling a document. You then use the Selection Variable Editor to specify which column of your Fixed Table component HotDocs displays in the interview as the options your template user can choose when answering an interview question that draws upon your Fixed Table component. One of the benefits of using a Fixed Table component as an Option Source for a Selection Variable, is that the column in your Fixed Table component that you mark as a Key, does not have to be the same as the column you designate as a the Display Column in the Selection variable.

Common Tasks

Among others, the Fixed Table Component Editor enables you to perform the following common tasks:

Create a Fixed Table Component
Edit Component
Add columns to your Fixed Table component
Add rows of data to your Fixed Table component
Create a Selection variable

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 Name Property

Just below the component toolbar, or you can see and edit the Name property HotDocs uses to identify this variable.

Property Name	What it Does
Name	Enables you to view and (sometimes) edit the name of your component. You can only edit the Name property if no other component or template references this component; otherwise, you cannot directly edit the Name component. Instead, you need to click the Rename button in the component tool bar.

Data Tab

The Data tab enables you to create and manage the rows of data that determine what options your template user can choose from. Before you can add any data to this tab, you must first define the columns you want your Fixed Table component to have. Once you define the columns, you use the following properties to add your data to the rows in your Fixed Table component:

The data you add to your non-key table rows can take the form of HotDocs Fields (in the case of Text variables) or Expressions (in the case of number, date, and True/False variables.

Element Name	What it Does
Column Name	Displays the name you designated to identify the column in the table and, by right-clicking on the name, opens a menu that enables you to do the perform the following: Insert column – opens the new column dialog box, enabling you to add a new column to the fixed table (to the left of the current column) Remove column – deletes the column from the table Move column right – repositions the column one position to the right Move column left – repositions the column one position to the left Rename column – enables you to change the name of the column Changing the columns with any of the above functions will affect any templates or other components which reference this fixed table.
Append column	Opens the new column dialog box, enabling you to add a new column to the fixed table.
Insert Row Above button	Enables you to insert a new row just above your current selection.
Delete Row button	Deletes the row containing your current selection.
Up Arrow button	Moves the currently selected row up.
Down Arrow button	Moves the currently selected row down.
Copy Table Data button	Copies the entire table to the clipboard, enabling you to paste the data (using the keyboard shortcut CTRL+V) onto other tables (both inside and outside of Author).

Columns Tab

The Columns tab enables you to create and manage the columns that determine the type of data you can add to the rows in your Fixed Table component:

Property Name	What it Does
Name	Enables you name the various columns you add to your Fixed Table component.
Type	Enables you to declare the type of data each column can hold.
Key	Enables you to select which column HotDocs draws upon when replacing a placeholder field with the value corresponding to option a user chooses from a Selection variable during the interview.
Optional	Enables you to select a column that is able to have empty rows of data.

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 the Used In and Field Editor (when appropriate) tabs for this component.

Use the Tools button on the Component toolbar to show or hide the tools pane.

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.