Using the Direct Cloud Services API

HotDocs Cloud Services provides a methods you can use in your Web application to help you perform a number of tasks:

  • Request information from an end user and store that information in your own database.
  • Allow end users to fill in answers during an interview by selecting a record from a database.
  • Display a preview of an assembled document during the middle of an interview.
  • Use answers submitted by a user to assemble a word processor document, and then optionally convert that document to a .PDF or .HTML page.
  • Determine what variables are used by a template, and then pre-populate the interview with answers for those variables from a database.

Application Programming Interface (API)

To accomplish each of the tasks listed above, you may need to use one or more of the available methods of the HotDocs Cloud Services API. The following topics explain how you can use each of the four methods of the API:

  • AssembleDocument: Assembles a document in one or more formats, depending on the template type.
  • GetAnswers: Gets an XML representation of a set of answers.
  • GetComponentInfo: Gets a list of variables and dialogs used by a template.
  • GetInterview: Displays an answer-gathering interview in a browser.

Referencing the HotDocs Cloud Services Web Service

The HotDocs Cloud Services service is available at the following URLs:

To add a service reference to the SOAP web services in Visual Studio

  1. In Solution Explorer, right-click the name of the project to which you want to add the service, and then select Add Service Reference from the shortcut menu. The Add Service Reference dialog box appears.
  2. In the Address box, enter https://cloud.hotdocs.ws/Core.svc and then click Go. The list of services available at that URL is shown in the Services list.
  3. In the Services list, select the Core > ICore service contract.
  4. In the Namespace box, enter the namespace that you want to use for the reference, such as HDCloudServices.
  5. Click OK . A reference to the service is added to your project.

If you are writing your host application in .NET, although you can interact with the web service directly, we recommend using the Cloud Services client library to simplify much of the interaction between your host application and HotDocs Cloud Services.