Add an Answer File to Answer File Manager

Answer File Manager allows you to organize your answer files. When you save your answers after an interview, a reference to the file is automatically added to Answer File Manager. When you need to use answer files that someone else has created (or if you have created them while using Windows Explorer to manage your files), you must add the files to Answer File Manager.

There are two ways to add an answer file to an answer library. You can import the answer file or you can add it using the Add button.

To import an answer file

1. At the HotDocs library window, click the Answer File Manager button. Answer File Manager appears.
2. Click Import. The Import Answer File dialog box appears.
3. Browse to and select the file you want to import. HotDocs confirms you want to import the file.
4. Click Yes. The answer file is added to Answer File Manager. The file is also automatically included in any answer file drop-down lists.

To add an answer file to Answer File Manager using Add

1. At the HotDocs library window, click the Answer File Manager button. Answer File Manager appears.
2. Click the Add button. The Add Item dialog box appears.
3. In the File name field, enter the path and file name of the answer file you want to use (or click Browse to locate and open the file).
4. In the Title field, enter a name for the answer file. This title will identify the answer file in Answer File Manager.
5. Optionally, in the Description field, enter a description to help you identify the answer file. (This description appears at the Properties tab, and can be used when searching for specific answer files.)

By default, answer libraries are saved in binary format, which does not support the use of international characters. If you attempt to add an answer file that contains international characters in its properties to Answer File Manager, HotDocs will prompt you to choose whether to create a new, XML-based answer library (which will support these characters) or convert the foreign characters to an approximate character that can be read in binary format. If you choose to create a new XML-based library, HotDocs 2005-2008 will continue to use the older binary-format library, while HotDocs versions after 2009 will use the XML-based library.

If the answer file is located in a folder other than the default Answers folder, you can import the file, which copies the file to the default Answers folder and adds it to Answer File Manager. To do this, click Import and then locate the answer file.

When adding files to the library, press Ctrl or Shift to select multiple files at once.