Create and Insert Clauses Directly in Template

When the text for the clauses you want to create already exists in a single template, you can create individual clauses right in the template instead of at the clause library.

To create a clause and insert it into the template

  1. Edit the template that contains the text you want to convert to clauses. (See Edit a Template.)
  2. At the template, select the text for the first clause and click the INSERT Field button. The INSERT Field dialog box appears.
  3. Select INSERT Clause.
  4. Type a name for the clause component in the Clause to create field. (50-character limit.)
  5. Optionally, select INSERT clause only IF selected if you want the user to control whether the clause is inserted.
  6. Click OK. The Clause Editor appears.
  7. Perform any of the following optional tasks:
    • Enter a title for the clause in the Title field. The title will be used as the default title for the item once it is added to the clause library.
    • Type the information about the clause you want the user to see in the Prompt field. (See Create a Prompt for a Variable.)
    • If you selected INSERT clause only IF selected at the INSERT Field field, select Yes/No on same line to have Yes/No options appear on the same line in the interview.
    • Click the Resource tab to provide users with information that can assist them in providing the correct answer. (See Add Resource Information to a Variable or Dialog.)
  8. Click OK when you are finished. The instruction is inserted into the template.

In Word, the word processor may insert an extra hard return at the end of a new clause. To fix this, select the clause at the clause library and click Edit. The Clause Editor appears, where you can click Edit Clause Text. When your text appears, delete the extra hard return. (Click the Show / Hide ¶ button in the Word toolbar to view paragraph marks.)  

To insert an existing clause in the template, position your cursor where you want the clause inserted and click the INSERT Field button. Then select the clause by clicking the Clause to insert drop-down button. (The drop-down button is not available if you have selected text.)

You can add the clauses you have created to a clause library, which can be used to assemble any other document. See Add Existing Clauses to a Clause Library for details.

Clauses not only have a text value, but they have a true/false value as well. That means if you insert a clause in a template by using an INSERT IF instruction, the clause will automatically appear to the user as a yes/no question during assembly. If the user answers Yes, the clause will be included in the document; if the user answers No, the clause will not be included. You can also group clauses in a single selection or multiple selection group. See Group Clause Components in One Custom Dialog for details.