Copy Components From One File to Another

You can copy components from one component file into another. Copying components makes it easy to use the same variables, dialogs, example formats, and so forth in several templates. Once you have copied a variable from one component file into another, you can change its properties to fit that specific template.

When you copy a component such as a dialog or a Computation variable, all of the variables associated with the component are automatically copied as well.

To copy components from one component file to another

1. At the template, click the Component Manager button. The Component Manager window appears.
2. Click the Expand button in the upper-right corner of Component Manager. The window expands to show a second component list.
3. Click the Open button. The Open dialog box appears. (You can also click the Other component file drop-down button and select one of the component files that is saved in the same folder as the current file.)
4. Locate the component file you want to display and click OK. HotDocs shows a list of components in that file.
5. In either the current component file or the other component file, select the components you want to copy.
6. Click the Copy button (or the Copy button). HotDocs copies the components. If you copy a dialog or a Computation variable, any variables referenced by that component will also be copied.
7. If a component already exists in the file to which you are copying and contains properties that are different, complete any of the following steps at the Copy Components dialog box:
   • Click Overwrite to overwrite that specific instance of an existing component with the one you are copying.
   • Click Don't Overwrite to not copy a specific component.
   • Click Rename to assign a new name to the component you are copying. Both the original and the copied component are saved in the component file.
   • Click Always Overwrite to overwrite all existing components with the ones you are copying. Once you select this option, you will not be warned when other duplicate components are found.
   • Click Never Overwrite to tell HotDocs to not copy (and overwrite) any existing components with ones you are copying.

Also, at the Copy Components dialog box, you can view the components you are copying. To view the component in the file from which you are copying, click the first View button. To see the component that exists in the component file into which you are copying, click the second View button.

Once you have copied the components, click the Collapse button in the upper-right corner of Component Manager to show only the current list of components.

To copy components between several component files at once, you can use Template Manager. (See Copy and Paste Components Across Multiple Component Files.)