HotDocs Server Overview

HotDocs Server is the server-based version of HotDocs that allows HotDocs interviews (data-gathering sessions) to be displayed by a standard Web browser and documents to be generated (assembled) on the web server, without requiring any special software to be installed on an end-user's computer. Generally speaking, when a user goes to your Web site and initiates assembly of a document, a request is made to the HotDocs Server engine, which is running on the server. HotDocs Server then sends an interview back to the user's browser, where it appears as part of a Web page. Once the required information has been entered, the user clicks a button that posts the answers (in XML format) back to HotDocs Server, where they can be merged into assembled documents..

The following diagram shows the assembly process:

The benefit of creating a Web application using HotDocs Server is that end users do not need HotDocs installed on their computers, since the interview is presented in a Web browser and document assembly happens on the server. For example, your human resources department may integrate its forms into its intranet site using HotDocs Server. Employees would then go to the intranet site, select which form to fill out, provide the required information, and then submit the form to the appropriate human resources representative—all from within a Web browser. Depending on project requirements, employees may also print copies of assembled documents, save copies of assembled documents to their hard drives, or (if the intranet site facilitates it) simply store assembled documents or answer files directly in the intranet app.

HotDocs Server may also be used to generate a document without an interactive interview. Likewise, HotDocs browser interviews may be used to gather information for storage or later use without immediate assembly of any documents at all.

HotDocs Server vs. Desktop HotDocs

The HotDocs family of products includes both desktop- and server-based products. The primary desktop-based product, HotDocs Developer, is used for creating HotDocs templates. HotDocs Server, on the other hand, is used only for running templates; it cannot be used to create them. Another difference between Server and desktop HotDocs is the user interface: desktop editions of HotDocs include word processor and other integrations for creating templates, and the "HotDocs Library" for managing templates, answer files, and more. The user interface presented directly by HotDocs Server, at least from an end user's perspective, is limited to displaying interviews in the Web browser. All other interaction with the user is accomplished by a custom host application, which you must build and maintain. The advantage with this approach is that you can expose your users to only as much user interface as they need to perform their document assembly tasks.

Despite their differences, desktop HotDocs still plays an important role in relation to HotDocs Server: it is the tool used to create (and help test) all content (templates) that will eventually be deployed in HotDocs Server.