Adding an Expiration Date to a Template for Use with Cloud Services

This option is only available for Cloud Services when uploading from HotDocs Developer 11 and above.

If you want to add an expiration date to a template that you intend to upload for use with Cloud Services, you need to use the Publishing Wizard.

To add an expiration date to a template for uploading to cloud services:

  1. Open your template library in HotDocs Developer and select the template or templates you want to publish; then in the toolbar at the top of HotDocs Developer, click thePublishing WizardPublishing Wizard button.
  2. From the Publish as pane, select Standard template files.
  3. Next to the Local folder for published files box, click Browse to specify a temporary folder where you want HotDocs to save the published files.

    This cannot be the folder where the template is located, or the Publishing Wizard throws an error. You should further note that copying or republishing files to the same location while using the same file names overwrites the previously published files (which can cause problems, particularly if you overwrite your source template with a new one with an expiration date attached). For best practice, follow the sub steps below:

    1. Close the Publishing Wizard, then on the Properties tab of HotDocs Developer click the URL link that appears below File Path.
    2. In the Windows Explorer instance that appears, right-click in the file area and select New > Folder.
    3. Rename the new folder With Expiration Date; then double-click the With Expiration Date folder.
    4. At the top of Windows Explorer, copy the file path for the With Expiration Date folder.
    5. In HotDocs Developer select the template or templates you want to publish; then in the toolbar at the top of HotDocs Developer click thePublishing WizardPublishing Wizard button.
    6. From the Publish as pane, select Standard template files.
    7. Paste the path into the Local folder for published files text box; then click Next.
  4. Under File Security, select: Set expiration date for component files; then click Next.
  5. To the right of the Expiration date field, click the calendar icon, choose an expiration date; then click OK.
  6. If you want to include a warning or extension period, use the arrows to choose a value. If you want to provide an expiration message, type one in the Expiration message field; then click Next.
  7. If you want to include any additional files in your template, click Add Files, locate the files (by browsing), and click Select before clicking Finish; otherwise, click Finish directly.
  8. When publication is finished, click OK.

  9. Open the temporary folder into which you published the template above; then at the top of Windows Explorer, copy the file path to that folder.

  10. Next, HotDocs Developer, right-click the top element in your library; then click Add Folder.

  11. In the Title text box, type With Expiration Date; then add any description you want and click OK.

  12. Ensure the With Expiration Date folder you just created is open; then right-click the folder and select Add Item.

  13. Paste the path you previously copied from Windows Explorer into the File name text box; then click the Browse button before double-clicking the With Expiration Date folder.

  14. Click the Files of type drop-down arrow and select All Files; then double-click the template you wish to upload before clicking OK.

  15. Next, enable the template for uploading to a Document Services (or a host application site) by doing the following:

    1. In the With Expiration Date folder of your HotDocs library, right-click the template you just added; then click Test in Browser before clicking either JavaScript or Silverlight.
    2. On the message that appears, click Enable; then on the Answer File dialog, click Cancel.

      If this template has already been enabled, the Enable window does not appear; click Cancel.

  16. Return to the library, right-click the template you just enabled; then click Upload before clicking the name of the upload site to which you want to upload the template package.

If the an error message is thrown stating "The Component File Has No Computation Designated as Its Interview," see the Error Handling section below.

Error Handling: "The Component File Has No Computation Designated as Its Interview" Error Message

  1. On the error message, click OK.
  2. Select the template in the With Expiration Date folder, then in the tool bar at the top of Developer, click Component Manager.
  3. On the left of the Component Manager, click the Component Files Properties button.
  4. Click the Interview tab; then select Use custom interview.
  5. Click the Interview component drop-down arrow; then choose the computation component you want to use, or create a new computation component by clicking the Edit Component button.
  6. Click OK; then close the Component Manager and retry uploading your template.