Assign Reference Paths to HotDocs Files

A HotDocs library will work only if each template listed in the library is located in the exact path specified in the Item Properties dialog box for that template. This makes it difficult to create a library that will work for multiple users who will not store the templates in the same locations. A reference path lets you create a library that will work, regardless of where users store their templates.

A reference path is a folder path for a template in which the drive letter and some or all of the folder names have been replaced with a caret (^) and a keyword. The keyword is associated with an actual folder path in the user's HotDocs settings. When HotDocs needs to open a template, it replaces the caret and keyword in the folder path for the template with the folder path that is associated with the keyword in the user's HotDocs Options.

Some common uses of reference paths are:

  • With distributed template sets which allow users to choose where they install the templates (even if they can only choose the drive to which the templates are installed).
  • With templates located on a network drive that is mapped to a different letter for some of the users.

In order for your library to work for users regardless of where they store the templates, you need to enter a reference path for all templates and clause libraries in the library. You should use the same keyword for all the items in the library.

If you know the library items won't all be stored in the same subfolders, use the keyword only in place of the part of the path that is identical for all items. For example, if some of the templates will be stored in a General subfolder and others will be stored in a Family Law subfolder, you would use the reference path ^keyword\General\template.ext for those templates in the General subfolder and ^keyword\Family Law\template.ext for those templates in the Family Law subfolder (where keyword is a placeholder for the keyword you use and template.ext is a placeholder for the file name and extension of the template).

To associate a keyword with a path and assign the reference path

  1. At the HotDocs library, click the Options button. The HotDocs Options dialog box appears.
  2. Click the File Locations folder. The window changes to show a listing of the different HotDocs file paths.
  3. In the Reference Paths section, click Add. The Add/Edit Reference Path dialog box appears.
  4. Type a keyword for the reference path in the Keyword field.
  5. Click the Browse button next to the Path field, and specify the path to the subfolder you want to use.
  6. Click OK.

Once you have designated the keywords and paths that HotDocs needs to know about your files, you can assign reference paths to the templates. (These templates must be saved to the subfolder you specified in Step 5, above.)

  1. At the HotDocs library window, select the template for which you want to specify a reference path and click the Properties button. The Item Properties dialog box appears.
  2. If the File name field contains a folder path as well as a file name, delete the part of the path that is the same for all items in the library.
  3. Place your cursor before the first letter in the File name field and type caret (^), the keyword, and a backslash (\).
  4. Click OK.

When publishing your template set as an auto-install (.HDI) file, HotDocs automatically creates the reference paths and enters the correct information in the user's HotDocs settings during installation.

For instructions on assigning reference paths to multiple library items, see Change the Properties for Multiple Items in a Library.