Test Assemble a Document

When you’re automating a template, you can test assemble it at any time to see if the document assembles the way you want. When testing a text document, you can test assemble all or just part of it. When testing a form template, you can test using direct-fill mode as well as using an interview (if one has been specified).

To test assemble a text template

  1. At the template, click the Assemble button. HotDocs opens a test assembly window.
  2. Answer questions as they are presented.
  3. Click the Document Preview tab to see the assembled document, just as the user will.
  4. Choose Close (File menu) to close the test assembly window, or switch windows to return to the template.

To test assemble a form template

  1. At the form template, click the Assemble button. HotDocs opens a test assembly window.
  2. If you have created a custom interview, you can view the template's variables and dialogs in the left pane (or interview outline) and the corresponding answer fields in the right pane (or dialog pane). Answer questions as they are presented.
  3. Click the Form Document tab to see the assembled document, just as the user will.
  4. Optionally, click or tab through the fields in the Form Document tab to fill the form directly.
  5. Choose Close (File menu) to close the test assembly window, or switch windows to return to the template.

You can save your test answers in a test answer file. See Use a Test Answer File.

As you complete the interview, you can move between dialogs by clicking dialog icons in the interview outline, by clicking the Next or Previous buttons in the navigation bar, or by pressing Alt+N or Alt+P.

To test a template for online assembly, press the Shift key while clicking the Test Assemble button. (See View an Interview in a Web Browser.)

You can have HotDocs arrange the test assembly window with other open windows. Adjust the height of the test assembly window and then click the Arrange button.

When you test assemble a document from a template, if HotDocs finds any syntax errors in the template, it displays a warning message, which allows you to go to the place in the template where the error occurs. You must fix the error before HotDocs will let you continue. (See Understand and Resolve Syntax Errors in a Template or Script.)

In Microsoft Word, you can also test assemble a document either by clicking on the HotDocs drop-down menu in the HotDocs toolbar and choosing Test Assemble, or by right-clicking in the template and choosing Test Assemble from the shortcut menu.

If you receive an error message that includes a field number, you can quickly go to that field in the template. To do this, click the Go To Field command. See Go to a Specific Field in the Template for details.