Specify Merge Text Options as Default or Field-Specific Properties

When you create a Multiple Choice variable, you can control whether merge text options are automatically available each time you insert the variable, or whether they are only available for a specific instance of the variable. You determine this by typing your merge text either at the Multiple Choice Variable Editor or at the Variable Field dialog box.

To assign default merge text to a Multiple Choice variable

1. Create or edit a Multiple Choice variable. (See Customize a Number Variable.)
2. At the Multiple Choice Variable Editor, enter your options in the Option column and enter the corresponding merge text in the Default Merge Text column.
3. Click OK. The merge text options you just entered are now saved with the other component properties.
4. At the Variable Field dialog box for the Multiple Choice variable, select Use default. HotDocs grays all field properties for the variable.

To assign field-specific merge text to a Multiple Choice variable

1. Create or edit a Multiple Choice variable (see Customize a Multiple Choice Variable and Edit a Variable.)
2. At the Variable Field dialog box, clear Use defaults. HotDocs ungrays the Merge Text column.
3. Enter the merge text that corresponds with the Options you have specified.

The Use defaults option at a Variable Field dialog box controls all field properties of a variable. (Field-specific properties include variable formats, Multiple Choice merge text, and formatting styles for answer fields, which are visible when you click Show Advanced.) This means that you cannot assign a field-specific property to a field and then assign a default property to the component. If you choose one type of property, all other properties must be the same type.

When assigning merge text to a variable, you can assign an existing merge text group by clicking the Default Merge Text column heading and choosing the option from the drop-down list.