Add Resource Information to a Variable or Dialog

Sometimes including additional information about questions users are answering during an interview can make it easier for them to enter the correct answer. To provide this extra information, you can assign resources either to variables or to dialogs. Users can view this information by viewing the Resource pane during the interview.

By default, resources are displayed as plain text. However, you can use any of the following other formats or programs to create and display resources. (Click the associated link for instructions on creating the resource type.)

To add a plain text resource to a variable or dialog

  1. Open the variable or dialog to which you want to assign resources. (See Edit a Variable or Edit a Custom Dialog.)
  2. Click the Resource tab.
  3. Click the Resource type drop-down button and select Plain Text.
  4. Type the information in the Text field.
  5. Optionally, to use variables in the resource or make text in the resource conditional, enter the variable name, or enter an IF instruction or expression. (See Use Variables and Scripts in Prompts, Dialog Element Text, and Resources.)
  6. Optionally, select Pop-up to display the information in a What's This? help-style window, rather than a typical window. (The pop-up window only appears when the user clicks the Resource button next to the answer field.)

During assembly, HotDocs displays the resource text either in the resource pane or in a text-only pop-up window, depending on your selection. (Pop-up windows stay open only until the user clicks somewhere else.)

You cannot use angle brackets with text between them in a plain-text resource (for example, <Your Name>). Instead, you must use the codes &lt; and &gt; to insert the brackets (for example, &lt;Your Name&gt;). (You can use brackets, however, if you put a space immediately after the opening angle bracket and immediately before the closing angle bracket, like this < Your Name >.)

When editing Multiple Choice variables, you can assign resource text to the entire variable or to individual options. At the Multiple Choice Variable Editor, click the Resource tab and make your selection at the Resource for drop-down list.