New and Enhanced Features of HotDocs Server 10

HotDocs Server 10

• New Registry Keys and .NET Namespace: The registry keys used by HotDocs Server have changed for this release. Instead of HKLM\Software\LexisNexis\HotDocs Server, the registry settings are now saved in HKLM\Software\HotDocs\HotDocs Server. Likewise, the LexisNexis portion of the HotDocs Server namespace in .NET has been removed; the name space is now HotDocs.Server instead of LexisNexis.HotDocs.Server.

• Silverlight Interviews: You can now choose between the traditional JavaScript-based interviews and the new Silverlight-based interviews. Silverlight interviews are much quicker, especially for long or complex interviews. The server-wide default interview format is selected at the Service node of the management tools. You can also override this default per-assembly using the Assembly.InterviewFormat property.

• JavaScript API: Several new functions and callback functions have been added. The HDGetInterviewBookmark and HDGotoInterviewBookmark functions allow you to get the current location in the interview and return to it later. Also, you can implement the following callback functions, which the interview will call at various times during the interview: OnHDFinish, OnHDStart, and PreHDSubmit.
• Unicode Support: HotDocs Server can assemble templates that use Unicode characters. For more information about HotDocs Unicode support, see Use International Characters in HotDocs.
• XML File Formats: All answer files saved by HotDocs Server are now in XML format. (HotDocs Server can still read binary (.ANS) answer files, but can only save answers in XML format.) HotDocs Server can also assemble templates with XML component files.
• Built-in PDF Converter:

  The built-in RTF to PDF converter has been enhanced. In addition to producing PDF documents that more closely resemble the original RTF, HotDocs Server can now update the table of contents, references, fields, etc. before creating the PDF. To enable field updating, specify that option at the Assembly tab of the template's Component File Properties.

You can also now choose to have HotDocs Server embed fonts when it converts RTF files to PDF. Font embedding is enabled at the HotDocs Node of the HotDocs Server Management Tools.

• .NET and COM API: A new method, BuildServerFiles has been added to the UtilityTools object in both the .NET and COM APIs.
• Licensing: HotDocs Server no longer uses a centralized licensing server. However, HotDocs Server still requires a license key, which enables HotDocs Server to run. You can see your current license key and terms at the License Node of the management tools.

HotDocs Server 10.0.2

• Server Clustering: This release adds support for back-end server load balancing ("server clustering"). This feature was first introduced in HotDocs 2008 Server Enterprise Edition, and is now available in HotDocs Server 10. To use server clustering, you must obtain a license key that enables it.

HotDocs Server 10.0.3

• Application (SDK) Server: This release introduces a new type of HotDocs Server that can interact with a host application just like a regular instance of server, but which uses fewer server resources since it does not do processor-intensive work like document assembly. Those tasks are sent to an instance of HotDocs Server running on a different machine. This should help lighten the load on over-burdened front-end web servers.

HotDocs Server 10.1

• Template Dependency API: The new TemplateInfo object lets you determine which files are required by a given template. For example, if you create a source control integration, you could use this new API to make sure that when you check a file out of source control, you also get all of its dependent files. The Dependency and DependencyCollection objects complete the set of new objects that make up the template dependency API.
• JavaScript API:
  The following functions and features have been added to the public JavaScript API:
  • HDAddCustomNavButton: This function adds a button to the interview navigation bar. When a user clicks the button, a JavaScript function is called that performs any action users may need to take while navigating through the interview.
  • HDAddCustomToolbarButton: Another parameter was added to this function to allow you to specify the position of the new button within the toolbar group.
  • HDInvokeButton:This function lets you programmatically invoke one of the toolbar or navigation bar buttons (either built-in or custom), even if the button has been hidden. For example, if you create your own "Finish" button, you may want to hide the built-in "Finish" button but still have your button perform the same action by invoking the hidden "Finish" button.
  • HDSetToolbarButtonImage: This function lets callers specify alternate images for built-in toolbar buttons. It should be called before the toolbar is rendered for the first time, such as in the PreHDRender callback function.
  • HDSetButtonVisibility: This function lets callers hide built-in toolbar or navigation bar buttons, or the entire toolbar or navigation bar.
  • Browser Language Modules (BLM): Language modules allow the interview user interface text, as well as interview date and number formatting, to be localized.
• .NET and COM API: New methods were added to the UtilityTools object in both the .NET and COM APIs for encrypting and decrypting strings, which are useful when implementing a stateless host application.
• Web Services: A new, stateless web service was introduced along with a version of Sample Portal that uses the stateless web service. This new web service is known as the "Basic" web service and the web service previously referred to as the MTOM web service is now known as the "Session-based" web service. Also, although we are no longer distributing the old DIME web service, you may continue to use it or any web services you have built based on it.