Previous Topic Go to Section 4. Using the HotDocs Model in HotDocs
When you work with HotDocs Models, you can define several settings that control how parts of the interview look and feel. For example, you can define options that let HotDocs generate default titles, prompts, and resources for variables in the HotDocs Model.
Additionally, you can select an option that allows you to use non-standard names when marking fields in the HotDocs Model. To explain, the Markup requires you to use only alphanumeric characters and underscores when naming markup fields in your HotDocs Model. However, sometimes when you're converting existing HotDocs templates to model format, variables in the template may use spaces and other special characters in the variable name. Selecting this option allows you to continue to use the template as a model without having to rename all of your variables.
The following table describes the different settings you can include in a Settings table, along with descriptions of each setting:
| Property Name | Description | Value |
| StandardNames | Allows authors to assemble HotDocs Models or convert templates to HotDocs Model where field names include spaces and other special characters. These characters are typically not allowed in HotDocs Model authoring.
When a template is converted to a HotDocs Model and it uses non-standard field names, this setting is automatically added to the Settings table and set to False. If this property isn't defined in the Settings table, HotDocs will use the property defined in HotDocs Options. (See the HotDocs Model Naming Standards and Rules for Naming Variable Fields for details.) |
(True)
False |
| DefaultPrompts | Generates default prompts based on field names. Prompts are used to identify the question in a dialog. For example, if a text field name is ClientName, this setting will automatically assign it the prompt of Client name. | (True)
False |
| DefaultTitles | Generates default titles based on field names. Titles are used to describe the field when it appears as an icon in the HotDocs interview outline. For example, if a text field name is ClientName, this setting will automatically assign it the title of Client Name. | (True)
False |
| DefaultResources | Generates resource text for markup fields based on the document text surrounding the field. This provides context for the question in the interview. | (True)
False |
| IrrelDefault | Defines the default value (hidden, grayed, or always showing) for irrelevant variables in the interview.
This option is available in HotDocs 2009 and later. |
(Gray)
hide show |
The following is an example of how you can define a Settings table:
| Name | Value |
| StandardNames | True |
| DefaultPrompts | True |
| DefaultTitles | True |
| DefaultResources | False |
You can also define these settings directly in the template. To do this, simply create a Settings field, like this: [Settings:StandardNames=true;DefaultPrompts=false].