Answer Date Questions

To make it easier to answer Date variables, HotDocs provides three different ways to enter a date:

• Type the letter t, then move to the next answer field. HotDocs converts the letter to the current date.
• Type a date using a common format, such as MM/DD/YYYY. HotDocs converts the format to match the format specified for the template.
• Click the Calendar button to access the Calendar dialog box. Then use the Next or Previous arrows to find the desired month and year. Select a day, and click OK.

HotDocs requires a four-digit year for Date variables. However, you can enter a two-digit year, and then let HotDocs convert it to a four-digit year. You can control which years are converted to 1900-century dates, and which are converted to 2000-century dates. See Control How HotDocs Handles Two-Digit and Four-Digit Years.

The Calendar button is not available when a Date variable is in a dialog repeated as a spreadsheet. However, if you click Edit Row, the pop-up interview will show the calendar button.

HotDocs may format dates in the interview different from the way they will appear in the assembled document. The appearance in the interview is controlled by a setting in the HotDocs Options dialog box. (See Change the Way Dates Appear in Answer Fields.) When a date appears in the document, however, it is formatted according to the format assigned to that variable.

HotDocs updates the interview as you enter answers in a dialog. If you experience a significant delay when moving from one answer to the next, you can have HotDocs update the interview less frequently. (See Update Your Interview Outline and Document.)