Customize the Properties Tab of the Library Window

When a user selects an item in a HotDocs template library, information about the selected item appears in the Properties tab of the window. By default, HotDocs displays this information in a generic page that HotDocs generates. However, you can create a custom HTML document using the .HTM extension or . MHT extension (Web Archive) that replaces the HotDocs generic page. You can do this for individual items in a library, for an entire library, or for all libraries.

Creating a Custom Properties Page

Hierarchy of Properties Page Presentation

HDI File Caveats

Sample Code

Creating a Custom Properties Page

When you customize the Properties tab of the library, you can completely control the look and feel by adding your own contents and company logos, and using your own formatting and styles for the contents. Specifically:

To create a custom properties page for a specific template:

• Give your custom document the same name as your template, being sure to save the document with an .HTM or .MHT file name extension. For example, for a template with the file name Subpoena,docx, name your custom document either Subpoena.htm or Subpoena.mht. Be sure to save your custom properties page in the same folder as the template.

To create a custom properties page for a specific folder in a library:

• Give your custom document the same name as the library, followed by an underscore (_) and then the name of the folder, being sure to save the document with an .HTM or .MHT file name extension. For example, for a folder titled Corporate Minutes located in a library called Real Estate.hdl, name your custom document either Real Estate_Corporate Minutes.htm or Real Estate_Corporate Minutes.mht. Be sure to save your custom properties page in the same folder as the library file.

To create a custom properties page for just the main folder in a library:

• Give your custom document the same name as the library, followed by an underscore and the word main, being sure to save the document with an .HTM or .MHT file name extension.  For example, for a library called Estate Planning, name your custom document either Estate Planning_Main.htm or Estate Planning_Main.mht. Be sure to save your custom properties page in the same folder as the library file.

To create a custom properties page for an entire library:

• Give your custom document the same name as the library file, being sure to save the document with an .HTM or .MHT file name extension. For example, for a library called Real Estate.hdl, name your custom document either Real estate.htm or Real estate.mht. Be sure to save your custom properties page in the same folder as the library file.

To create a custom properties page for HotDocs to use for all items in all libraries:

• Name your custom document Properties.htm or Properties.mht. Be sure to save your custom properties page in the  default Libraries folder (for example, C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\My Documents\HotDocs\Libraries).

Hierarchy of Properties Page Presentation

When a user selects an item in the library, HotDocs determines whether you specified a custom properties to display the properties for the item. To determine this, HotDocs searches first for an HTML page that shares the same file name as the selected file. If nothing is found, HotDocs then searches for an HTML page that uses the same name as the library file. If this search doesn't yield anything, HotDocs searches for the file Properties.htm (or Properties.mht). Finally, if no custom HTML page exists, HotDocs generates its own properties page.

After you customize the Properties tab, when you select an item in the library, HotDocs takes the information it knows about the item (such as its title or description) and, using HTML Span Tags, substitutes that information into the HTML document and displays it instead of the default Properties tab.

HDI File Caveats

If you publish your templates as HDI files, you can include your template-specific custom properties pages by adding them as additional files in the HDI. Be aware, however, that when a user installs your HDI file, HotDocs installs all additional files within the same destination folder as the templates. In addition, when you publish, naming issues arise for items above the template level. Therefore, if you want to install custom properties pages that affect more than a single template, you should use your own custom installer.

Sample Code

The following is sample HTML code you can customize to adapt the Properties tab of the HotDocs template library for your needs:

<html>

<body>

<table width="100%">

<!-- This section of HTML code controls the properties for selected files in the library. You can format the text, remove properties you don't want displayed, and so forth. -->

<SPAN id="ID_FILE">

<tr>

<td width="100%" colspan="2">

<SPAN id="ID_HEADING"/>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td width="5%">

<p align="right">Title:</p>

</td>

<td width="95%">

<SPAN id="ID_TITLE"/>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td width="5%">

<p align="right">Type:</p>

</td>

<td width="95%">

<SPAN id="ID_TYPE"/>

</td>

</tr>

<SPAN id="ID_FILENAME_ROW">

<tr>

<td width="5%">

<p align="right">File name:</p>

</td>

<td width="95%">

<SPAN id="ID_FILENAME"/>

</td>

</tr>

</SPAN>

<tr>

<td width="5%">

<p align="right">

<SPAN id="ID_FILE_PATH_TEXT">File path:</SPAN>

</p>

</td>

<td width="95%">

<SPAN id="ID_FILEPATH"/>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td width="5%">

<p align="right">Description:</p>

</td>

<td width="95%">

<SPAN id="ID_DESCRIPTION"/>

</td>

</tr>

</SPAN>

<!-- This next section of HTML code controls the properties for selected folders in the library. You can format the text, remove properties you don't want displayed, and so forth. -->

<SPAN id="ID_FOLDER">

<tr>

<td width="100%" colspan="2">

<SPAN id="ID_HEADING"/>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td width="10%">

<p align="right">Title:</p>

</td>

<td width="90%">

<SPAN id="ID_TITLE"/>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td width="10%">

<p align="right">Description:</p>

</td>

<td width="90%">

<SPAN id="ID_DESCRIPTION"/>

</td>

</tr>

</SPAN>

</table>

</body>

</html>