You can use a Web Link Dialog Element to add a button or hyperlink to a dialog that opens a website in a new window. You can place the dialog element anywhere you want on the dialog like you would place any other component.
You can create and edit a web link dialog element in Component Studio.
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Basic component actions appear in the component toolbar, above the other component options.
| Button | What it Does |
| Rename | Displays the Rename Components dialog that enables you to rename your component. |
| Tools | Shows or hides the Tools pane on the right. |
| Duplicate | Displays the Duplicate Components dialog that enables you to create a copy of this component in the component file. |
| Delete | Displays the Delete Components dialog that enables you delete the component. You can also to view a list of templates or components who currently reference the selected component and you may have to fix after deletion. |
At the top of the editor you can see the name that HotDocs uses to identify this dialog element and the URL it uses.
| Property | What it Does |
| Name | Enables you to view and edit the name of your component. This field is editable for a component that is not referenced by a template or other component; otherwise, a non-editable box containing the name of the component. If non-editable, use Rename in the component tool bar. |
| URL | Enables you to type the URL of the web link. Ensure you type the URL correctly. Include http:// or https:// or ftp://, as appropriate.
For convenience, as you type the URL into the URL field, the Web Link dialog element name automatically updates. |
The Display tab provides you with options that enable you to change how a dialog element appears during an interview:
| Element | What it Does |
| Type | Enables you to choose whether to add a Button or a Hyperlink to the dialog for your template users to click to open the new browser window. |
| Size | (Only available if you select the Type: Button) Enables you to set the Size of the button in by changing the values in the horizontal and vertical choosers HotDocs provides. One unit is about equal to the width of the character 5. |
| Text | Select the Text check box to type the text you want to display on the dialog in a button or as a hyperlink. |
| Image | Select the Image check box to use the Browse button to add the image you want to display on the dialog in a button or as a hyperlink.
If you select Button above, the image is cropped to fit the button size. |
To provide you a quick way to know if this tab contains any content, you can see a + symbol on the tab if there is a note.
As you create components, you may want to include notes to remind yourself of decisions you made when creating the component. For example, maybe you need to remember information about restrictions you applied to a Number variable, or remind yourself of the purpose of the component in the template.
The notes tab enables you to type any notes you want about the component and its role in the template.
This information is not visible in the interview; it is for the author’s reference only.
The Window Options tab provides you with options that instruct HotDocs how the new browser window should look:
| Option | What it Does |
| Width | Enables you to set the width of the new window in pixels. |
| Height | Enables you to set the height of the new window in pixels. |
| Top | Enables you to set the top position, in pixels, of the new window on the screen. |
| Left | Enables you to set the left position, in pixels, of the new window on the screen. |
| Menu bar | Enables you to decide if you want the window to display the menu bar. Type yes or no. |
| Toolbar | Enables you to decide if you want the window to display the toolbar. Type yes or no. |
| Status bar | Enables you to decide if you want the window to display the status bar. Type yes or no. |
| Scrollbars | Enables you to decide if you want the window to display the scrollbars. Type yes or no. |
| Comma-separated list of options passed to window.open() | Displays a string of text created from the options you set above. HotDocs passes this string to a process called window.open which governs the opening settings of a new browser window. If you already have this string you can type it directly in this box rather than using the above options. |
On the right side of the component editor you can view a tools pane containing various (Components, Models, Referenced, or Field Editor) tabs for this component.
You can use the Tools button on the Component toolbar to show or hide the tools pane.
When you select a component in the Components column of Component Studio, you can look in the Used In tab to see the list of other components or templates (if there are any) that use the component you select. Double-clicking an item in the Used In tab opens that item for editing and places focus on the first reference to the component you selected.
When you select a text-based component property that can contain fields, the Field Editor tab appears in the Tools panel. Any HotDocs fields you add to the text that appear in an interview. When a template user provides an answer for that placeholder field in the interview, the answer appears in the component's interview display text.
The Field Editor works in this context just as it does in a DOCX template or in HotDocs Composer.
If you use a placeholder field in a component's interview display text, you must ensure the template user provides an answer for that placeholder before the interview displays the component containing the placeholder field.