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Create The Master of Masters

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This post deals with how to quickly (but manually) create a component file from our spreadsheet.

The Goal

What we are aiming to achieve is to create a single template in our budding HotDocs library that will contain every variable and dialog that will ever be used in our system. It will be our Master template, that doesn't contain content from any other template, but contains all the HotDocs data from every template. There are several reasons why this is beneficial:

  • If you wish to run single component files, this will allow you to update a single component file that you can copy out from
  • With some time, you can build a "document selection" dialog, which will in turn allow your users to run this single template, which will conditionally assembly any and all documents they want
  • With some more time, you can embed every conditional statement into this template, and it can serve as an "extract" of an answer file, that is far more readable than the answer summaries provided by HotDocs
  • If your system is well designed and produces the right documents every time (and your users are confident of this with plenty of testing), your users can proof read this extract instead of reading lengthy legal documents
  • It makes a great way to test your entire system, to ensure the dialogs order themselves correctly, that every question is asked that needs to be asked and other such beta-testing procedures
  • With our Excel blueprint, we can create a component file really fast

How To!

I will be working from the Excel spreadsheet I posted, which can be obtained here.

Preparing

  • Open up Excel and make sure your designed system is how you want it to be, check for spelling mistakes and the like
  • Remove all filters from your spreadsheet

Create a complete variable name column

  • Insert a new column between Columns F & G - name it "Full Var Name" or something to indicate this is the full variable name (not 3 separate parts).
  • In two cells totally unrelated to your document assembly content (For example, cell M2) we are going to enter an "open variable marker" that HotDocs will recognize and allow us to quickly create variables. In a 2nd cell, (for example, N2) we are going to create the close variable marker

If you are running HotDocs 6.x or earlier

  • In cell M2, hold down the ALT key and hit 0171 on the numeric keypad then release the alt key (« should appear - a HotDocs open variable marker)
  • In cell N2, hold down the ALT key and hit 0187 on the numeric keypad then release the alt key (» should appear - a HotDocs close variable marker)

If you are running HotDocs 2005

  • Easy stuff - HD 2005 uses [ and ] as the markers it will recognize. In cell M2 type the [ key. In cell N2 type the ] key.

Set up the formula

  • In (the new) cell G2, type the following excel formula:

    =CONCATENATE($M$2,C2," ",D2," ",E2,$N$2)

    This should create a full variable name for Row 2, complete with open & close HotDocs markers ( « » or [ ] depending on your version)

    Copy that formula to every row in the spreadsheet in column G
  • Highlight your new cell content (G2) and hit Ctrl+C.
  • Move to the last variable row so it is visible on your screen
  • While holding down the SHIFT key, click in Colum G on the last row (you should have the column selected now)
  • Hit Ctrl + V

Get It Into Word

  • Select the "Prompt" (F) and "Full Var Name" (G) Columns - Click in Cell F2, move to the last row in the spreadsheet, hold down the shift key and click in Column G on the last row
  • Hit Ctrl + C
  • Open up MSWord or WordPerfect
  • Set up your page and margins to whatever is appropriate for your firm

Making it Pretty in Word

If you are NOT using a style sheet

  • Hit Ctrl + V
  • Size the table columns so that about 2/3 of your page width is taken up by the prompt column.
  • Highlight the entire table and use your word processor's function to convert the table to text using tabs.
  • Set indents and such to suit

If you ARE using a style sheet

  • Using Word's menu: Edit -> Paste Special -> Unformatted Text
  • Apply your styles

Start at the bottom of your template - this will mean that you will create each variable as you move UP your template, and by the time you hit the top row (which should be a dialog entry), you can create that dialog immediately as all the variables will have been created. No guessing which dialogs have been created and which not - they are all done as you move through the template. Also, when you create a dialog, you will only get a list of the last "dialog set" of variables you created (HotDocs will filter variables that are unassigned to a dialog to the top of the list)

Time to Create Each Component

For Each Line: Computations

  • Leave the word "computation" (or whatever other entry you placed in the prompt column on CO var types) and highlight the entire variable name, including markers
  • Click the HotDocs "Variable" icon in your toolbar
  • Your variable name should appear - in the content of the computation, simply type // or perhaps copy your notes in or whatever else you wish - we are creating the variable, not the content of the script

For Each Line: Regular Variables

  • Select and copy (not cut) the prompt
  • Highlight the entire variable name, including markers
  • Click the HotDocs "Variable" icon in your toolbar
  • The variable name should appear - move to the prompt field and hit Ctrl + V (paste the prompt you copied into the variable)
  • Apply any default format examples and the like you wish
  • Click OK and move on to the next variable

For Each Line: Dialogs

  • Insert an ASK statement for the dialog, then use that ASK statement to enter your dialog and build it. Pay attention to your spreadsheet while you do this as it SHOULD list all the rules. These rules will become your dialog script, to ensure your users only see those variables that are relevant.

Finishing Up

  • Fill in your computation scripts. If you have not entered them, also fill in your dialog scripts
  • If you intend to allow your users to assemble the master to check what information they have already entered (as a proof reading mechanism or otherwise), make sure your template accurately reflects this use - make it look good, apply formatting examples and the like
  • Run it, test it, use it to check your system and make sure everything is coming in that needs to come in. This is all your pure data without worrying about scrutinizing legal content (that can come later when you test your templates as each is programmed)

What We Got

A single component file with every variable and dialog that our system will need. From here, if you wish to take the time, you can review the rules & notes listed in your blueprint, and embed all the rules into this master, to ensure that your library has a "HotDocs" blueprint.

With this method, we are eliminating the "double typing" problem that would occur if we were to design in Excel, then manually enter our data into HotDocs. This ensures that we can use all excel's native functions to check our design (including spell check and the like), then simply copy and paste it into HotDocs.