Category: HotDocs Templates

Running HotDocs Player and HotDocs Developer (in different versions)

Face it: we don’t always upgrade to the latest version of a program. There is the cost of the upgrade, and the cost of “conversion”.  The cost of conversion on HotDocs upgrades has been over-rated.  With HotDocs 2009, you can keep the CMP in the HotDocs 2006-2008 format, ensuring painless upgrades.  However, if you don’t upgrade, some issues can arise.  This is particularly true for those who purchase LexisNexis automated forms or other published form set such as Wealth Transfer Planning.  These programs typically come with a license to “HotDocs Player 2009”.  This is the SAME as HotDocs User (previously HotDocs Standard) with one exception.  It will ONLY run “published form sets” and to publish a form set you need a “publisher’s key” and a special license arrangement with HotDocs corporation.  This is a non-issue if you have HotDocs 2009 (or the latest version).  However, if you don’t you can find that your own firm-developed templates NO LONGER WORK.

The Cause of the Problem

When you install a published form set it check if you have the most current version of HotDocs Developer, Standard or User.  If your machine does, the templates are installed and everything works.  If you do NOT have the most current version, it find the HotDocs6 folder in your program files directory, and inserts a subfolder called PLAYER.  It installs HotDocs player in this subfolder.  When you launch a one of the Automated Forms libraries, Windows “associates” the .HDL (Library files) with HotDocs 2009 Player.  So, that the next time you launch a library .HDL (assuming you have shortcuts to each of your libraries), it launched HotDocs Player and your library.  However, HotDocs Player will not PLAY your templates, so they are locked and unusable. Conversely, if you launch HotDocs 2008 (or earlier), it will open the last library, which will be the Automated Forms, which will throw an error that says cannot run templates, wrong version of HotDocs.

The Solution

Upgrade to HotDocs 2009 is the easiest solution.  However, you can also take advantage of the “command line” options of HotDocs to effectively tell Windows which version of HotDocs to run with each library. This is done by creating a shortcut to each library and putting them on your desktop:
1.  Right-click on each library (.HDL) file, and choose: Send To -> Desktop (create shortcut)”
2.  Right-click on the Shortcut and Choose Properties
3.  Under Target, insert the following “before” the path and name of the library file
For FIRM created Templates (Windows XP or Vista/Windows7):
“C:\Program Files\HotDocs 6\HotDocs6.exe” /lf="path and file name”
or
“C:\Program Files (x86)\HotDocs 6\HotDocs6.exe” /lf="path and file name”
For AUTOMATED Templates (Windows XP or Vista/Windows7):
“C:\Program Files\HotDocs 6\Player\HotDocs6.exe” /lf="path and file name”
or
“C:\Program Files (x86)\HotDocs 6\Player\HotDocs6.exe” /lf="path and file name”

Dcoument Assembly on the Move – Contract Express

I have never been more optimistic about the future of document assembly than today. After years of retrenchment and stagnation, the market is full of new energy and ferment.  HotDocs is under new management, but it is not clear what direction it will be taking.  On the desktop, XpressDox has been launched by key developers formerly of Korbitec, developers of GhostFill. At $150/user, a free full-functioning trial downloads, a full powered syntax markup that requires NO component file and automatically determines relevance, there is some real new energy on the desktop level.

On the server level, it is even more exciting.  Most document assembly server systems started at $25,000 and then went up into the statosphere.  At those prices, document assembly servers were the exclusive domain of large corporations and large firms, or used as publishing platforms.  The software, from Exari, Business-Integrity, and LexisNexis was very powerful, but often required, in addition to cost extensive domain knowledge in configuring and hardening a web-server, beefy hardware requirement, and large bandwidth.  Changes in management at HotDocs and Exari, as well as changes in direction at Business-Integrity could soon change that equation.

The first out of the gate with a solution for the “uncommon attorney” and little guy is Business Integrity.  It has taken its powerful DealBuilder document assembly and relevance engine and rebranded, repackaged, and re-engineered it to function in the CLOUD on a hosted SAAS basis.  With the release of ContractExpress this week, Business Integrity, has thrown down the gauntlet.  For $195/month per user, you can now have world-class document assembly on the web.  And, if you have never seen ContractExpress in action, it redefines document assembly in power and ease of use.

Disclosure: I am an independent document assembly specialist.  That said.  I am in the business of building document assembly systems.  In the process, I resell software and do collect (depending on vendor arrangements) commissions on those sales.  I currently am a partner with Business Integrity, and thus, if I am engaged to do consulting using ContractExpress, and my client signs up for ContractExpress, I will get a commission.

Back to ContractExpress.  Several years ago I reviewed DealBuilder for Technolawyer.  A copy of that review is on my website and LinkedIn profile.  Two years ago, I previewed a version of DealBuilder in London during a trip there, the version that has become ContractExpress.  ContractExpress is a fully powered system that supports all you would expect from a document assembly engine.  What is exciting about ConractExpress is that the power is “hidden” behind a vastly simplified interface.  The interface just works.  It allows incredibly rapid template development.  Between the ContractExpress “ribbon” in Word 2007 and the task panel list of components, you can do all your development without ever leaving your word processor.

Take ContractExpress out for a spin— Click Here and let me know if you have any questions. Over the next few months, I will be taking a much closer look at ContractExpress, as well as posting tips and syntax guidelines in a new section of our blog.

INSERT template

Not to be confused with the ASSEMBLE command (which queues a template for assembly after your current template has finished), the INSERT command does exactly that – inserts the content of one template into a different template (known as the “parent” template).

This instruction is extremely handy and very under utilised as it is useful for a wide variety of things, not just inserting letterhead!

The INSERT command should largely be used in templates.  There are ways to use the INSERT command inside a computation, but there are limitations and rules that apply.  Allegedly, an INSERT command cannot be placed inside headers or footers in your template however, we have found that it works just fine with footers, which can save some time in some situations.  At any rate, here’s how it works in several different ways -

Template in same location as the template you are inserting into (known as the “parent” template)
«INSERT “Template.rtf”»

Subfolder of location of parent template
«INSERT “SomeSubfolder\Template01.rtf”»

Full file path for anywhere on your system
«INSERT “T:\HDTemplates\Litigation\Template01.rtf”»

Using a Reference path
«INSERT “^HotDocsLitigation\Template01.rtf”»

Default Templates folder
«INSERT “\Template01.rtf”»

The INSERT statement is quite often used inside IF statements to conditionally insert oeprative parts of documents.  Interstate notices, optional schedules, attached forms etc are all usually INSERTed inside IF statements.

Common Uses for INSERTed Templates

  • All stationery, such as letterheads, faxes and memos, with accompanying headers, footers and page numbering
  • Signing / execution clauses (say, a single “corporate execution” block and a single “power of attorney execution” block)
  • Court headers and footers
  • Boilerplate text such as acceptance clauses, court seals, hearing dates, witness blocks and the like
  • RE lines on letters
  • Schedules

Additionally, INSERTed templates are quite often used simply to segregate content in long templates, so that each template can be tested by itself in isolation to the rest of the template.

Some Off Label Uses

With a bit of effort, it is possible to set up INSERT templates to take parameters.  All you have to do is write your INSERT template with a temporary variable that you SET before you insert.  Here’s a quick example:

INSERT Template Code:

Some random text up here that is boiler plate and always appears regardless of how the INSERT template is used.

«IF OPT UseNotice TF = TRUE»
This notice must be complied with within 14 days unless otherwise specified.

«END IF»
More random text here about something or nothing at all really.

«IF tmpTE = "Borrower"»
This notice is directed to the Borrower's solicitors and must be complied with within 7 days of the date hereof.
«ELSE IF tmpTE = "Lender"»
This notice is directed to the Lender's solicitors and must be complied with whenever convenient to the Lender.
«END IF»

«IF OPT UseFooter TF = TRUE»
This footer is absolutely pointless except insofar as it demonstrates the concepts of parameters in INSERT templates as applied by the HotDocs document assembly engine.
«END IF»

So all we have really done here is code the INSERT template with some preset variables to hold preset values.  Then, when its time to insert the template, we set the parameter variables prior to inserting the template.

PARENT Template Code:

«SET tmpTE TO "Borrower"»«SET OPT UseNotice TF TO FALSE»«SET OPT UseFooter TF TO TRUE»
«INSERT "OurInsertedTemplate.rtf"»

Client Facing Data Entry

Have you ever wished that your CLIENTS could enter their own data.  Sure, you wouldn’t want them to “do their own documents”.  But isn’t it a pain taking hand-written questionnaires filled out by clients, and then having to re-enter that data into your HotDocs template system.  There has to be an easier way.  Why not have a secure “data entry form” on your own website where you can direct your clients to answer the questions.  Such system would notify you when a questionnaire was completed.  You could then “download” their information as a HotDocs answer file and use it for your templates. Such a system is in the “Skunk works” phase at Basha Systems.  If you are interested, please give Rose a call at (914) 827-9173.

The world of web forms has advanced dramatically in the past few years.  Basha Systems will be creating for its clients private portals which can either be part of a custom website or a subdomain. These portals will include, in addition to the client intake forms, custom built to feed your own HotDocs system, areas for firm articles and announcements in a stylish website.  We are looking for early volunteers who understand the value of productivity and want to take their workflow to the next level.

Please give us a call.

DEBUG

The HotDocs DEBUG instruction model is very simple, very powerful and very clear about its use.  DEBUG is used to…well, debug!  If you have templates or computations that are producing unexpected or incorrect output, using the DEBUG instruction may get you back on track just a little quicker.

There are two uses of DEBUG – in templates and in scripts (both Dialog scripts and computations).  Both uses have a very similar effect.

By placing a DEBUG instruction in your template or script, you tell HotDocs to display the Debugger screen.  With the debugger, you can manually step through a script or template while viewing extremely detailed information regarding each variable’s value.  You can add variables to watch lists, “step” the script (ie: manually tell HotDocs to progress the script line by line) and watch the variable values change with each step.  Using DEBUG, you can quickly identify what data is coming in/going out and what data is changing.  This will allow you to track down any errors quickly, as you can not only assess each computation or variable, but also the variable values that went into creating the problematic data.

Additionally, the Debugger contains a processing stack tab.  This is a sequential list of templates and components to be processed, in order.  It will also give you the reason as to WHY HotDocs has a particular item in the queue.

In the most general sense, the Debugger gives you a real look under the hood as to exacty how HotDocs is handling/treating your code.  This is invaluable if you simply cannot make your code produce the correct content.

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