HotDocs
Encyclopedia
HotDocs is an automated document generation software program currently owned and marketed by HotDocs Limited. Version 1.0 was introduced in 1993 by Capsoft Development and its founder, Marshall Morrise. HotDocs has been built upon and enhanced continuously since its introduction and continues to be one of the most popular document generation tools in common use. The story of the emergence of HotDocs and its pre-origins in the DOS-based CAPS Author (Computer Assisted Practice Systems) is told by HotDocs Limited. Originating as a power tool for developing expert systems for generating documents, HotDocs has become a product with more than a million users, many of them lawyers.
HotDocs is a development tool that helps developers, users, or content experts embed variables and simple scripting instructions into legal documents. The result is a pair of files, the template and a matched HotDocs component file. When a template is assembled, an end user is presented with a dynamic, hierarchical interview, allowing them to peruse and input the required information in a logical and organized manner. A customized document is produced as the final result, and information entered into an interview can also be saved in XML answer files to be reused when assembling other templates.
HotDocs templates can be in a variety of native formats, including RTF
, Microsoft Word
binary (DOT), Corel WordPerfect
, or PDF
. Assembled documents are also therefore native files in these formats, and native formatting is preserved during assembly. It also features a powerful COM
API
, making it possible to use as part of a larger workflow.
HotDocs scripting, also known as document modelling
can range from simple variable substitutions (similar to mail merge
) to complex systems involving logic, repetitions, insertions, recursion, etc. Some of the terms in the scripting language are explained in this glossary. But unlike an embedded system, HotDocs scripting can be added to templates in a variety of file formats, and can be modified in a familiar development environment (usually the word processor).
There is also a version of HotDocs designed to run on web servers. This product takes the same templates developed on and for the desktop version, and delivers interviews to users in their web browsers; customized documents are assembled on the server. It is commonly used in corporate environments where controlled document production and routing are critical.
Over the last several years, HotDocs has also developed an integration with Time Matters
, LexisNexis' practice management software package, so that material can be shared between the two programs for greater efficiency.
HotDocs is a development tool that helps developers, users, or content experts embed variables and simple scripting instructions into legal documents. The result is a pair of files, the template and a matched HotDocs component file. When a template is assembled, an end user is presented with a dynamic, hierarchical interview, allowing them to peruse and input the required information in a logical and organized manner. A customized document is produced as the final result, and information entered into an interview can also be saved in XML answer files to be reused when assembling other templates.
HotDocs templates can be in a variety of native formats, including RTF
Rich Text Format
The Rich Text Format is a proprietary document file format with published specification developed by Microsoft Corporation since 1987 for Microsoft products and for cross-platform document interchange....
, Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is a word processor designed by Microsoft. It was first released in 1983 under the name Multi-Tool Word for Xenix systems. Subsequent versions were later written for several other platforms including IBM PCs running DOS , the Apple Macintosh , the AT&T Unix PC , Atari ST , SCO UNIX,...
binary (DOT), Corel WordPerfect
WordPerfect
WordPerfect is a word processing application, now owned by Corel.Bruce Bastian, a Brigham Young University graduate student, and BYU computer science professor Dr. Alan Ashton joined forces to design a word processing system for the city of Orem's Data General Corp. minicomputer system in 1979...
, or PDF
Portable Document Format
Portable Document Format is an open standard for document exchange. This file format, created by Adobe Systems in 1993, is used for representing documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems....
. Assembled documents are also therefore native files in these formats, and native formatting is preserved during assembly. It also features a powerful COM
Component Object Model
Component Object Model is a binary-interface standard for software componentry introduced by Microsoft in 1993. It is used to enable interprocess communication and dynamic object creation in a large range of programming languages...
API
Application programming interface
An application programming interface is a source code based specification intended to be used as an interface by software components to communicate with each other...
, making it possible to use as part of a larger workflow.
HotDocs scripting, also known as document modelling
Document modelling
Document Modelling looks at the inherent structure in documents. It looks not at the structure in formatting which is the classic realm of word-processing tools, but at the structure in content. Because document content is typically viewed as the ad hoc result of a creative process, the art of...
can range from simple variable substitutions (similar to mail merge
Mail merge
Mail merge is a software function which allows to create multiple documents from a single template form and a structured data source.-History:This technique of merging data to create gave rise to the term mail merge....
) to complex systems involving logic, repetitions, insertions, recursion, etc. Some of the terms in the scripting language are explained in this glossary. But unlike an embedded system, HotDocs scripting can be added to templates in a variety of file formats, and can be modified in a familiar development environment (usually the word processor).
There is also a version of HotDocs designed to run on web servers. This product takes the same templates developed on and for the desktop version, and delivers interviews to users in their web browsers; customized documents are assembled on the server. It is commonly used in corporate environments where controlled document production and routing are critical.
Over the last several years, HotDocs has also developed an integration with Time Matters
Time Matters
Time Matters is practice management software, produced by LexisNexis which was purchased by Reed Elsevier in March, 2004. It differs from contact management software such as ACT! or GoldMine because in addition to contacts, it manages calendaring, email, documents, research, billing, accounting,...
, LexisNexis' practice management software package, so that material can be shared between the two programs for greater efficiency.