Add a Button that Starts an Application

HotDocs Version:HD6, HD2005
Word Processor:Microsoft Word, WordPerfect
Added to Knowledge Base:September 2004
Note:HotDocs 2006 and later users: Please see the HotDocs Help for instructions on creating an application link dialog element.

You can add a button to a custom dialog that users can click to start other applications. This can be helpful when users need to access other files to gather information for the interview. For example, a certain document may require information about real estate holdings—information that is gathered using a spreadsheet. You can provide a button allowing users to open the spreadsheet application at that point in the interview. When users assemble the document and view this dialog, they can click the button and the application you specified will be started.

You can also create a Computation variable that starts an application and then add a button to a dialog that runs that Computation variable. If the computation only starts an application, the result is the same as above. However, the computation can also perform calculations or set variables before starting the other application, in which case the results are not the same.

To add a button to a dialog that starts an application

  1. Open the dialog in the Dialog Editor.
  2. In the Additional text box, type @EXECUTE:applicationPath:buttonText.
    • Replace applicationPath with the path and file name of the application you want to start. The file name must have the .EXE extension. If you do not include a folder path, HotDocs looks for the file in the HotDocs program folder. Optionally, you may include command-line options after the file name extension, or use a reference path for the applicationPath parameter.
    • Replace buttonText with the text label which will appear on the button.
  3. Drag the additional text to the Contents box, placing it where you want the button to appear on the dialog.