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DIY Document Automation - Last Updated October 10, 2016
Hello! Here's a quick overview on automating your documents. The easiest way to get going is just to try the sample document.
Feel free to make some changes to see how it works.
When you want to add an automated field into a document, just name it whatever you like using only letters or numbers (but don't have a number as the first part after "v_field_"), replace all spaces with underscores ("_") and then add v_field_ to the beginning of the name.
Example. Change this:
To this:
When you want to add language that you can turn on or off, simply name it using the basic pattern, and then end it with _applicability. At the end of the language you want to make optional, type v_field_end.
Example. Change this:
To this:
Or to make the language optional with a default alternative, separate the alternatives with v_field_else.
Example:
Or to make a series of language sections, only one of which can be used, separate the alternatives (starting with the second) with _else_applicability.
Example:
Note: when using optional tags, all of the tags in the group must each be in their own paragraphs, or all of the tags in the group must be part of one paragraph.
Example of incorrect pattern (as v_field_arbitration_applicability is in its own paragraph, while v_field_else and v_field_end are part of a separate paragraph):
Example of correct pattern (as each of v_field_arbitration_applicability, v_field_else and v_field_end is in its own paragraph):
When you want to repeat items for a list, simply name it using the basic pattern, and then end it with _hashes_each. At the end of the language you want to make optional, type v_field_end. Between the starting and ending fields, items in the list should have the same field name, but changing _hashes_each to _hashed and whatever you would like to name the item.
Example. Change this:
To this:
To create a readable list with commas, semi-colons and an and or an or, create a repeated list as above and insert v_field_comma_conjunctive, v_field_semicolon_conjunctive, v_field_comma_disjunctive, v_field_serial_comma_ambigjunctive or similarly patterned field before the v_field_end tag.
Example. Change this:
To this:
To add numbering to list items, create a repeated list as above and insert v_field_ordinal_index, v_field_ordinal_roman, v_field_ordinal_romanette or v_field_ordinal_alpha somewhere before the v_field_end tag.
Example. Change this:
To this:
When you want to repeat table rows for a list, use a start tag (e.g., v_field_purchaser_hashes_each) at the beginning of the first cell in the row, and end the repeated section in a row following with v_field_table_row_end.
Example. Change this:
| Name | Shares |
|---|---|
| [Name] | [Shares] |
| [Name] | [Shares] |
To this:
| Name | Shares |
|---|---|
| v_field_purchaser_hashes_each v_field_purchaser_hashed_name | v_field_purchaser_hashed_shares |
| v_field_table_row_end |
To create optional logic that depends on whether a _hashes list has more than one item, use v_field_my_special_field_hashes_plurality_applicability and end the logic with a v_field_end tag.
Example. Change this:
To this:
To create a field that is the sum of an item within the list, use _hashes_summed followed by the name of the item.
Example. Change this:
To this:
Note: similar to Optional Tags, when using repeated tags, the start tags (e.g., v_field_purchaser_hashes_each) and the end tags (v_field_end) in the group must each be in their own paragraphs, or all of the tags in the group must be part of one paragraph. One exception, however, is if a table row is started with a repeated start tag (see above).
Certain words used in a field name will create some special behavior.
Ending a field with "_date" (e.g., v_field_agreement_date) will be interpreted as a date and the corresponding input generated to complete the field will be a datepicker.
Ending a field with "_upcase" (e.g., v_field_company_name_upcase) will be interpreted as the field without the ending (v_field_company_name), but will cause the value of the field to be ALL CAPS.
Ending a field with "_words" (e.g., v_field_shares_words) will be interpreted as a number field without the ending (v_field_shares), but will cause the value of the field to be converted to words.
Ending a field with "_titleized" (e.g., v_field_shares_words_titleized) will be interpreted as the field without the ending (v_field_shares), but will cause each word in the field value to be capitalized.
Ending a field with "_ambipluralize" (e.g., v_field_period_type_ambipluralize) will be interpreted as the field without the ending (v_field_period_type), but will cause the value of the field to end with (s) or (es).
Ending a field with "_no_period" (e.g., v_field_company_name_no_period) will be interpreted as the field without the ending (v_field_company_name), but will be interpreted to remove any period from the end of the value.
Ending a field with "_verbosedate" (e.g., v_field_agreement_date_verbosedate) will be interpreted as a date and the value will formatted like 15th day of September, 2015 and the corresponding input generated to complete the field will be a datepicker.
Ending a field with "_percent_threshold" or "_perc_threshold" (e.g., v_field_waiver_perc_threshold) will be interpreted as a voting threshold, the corresponding input generated to complete the field will ask for a percentage and the value will be formatted as follows: 50% as a majority, 66.66% or 66.67% as two-thirds and 60% (or the like) as at least 60%.
Ending a field with "_threshold_perc", "_percent" or "_perc" (e.g., v_field_minimum_shares_threshold_perc) will be interpreted as a percentage, the corresponding input generated to complete the field will ask for a percentage and the value will be formatted as follows: 50% as 50%, etc.
Ending a field with "_salary", "_fee_cap", "_valuation_cap", "_flat_fee", "_proceeds_threshold", "_proceeds", "_dollar", "_bonus", "_cash" or "_cash_amount" (e.g., v_field_employee_salary) will be interpreted as a dollar amount, the corresponding input generated to complete the field will ask for a dollar integer and the value will be formatted as follows: 1 as $1, etc.
Ending a field with "_wage", "_fee", "_fmv", "_per_share", "_per_sh", "_p_sh", "_check_consideration", "_precise_dollar",, "_dollar_precise", "_precise_cash", "_cash_precise", "_precise_bonus" or "_bonus_precise" (e.g., v_field_common_stock_par_value_per_share) will be interpreted as a dollar amount, the corresponding input generated to complete the field will ask for a dollar decimal and the value will be formatted as follows: 1.00001 as $1.00001, etc.
Ending a field with "precise_number", "_vesting_total_years", "_vesting_years" or "_multiple" (e.g., v_field_vesting_years) will be interpreted as a decimal, the corresponding input generated to complete the field will ask for a decimal and the value will be formatted as follows: 1.00001 as 1.00001, etc.
Ending a field with "number", "_num_seats", "_number_seats", "_total_directors", "_min_options", "_max_options", "_maximum_installments", "_cap", "_months", "_shares", "_meetings" or the like (e.g., v_field_severance_num_installments) will be interpreted as an integer, the corresponding input generated to complete the field will ask for a positive integer and the value will be formatted as follows: 1 as 1, etc.
Ending a field with "_org_state" (e.g., v_field_org_state) will be interpreted as a state drop-down.
Ending a field with "_governing_law_state", "_headquarters_state", "_governing_law_state_fallback", "_arbitration_place" or "_submission_federal_district" (e.g., v_field_governing_law_state) will be interpreted as a state auto-complete.
Ending a field with "_org_type", "_organization_type", "_organizational_type", "_entity_type" (e.g., v_field_org_type) will be interpreted as a legal entity-type auto-complete.
Other magic words explained earlier are:
Other reserved words:
You may want to automate the generation of a form copy of the document in addition to the automation of an executable version. Use v_field_form_copy in same way as _applicability to indicate language to be used if a form is being generated.
Example. Change this in an employee offer letter:
To this:
You may want to include comments in the document that would need to be removed when a document is generated. Use v_field_annotated_copy in same way as _applicability to indicate language to be used if an annotated copy is being generated and would otherwise be removed from generated documents.
To include a comment for a specific field in the document, which will be included as part of the input seen when later filling out a template, but is otherwise removed from the document when an execution version is being generated, use v_field_my_special_field_annotation in same way as _applicability or v_field_annotated_copy.
Text after v_field_annotated_copy and _annotation ending with the first v_field_end is included as part of the comment. Accordingly, the comment should not contain any other fields.
Example. Change this in an employee offer letter:
To this:
Or to this:
Or to this:
You may want to tag and extract data out of a document when it is generated. Simply name it using the basic pattern but v_capture_ instead of v_field_. At the end of the language you want to tag or capture, type v_capture_end. Captures can also be deeply nested, but each must end with v_capture_end.
Example. Change this in an employee offer letter:
To this:
Some of the features used in Word don't have good alternatives in other platforms or with some conversion tools. To increase the consistency of formatting among platforms, here are a few tips:
Some other tips to follow:
To add a signer and signature to a document, use v_sig_person_label followed by a v_field_end tag.
To add a list of signers and signatures all playing the same role to a document, use the plural v_sigs_person_labels, with the individual signature block in between (v_sig_person_label and v_field_end), and then ended with a v_sigs_end tag.
One or more of the following magic words can be appended to the v_sig_ tag: _chained (allows the signer to include a chain of authority in the signature block), _named (appends the signer's name after the signature), _titled (appends the signer's name and title, if available, after signature block, _addressed (appends the signer's notice address after the signature block( and _dated (includes a date stamp of the date the document was actually signed with the signature).
Each signature tag is block-level and should be in its own paragraph.
v_field_else can be used after a v_sig_ tag to include an alterative signature block used in a non-electronically signed version of the document.
Examples:
To be further documented.
When building a document template, the document template can be set to automatically fill out fields in the document with data available in a data room or from the transaction. This is done in the document templating wizard tool by dragging an api handle to a particular field, with matching data type and color.
To be further documented.
