Color Coded Optional Blocks

   You can color code your conditional text. Pathagoras can 'read' the colors you are using and keep or delete the color-coded text as you request.

   Pathagoras will read and decipher each line of 'color commands' placed at the top of a document, and present a 'color coded' selection screen showing the colors and the corresponding prompts you have designated. Check the boxes to keep, or not, the text of the specific color. Press the 'Next' button and it is done. Fast and easy.

   Rules and examples follow below.

Rules:

If used, a 'color command' must appear as the first line(s) of a document.

The color command is introduced with <C> or <C:radio> to open the line and </C> to close it. Inside each boundary are 'painted' prompts representing, by color, actions you want to take. These boundaries must be painted black.

Separate each color/prompt from the others with a simple slash.

Example.

<C> Check if married/Check if children/Check if any child< 18</C>

 

Use <C> if you want to allow multiple choices. Check boxes will be presented.

Use <C:radio> if you want to allow only a single choice. Radio buttons will be presented.

You can have up to 6 colors/prompts per line. You can, however, have as many color command lines are you need..

Black is not an available color for processing. All black text automatically remains in the document.

You can provide a /NEGOPT alternative to keep text to the right of the /NEGOPT switch if you don't select a 'checkbox' item. (The text to the right of the /NEGOPT will remain in the document if the checkbox is not selected; it will be deleted if the checkbox is selected.) Read more about /NEGOPT here. /NEGOPT is also illustrated in the large example at the end of this page.

Examples:

<C>Color Sample 1/Color Sample 2/Color Sample 3/Color Sample 4/Color Sample 5/Color Sample 6</C>

   This results in the following form when the document is processed. (You can test this example, and others on this page, by copying and pasting it into a Word document and press Alt-P -- for 'p'rocess):

 

Click to enlarge

 

   Of course, a caption like 'Color Sample 1' doesn't provide an end user with any useful information. Not to worry. You can replace the text with any meaningful (but still painted) phrase or question you desire. For example,
 

<C>Children/Minor Children/Charitable Gifts/Alternate Trustees</C>

   The above would result in these more meaningful set of check-boxes:

Click to collapse

    There is no proper 'order' as to when paint your prompts or text. The only requirement is that 'at the end of the day,' the prompts in the color command line(s) correlate to the body text.

PAINTING and PAIRING Text with Prompts

Capturing existing colored text.

  If you have a document that is already colored, Pathagoras can scan the document, capture the first 6 colors (other than black) that it discovers, and place those colors with proper <C> and </C> markers at the top of the document. (The text of each color will initially be marked with simple by 'Color 1, 2, etc'. You would then provide appropriate text for the end user before saving the document.) This Capture tool is found under the Pathagoras Features dropdown.

                                               

    Click to enlarge.redarrowClick to enlarge

 

   Press the 'Capture' button and Pathagoras will quickly scan the document, 'capturing' the existing colors and presenting them in a proper configured 'first line'. All you need to do is change the text representing each color (initially 'Color 1/Color 2 . . . ') to a meaningful question or prompt.

You can use the Color Chart to paint various sections of the document consistent colors. To activate the color chart, Pathagoras Features | Authoring/Editing Tools | Color. Alternatively, you can call the Color Chart by highlighing a small block of colored text and pressing Alt-G (to 'g'et the color. The nice thing about this approach is that the chart will select the underlying color and show you its name.' Highlight other blocks and click the 'Paint' button.

You can use the Format Painter to capture a color and transfer it to another block of text.

   Other notes:

You can call up the Color Menu directly from the editing screen by typing 'color' followed immediately by <Alt-G>.

If you plan to Color a lot, copy the Color Menu to the Quick Access Toolbar.

Pathagoras can process up to 36 colors per document (but only 6 per <C> . . .</C> line.

Document body text associated with a specific color need not be contiguous. All text of the same color are processed identically throughout the document (i.e., 'keep' or 'delete') with the exception of /NEGOPT text. /NEGOPT text, as the name implies, does the opposite of the selection: It remains if the color was not selected (and disappears if the color was NOT selected, leaving only the 'positive' text.

Colored sections can be individual letters, words, whole paragraphs and multiple paragraphs.

If a section of text contains a paragraph marker, make sure that paragraph has been painted the same color as the text above and beneath it. Otherwise, the paragraph will be seen as a standalone' element, and your spacing between sections as well as automatic paragraph numbering may be thrown off. (To 'see' the paragraph marker, click the Show All button in Word's home tab.)

If a selection is checked for 'retain', that text will be repainted in black (or whatever your 'default' text color is). You can turn off this repaint to black feature, and leave the original colors in place. This is especially useful for testing.

Each color command line will be deleted automatically at the end of the process. As each line is processed, subsequent lines (if any) will be moved 'up' to the first line position. Therefore there should be no spaces between color command lines.

Not every color that Windows makes available can be processed by Pathagoras. The restriction is actually Microsoft -- not Pathagoras -- limited. Only colors in Microsoft's default palette (36 of them) can be used.  Pathagoras provides a Color Chart of the 36 'legal' colors that you can use. Just click the 'Display Color Chart' button, such as what you see in the above image. As you might imagine, even 36 is a 'lot'. However, some colors close on the color wheel may be hard to distinguish. However, since the end user typically see prompts and real words, you typicallyneed not worry about 'shades of grey.'

Here are a couple of a collections of 6 distinct, easy to read, reasonably dark, colors that we know will work.

 <C>Color Sample 1/Color Sample 2/Color Sample 3/Color Sample 4/Color Sample 5/Color Sample 6</C>

 <C:radio>First color/Second color/Third color/Fourth color/Fifth color/Sixth color</C>

   Caveat, and lesson: You cannot use both of the above lines in the same document. The red of 'Color Sample 1' is the same red of 'Second color' in the second line. When 'Color Sample 1' is processed, it repaints 'Second color' to black, rendering it 'normal'. So, if you see this happening in your documents, you will know why.

 If you need something a bit more subdued, here is a suggestion:

 <C>Color Sample/Color Sample/Color Sample/Color Sample/Color Sample/Color Sample</C>

You can copy and paste any of these lines into the very top of your document and use the 'Painter' to color text in the document body. (To access the painter, press <Alt-P> to process the document, but when the screen appears, click the 'Paint' button in the lower right corner of the screen. That will reset the screen for painting text.

You can ask Pathagoras to propose a color scheme for you. Just click the Propose Color Scheme button in the Color Assembly menu (shown above).

If the colors are not 'legal' when you begin processing, Pathagoras will tell you so and will offer to present the Color Chart (discussed above) from which you can choose to bring the document into conformity. Select a 'legal' color and Pathagoras will repaint all elements automatically.

Color coding works in addition to other conditional text features. Color coded text is processed first. <<*Options/Optional*>> blocks are processed next; {simple optionals} are processed third.

It has been reported that color coded text processes much faster than <<*Options*. . . >> blocks. Let us know if you experience the same.

 

Big Example:

Here is a sample color coded document that illustrates the above features. (You can copy and paste the below into a Word document.) Press <Alt-P> in Word to process.

<C:radio>WAIVER OF ALIMONY/Alimony: FIXED, Modifiable/Alimony, FIXED, NON-MODIFIABLE</c>

<C:radio>Prop: All in place/ Prop: Specific Listing</c>

<c>Include MARITALRESIDENCE clauses/Include RETIREMENT clauses </C>

PROPERTY SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT

This Property Settlement Agreement entered into on the [Date of  Agreement] by and between [Wife Full Name], hereinafter referred to as Wife and [Husband Full Name],  hereinafter referred to as Husband.

WITNESSETH

WHEREAS, the parties hereto have had serious marital difficulties which have resulted in their separation;

WHEREAS, it is the desire of the parties hereto to settle all property rights and debt obligations; AND,

WHEREAS, it is the intention of the parties hereto to live separate and apart for the rest of their natural lives;

NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of mutual consideration of the benefits to each of the parties hereto, the parties agree as follows:

WAIVER OF SPOUSAL SUPPORT

Each party expressly waives any claim he or she may have against each other now and in the future for spousal support, and the waiver shall survive any subsequent change of circumstances as the waiver is permanent and non-modifiable. The Court shall have no further jurisdiction over this issue after the entry of the final decree of divorce.

FIXED, NON MODIFIABLE, SPOUSAL SUPPORT

[!Payor!Husband/Wife] shall pay to [!Payor!Wife/Husband], for the recipient's support and maintenance, the sum of [Alimony Payment] per month, commencing on the first day of [First Month SSPayment due],  and with a like payment due on the first day of  each succeeding month, for [Number of Periods SSPayable] [Period: Months/Years] This provision is non-modifiable. The Court shall have no further jurisdiction over this issue after the entry of the final decree of divorce.

ALIMONY SUBJECT TO MODIFICATION

[!Payor!Husband/Wife] shall pay unto [!Payor!Wife/Husband], for the recipient's support and maintenance, the sum of  [monthly sum in words]dollars [monthly amount in (numerals) ] per month, commencing on the[day per month alimony due] of [First Month Alimony Due],  and with a like payment due on the [Day Der Month Alimony Due] day of  each succeeding month, until the recipient's death or remarriage, subject to this Court's continuing jurisdiction to modify spousal support based on changed circumstances.

 

DISTRIBUTION OF PERSONAL PROPERTY AND DEBT

A satisfactory disposition having been made of all personal items of the marriage, Wife shall retain and fully own all items presently in her possession and Husband shall retain and fully own all items presently in his possession./NEGOPT

Wife shall have as her own the items of personal property listed on Exhibit A.

Husband shall have as his own the items of personal property listed on Exhibit B.

   The party receiving an item shall be responsible for and hold the other harmless from repayment of the outstanding indebtedness relating to the item will take all reasonable steps to refinance any loans on any property in order to have the other parties' name removed from the loan.

   The party receiving an item shall  be responsible for the license, insurance and maintenance thereon, past, present and future.

Wife agrees to pay, and hold the Husband harmless from repayment of, the following outstanding debts:[List Debts, And Whose Name, Or Reference Exhibit.].

Husband agrees to pay, and hold the Wife harmless from repayment of, the following outstanding debts:[List Debts, And Whose Name, Or Reference Exhibit.].

Neither of the parties hereto shall, from the date of this agreement, incur or contract in any manner, any debts or obligations to the credit of or in the name of the other, and each does hereby release the other from any and all further duty or obligation to furnish support other that as set forth in this agreement.

MARITAL RESIDENCE

Although neither party hereto waives his or her right, eventually, to a partition of the jointly owned family residence, the parties agree that [!Primary Custodian!Husband/Wife], with the [child/children], shall continue to occupy the former family residence at [Residence Property Address] for [Period of occupancy].

   During such time [!Primary Custodian!he/she] shall have the exclusive use, possession of the residence and shall be responsible for the monthly mortgage and operational expenses of the residence.

RETIREMENT BENEFITS

<<*Options*Waiver/Divide per Marital Share*Each party waives any claim he or she may have to retirement benefits of the other./Each party shall be entitled to receive 50% of the marital share of any and all retirement benefits accumulated during the marriage of the parties, irrespective of how such benefits are currently owned or titled. The parties agree to divide immediately any IRAs and other accounts that do not require special orders to effect their division. The parties agree to cooperate in submitting to the appropriate court, when needed, a valid Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) for entry, and the provided the same to the employer's "plan administrator".>>

{Each party shall be responsible for his or her own attorney  fees./OR[!AttyFeesPayor! Husband/Wife] shall pay to [!AttyFeesPayor! Wife/Husband] all fees incurred in the preparation of this Agreement.}

Each of the parties hereto agrees that he or she will, upon the request of the other, execute, acknowledge, sign, and deliver any and all deeds, titles, and bills of sale unto the other party to effectuate the ownership of the property herein dealt with.

Neither of the parties hereto shall interfere with the actions or liberties of the other from the date of this agreement.

Each party has been fully advised of the legal and practical effect of this agreement by independent legal counsel or has been advised and understands his or her rights to consult counsel.

Each party is entering into this agreement with full understanding of its terms and provisions and with full financial disclosure by the other party. Each party is doing so without any fraud, duress, undue influence or overreaching by the other party or by any other person on behalf of such party.

Should either party obtain a divorce from the other, said party shall file the original of this agreement with the Court in said action for the Court's ratification and approval, and shall request that said agreement be incorporated and made a part of the final divorce decree.

    Witness the following signatures:

 

______________________________

                        ​Wife

 

 

______________________________

                      ​Husband

 

 

(The above illustrates the Color Coding feature of Pathagoras. It is not intended to represent a valid or appropriate property settlement agreement.)

 

NOTES:  

1.  While this example is not intended as a lesson in setting up variables, the use of '!Payor!' as the group name for both the payor and the payee in the spousal support section of this document is correct. By reversing the choices, the proper result is achieved with a single 'groupname.'
 

2. This sample contains multiple conditional text features. Color coding works in addition to other conditional text features. Color coded text is processed first. <<*Options/Optional*>> blocks are processed next; {simple optionals} are processed third.

 

3. The '/NEGOPT' (negative optional) separator in the Personal Property section allows you to place two mutually exclusive results in the same block. If the 'color' is checked for keeping, the text preceding /NEGOPT is retained, and the text following /NEGOPT is deleted. If the 'color' is not checked, then the text preceding /NEGOPT is deleted and the text following it is retained. See more about the /NEGOPT tag at this link.

 

 

 

Discovering colors in already painted documents.

   Pathagoras can scan a previously painted document and create the first line for you automatically, To do this, click the Pathagoras Features drop down, click the Wizard and Assistants and click the Options Menu. From the menu, click Discover. (Note the other menu items in case you need them for other projects.) If the colors are not 'legal' (see above discussion re: limitations on color selections), Pathagoras will offer a Color Chart to allow you to select colors that the system can use.

 

Multiple Color Choice Lines:

   While Pathagoras can process up to 6 colors per command line, you can actually process many more that 6 colors per document. Once Pathagoras processes the first line of colors, it deletes it, elevating the second line to 'first line' positions. The process repeats so long as there is a <C> . . . . </C> line present in the documents top line. Example:

 

<C>Keep if married/Keep if children/Keep if any child< 18</C>

<C>Trust Language/Special Gifts/Simultaneous Death Clause</C>

 

Hints and tips:

Sometimes it is a challenge to distinguish one color from another (the greys and some of the blues are only subtly different from their siblings). It may therefore be challenging to see' what colors in the command lines control what text. There are a few approaches to help in this area.

If you highlight text in a color command line and then press <Alt-G> the color chart will appear with the underlying color selected. Using the arrow keys in the chart, you can jump to each block of text bearing that colors.

Superuser Cindy suggests dedicating one color as an explainer color. Place notes or explainer text in strategic places throughout the document to tell the end user (or the author during initial editing) what the particular text is intended to cover. Then, create as your first color command line at the top, the instruction "<C>Don't select. Click Next.</C>" in the appropriate color. When the document is processed and your explainer color is encountered, all notes and comments are deleted (since they were not selected).