# Drafting modes in Clause9

## Document assembly mode vs. Q\&A mode <a href="#document_assembly_mode_vs_qampa_mode" id="document_assembly_mode_vs_qampa_mode"></a>

Clause9 offers two different modes to create legal documents. Typically you will first start in the document assembly mode (*Assemble Document* menu), where you will either start from scratch or from an existing template, interactively stacking and swapping building blocks, changing data and changing legal terminology to arrive at a new document.&#x20;

The second mode (the Q\&A mode) builds on the document created in the first mode, and presents a list of interactive questions to users. Using the answers given by the users, the underlying document is then interactively filled and modified where necessary. &#x20;

Due to the deliberate constraints imposed by the questions & answers, interactive templates built using the Q\&A mode can allow anyone — even users completely unfamiliar with the legal domain — to quickly create a document in an environment that offers legal guidance through user-friendly questions & answers.&#x20;

{% hint style="info" %}
If you are wondering why both modes are split: this increases flexibility, as opposed to the (admittedly simpler) situation of having only one integrated mode.&#x20;

* Not every document requires a questionnaire. Some documents will, for example, be used as subdocuments (e.g., schedules / annexes) of some main document, and will not require their own questionnaire. It may also be the case that the document will be created through server-to-server interactions, i.e. by using Clause9's so-called API — e.g., a law firm that would generate thousands of dynamically composed documents in the context of a mass litigation defence.
* Multiple questionnaires can be built for one document, e.g. one simple questionnaire with just a few questions, and one advanced questionnaire with detailed questions for experts. Similarly, you may want to crate different questionnaires for very different products of a company, that all require different changes to be made to the standard sales agreement.
* A minority of advanced users like to work exclusively within *Assemble document*, never creating a questionnaire. This has the advantage that you are not constrained by the questionnaire's predefined questions & answers; it has the disadvantage that you need to be sufficiently familiar with the contents of the document, because you will lose all the "guardrails" offered by the questionnaire. \
  \
  In a certain way, you can see the *Assemble document* mode as the "raw" mode (more flexibility, but with no guidance) and the Q\&A mode as the "polished" mode (less flexibility, but neatly packaged).
  {% endhint %}

## Workflow overview <a href="#workflow_overview" id="workflow_overview"></a>

While the Q\&A mode and the document assembly mode are separate modes, they are strongly connected with each other.&#x20;

As explained above, you build a questionnaire on top of a document created earlier in the document assembly mode. However, the other way around is also possible: you can send a document created in the Q\&A mode to the document assembly mode.&#x20;

For example, once a business user has provided answers, legal experts can also transfer the filled-in template back to the document assembly mode, to apply further customisations that were not allowed in the constrained Q\&A mode.

## In practice: transfer from Assemble Document to Design Q\&A <a href="#transfer_from_assemble_document" id="transfer_from_assemble_document"></a>

In order to create a questionnaire, you therefore first need to open a saved document or binder, click on the <img src="https://1353649376-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FaTEDNbiFdDa6DW2eNG17%2Fuploads%2FnrNsES8OmB7LfPie7sSZ%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=569ea00d-b534-4522-900e-76249ae3db20" alt="" data-size="line"> menu at the right side of the screen, and choose the *Send to Q\&A* command.&#x20;

<figure><img src="https://1353649376-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FaTEDNbiFdDa6DW2eNG17%2Fuploads%2FyLWFBQHD4ouHlAkfeF6s%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=a6b0e04f-18f0-46d1-b603-6995bd00bc65" alt="" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

The document or binder will then be transferred to a new questionnaire, and this questionnaire will be opened in the *Design Q\&A* mode. You will notice that the main menu at the top of the screen will change accordingly.

## **In practice: transfer from a Q\&A to Assemble Document**

When you have completed a questionnaire and saved its answers, you can click on the <img src="https://1353649376-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FaTEDNbiFdDa6DW2eNG17%2Fuploads%2FnrNsES8OmB7LfPie7sSZ%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=569ea00d-b534-4522-900e-76249ae3db20" alt="" data-size="line"> menu at the right side and choose *Open as editable document*.&#x20;

<figure><img src="https://1353649376-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FaTEDNbiFdDa6DW2eNG17%2Fuploads%2FEMKfS9ZNBf13sG3xfeWg%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=ab8f38c0-9536-43d9-bbdd-41c0d0e814f8" alt="" width="331"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

The questionnaire's document will then be transferred to the *Assemble document* mode, where you can change it however you like. Or even send that modified document once again to the *Design Q\&A* mode to create a new questionnaire.
