Imagine a Treatment Recommendation form that includes several optional paragraphs. The set of paragraphs that should appear in the finished document depends on a patient diagnosis. So if the patient has high blood pressure, paragraphs 1 and 2 should be included in the finished document; if the patient has migraines, paragraphs 2 and 3 should be included in the finished document.

Here's an example of such a document, with all optional paragraphs included:

To automate this form with TheFormTool, first add a Q&A table with this question:

With the cursor in the answer box, click Answer to open the Smart Answer screen, and make it a choice-type answer with these choices: High blood pressure, Migraine, and Overweight.

Then make each of the recommendation paragraphs conditional. Select the "Get more exercise" paragraph, then click Condition, Add Condition, and turn on the checkboxes for High blood pressure and Overweight (because we want to recommend exercise for people with either of those diagnoses).

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Similarly, select the "Take an aspirin…" paragraph, then click Condition, Add Condition, and turn on the checkboxes for High blood pressure and Migraine (because we want to recommend aspirin for people with either of those diagnoses). And select the "Get more sleep" paragraph, then click Condition, Add Condition, and turn on the checkbox for Migraine (because we only want to recommend sleep for people with migraines). The finished form looks like this:

The same form could handle multiple diagnoses with one minor change -- put the cursor in the Diagnosis answer box, click Answer, and turn on the Allow multiple choice checkbox.

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If you haven't worked with Conditions or Smart Answers before, see an overview in the Quick-Start Guide or detailed coverage in the Expert User Guide.

Originally contributed by Scott Campbell.