Contract Tools User Preferences

You can configure default values of user preferences by modifying PaperSoftwareContractTools.dll.config in Contract Tools’ installation folder (see Installation Folder) before Word loads Contract Tools for the first time (see Configuring LoadBehavior). PaperSoftwareContractTools.dll.config is an XML file that contains default values of user preferences in setting elements like this:

<setting name="PreferenceName" serializeAs="String">
    <value>DefaultValue</value>
</setting>

You can use PowerShell to modify setting elements. For example, when Contract Tools is installed for all users on a 64‑bit operating system, you can modify user preferences named PreferenceName1 and PreferenceName2 to have default values of DefaultValue1 and DefaultValue2 with this PowerShell script:

$defaultValuesForPreferenceNames = @{
  # Change these to actual preference names and default values, for example:
  #   EnableAutomatically = 'False'
  PreferenceName1 = 'DefaultValue1'
  PreferenceName2 = 'DefaultValue2'
}
$installationFolder = "${Env:ProgramFiles(x86)}\Paper Software\Contract Tools"
$absolutePath = "$installationFolder\PaperSoftwareContractTools.dll.config"
$xml = New-Object Xml.XmlDocument
$xml.Load($absolutePath)
foreach ($item in $defaultValuesForPreferenceNames.GetEnumerator()) {
  $xml.SelectSingleNode("//setting[@name='$($item.Name)']").value = $item.Value
}
$xml.Save($absolutePath)

To configure default values of user preferences after Word has loaded Contract Tools, delete the folder in which Word saves Contract Tools user preferences, and then configure default values as you otherwise would. To delete the folder in which Word saves Contract Tools user preferences, enter in PowerShell:

$preferencesFolder = "$Env:LOCALAPPDATA\Microsoft_Corporation"
Remove-Item "$preferencesFolder\PaperSoftwareContractTool_*" -Recurse

Note: This PowerShell script immediately deletes the folder in which Word saves Contract Tools user preferences. It doesn’t move the folder to the Recycle Bin.

Here are names (in bold) of Contract Tools user preferences that you can configure.

Whether Contract Tools Turns On Automatically

Contract Tools Pane

  • AlwaysShowPane True to show the Contract Tools pane when documents open, False otherwise. Default is True.

  • PanePosition Right to position the Contract Tools pane on the right side of a Word window by default, Left to position the pane on the left side. Default is Right.

  • SwitchPaneViewsUsingButtons True to use buttons to show Contract Tools pane views, False to use a pop‑up menu. Default is True.

  • PaneWidth Default width in pixels of the Contract Tools pane, as an integer between 200 and 500. Default is 350.

  • PaneBackgroundColor Comma-separated RGB color of the Contract Tools pane background. Default is 240, 240, 240.

Analysis

  • AnalyzeBeforeSave True to analyze when saving a document, False otherwise. Default is True.

  • AnalyzeOnSync True to analyze when syncing a document to a server, False otherwise. Default is True.

  • SyncAnalysisWithDocument True to sync analysis results with documents while there are unanalyzed changes, False otherwise. Default is True.

  • FindAnalysisBookmark True to automatically set an analysis range (saved as a hidden bookmark) when documents open, False otherwise. Default is True.

  • UpdateAnalysis True to update an analysis after editing text (for example, typing and deleting), False otherwise. Default is True.

  • AnalysisUpdateDelay Time in milliseconds between the last edit and an analysis update, as an integer between 0 and 1000. Default is 250.

  • SaveAnalysisSettings True to save analysis settings (including ignored drafting errors) with documents as custom XML data in Word 2010 and later, False otherwise. Default is True. You can also configure whether Contract Tools saves analysis settings using a Registry value; see Saving Analysis Settings to learn more.

  • AnalyzeWhenPaneIsHidden True to analyze a document when saving or syncing to a server while the Contract Tools pane is hidden, False otherwise. Default is True.

Highlighting and Underlining

  • HighlightDraftingErrors True to highlight drafting errors, False otherwise. Default is True.

  • DraftingErrorHighlightColor Comma-separated ARGB color of drafting error highlighting. Default is 30, 180, 0, 0.

  • UnderlineDraftingErrors True to underline drafting errors, False otherwise. Default is False.

  • DraftingErrorUnderlineColor Comma-separated RGB color of drafting error underlining. Default is 180, 0, 0.

  • ShowInstancesOfSelectedContent True to show instances of selected content, False otherwise. Default is True.

  • HighlightInstancesOfSelectedContent True to highlight instances of selected content, False to underline instances of selected content. Default is True.

  • HighlightMarkersOfSelectedInlineList True to highlight markers of the selected inline list or proviso list, False otherwise. Default is True.

  • HighlightSelectedMatchedBrackets True to highlight matched parentheses and brackets when selected, False otherwise. Default is True.

  • HighlightingOpacity Opacity of highlighting of items other than drafting errors, as an integer between 0 and 255. Default is 30.

Completion Menu

  • CompletionMenuShowsDefinedTermUses True to show defined terms in the Completion menu, False otherwise. Default is True.

  • CompletionMenuShowsSnippets True to show snippets in the Completion menu, False otherwise. Default is True.

  • RightArrowKeyInsertsCompletions True to insert completions using the Right Arrow key, False otherwise. Default is True.

  • ShowCompletionInstructions True to show instructions for choosing a completion in the Completion menu, False otherwise. Default is True.

  • DoubleClickNavigates True to make double-clicking defined terms and cross-references cause navigation, False otherwise. Default is True.

  • ShowLocationWhenScrolling True to show location while dragging the vertical scroller, False otherwise. Default is True.

Snippets

  • SnippetInsertionKeepsFormatting True to preserve formatting when inserting snippets, False otherwise. Default is False.

  • SnippetsViewWarnsBeforeDeletingSnippets True to show an alert before deleting snippets, False otherwise. Default is True.

  • SnippetsViewShowsCategories True to show building block categories in the Snippets view, False otherwise. Default is False.

  • SnippetsViewShowsAllAutoTextAndQuickParts True to show all AutoText and Quick Parts in the Snippets view, False otherwise. Default is False. See Sharing Text as Snippets for a PowerShell script that configures this preference.

  • SnippetsTemplatePath Path of a Word template (DOTX) file for snippets. If the value of this preference is empty when Contract Tools starts, Contract Tools attempts to use the path of an already-existing file or the path of a newly-created file. Default is empty.

  • SnippetsLoadWhenStarting True to load snippets when Contract Tools starts, False otherwise. Default is True.

Issues Pop‑Up Menu

  • IssuesIncludeUnusedDefinedTerms True to include unused defined terms in the Issues pop‑up menu, False otherwise. Default is True.

  • IssuesIncludeDefinedTermsUsedOnce True to include defined terms used only once in the Issues pop‑up menu, False otherwise. Default is True.

  • IssuesIncludeToDos True to include to‑dos in the Issues pop‑up menu, False otherwise. Default is True.

  • IssuesIncludeUnknownCrossReferences True to include cross-references to unknown items in the Issues pop‑up menu, False otherwise. Default is True.

Updating

  • CheckForUpdates True to check for updates when Contract Tools starts, False otherwise. Default is True. You can also configure whether Contract Tools checks for updates using a Registry value; see Updating Contract Tools to learn more.