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This module will explain how to insert, modify and delete provisions in your document, with some exercises to allow you to practice this and find out about some useful shortcuts built into the Editor to help make drafting easier.

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https://lawmaker.atlassian.net/wiki/x/gIIK

📚 Exercises

✏️ Insert basic provisions

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Key learning points

  • Placeholders are the grey highlighted elements e.g. “Heading” or “Text” that you type into.

  • Em-dashes can be inserted by the keyboard shortcut of typing dash twice “--” which will auto-convert them into an em-dash “—”

Starting point

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🛠️ Getting Started

Before you can draft a bill, you will need to create your own training project containing a half finished bill to continue drafting.
For these exercises, create a project containing a half finished bill:

View file
nameDrafting_a_bill.xml

The following steps will allow you to create the data required for this exercise..

Expand
titleHow to create a new project
  1. Download the XML document for the exercise by clicking on the link you’ve been provided with. By default, the downloaded file is usually placed in the “downloads” folder on your computer.

  2. Log in to Lawmaker.

  3. From the Dashboard, create a new project of the type you need for the exercise. Give it a title such as [Your Initials] Drafting a bill. (See Creating a new project.)

  4. From the Project tab for that project, select Document Actions > Upload document, and select the XML file for the exercise which you have downloaded. It can be uploaded into the default folder that has been created in the project. (See Create a new document by uploading an XML file.)

  5. On the newly uploaded document version, select Actions > Update Document Information and update the Title to match the title you originally gave the project.

  6. Open the imported document in the Editor

✏️ Exercise 1: Insert basic provisions

This exercise takes you through the process of inserting provisions

Start by recreating the following section after section 6:

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Step 1: Insert a section and definitions

Insert a new section after section 5 containing some definitions.

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titleDetailed steps on creating the section and definitions
  1. Place your cursor in the empty body placeholder element

  2. Click Enter on your keyboard to view the insert menu

  3. Click Enter again to insert the default element at the top of the insert

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  1. menu (for Bills, this will be a Section

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  1. ).

  2. Type Interpretation into the Heading placeholder

  3. Use tab on your keyboard or click using the mouse to move the cursor into the ‘Text’ placeholder for the subsection and type In this Act—

  4. To insert the definitions, click Enter and use the arrow keys on your keyboard or click using the mouse to select Definition from the insert menu, clicking Enter to insert

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A definition will be inserted, made up of 2 placeholders—

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  1. it

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  1. .

  2. Type “the Department” means the Department for Communities; into the first definition

  3. Insert the second definition by clicking Enter again

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  1. To type the before the defined term, you will need to click on the left arrow on your keyboard once to move your cursor into the ‘Text’ element so that the breadcrumb reads Bill > body > Part > Section > Subsection > Definition > Content > Text

  2. Move your cursor back into the defined term and type “emergency period” and move your cursor into the empty ‘text’ placeholder element and type has the meaning given by section 1(2).

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Expected outcome

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Video recording

[Insert link to video recording completing this exercise]

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Step 2: Convert the subsection into section content

Promote the subsection into section content when a section is not divided into subsections.

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titleDetailed steps to promote a provision
  1. Place your cursor in the remaining subsection

  2. Promote it to become section content using any of the following options—

    1. Right-click and select Promote element,

    2. Select Tools > Promote element,

    3. Keyboard shortcut ALT+[

  3. Place your cursor anywhere in the last definition and click Enter to view the insert menu

  4. Use the down arrow key on your keyboard or click using the mouse to select Subsection from the insert menu, clicking Enter to insert it—

    1. A subsection is inserted after your cursor location (after the last definition)

    2. The section content will auto-convert to subsection (1)

  5. Type in the content of the second subsection.

Step 3: Renumber the section and those around it

Renumber the whole document (See Renumbering provisions )

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Key learning points

  • Where provisions are inserted: Lawmaker will insert your chosen provision in the next valid position after your cursor location. This is useful to know when you want to add a provision at the start of a series of provisions.

  • Breadcrumb isat the The breadcrumb isat the bottom of the Editor view and shows you exactly where you cursor is placed in the Editor. If you have your cursor in the heading of the section for example, the breadcrumb will read— Bill > body > Section > Heading

Starting point

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Instructions

  1. Place your cursor in the section num “1.

  2. The breadcrumb will read Bill > body > Section > Num

  3. Use your right arrow key to move your cursor until the breadcrumb changes to Bill > body > Section

  4. Click Enter to view the insert menu

  5. Select Subsection (1) and click Enter again to insert

  6. The subsection will be inserted before your existing subsection

Expected outcome

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  • Converting subsection into section content using the promote feature.

Video recording

[Insert link to video recording completing this exercise]

✏️

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Starting point

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Instructions

  1. Remove the newly inserted subsection by placing your cursor in the empty Text placeholder

  2. The breadcrumb should say Bill > body > Section > Subsection > Content > Text

  3. Use your mouse to select Subsection from the breadcrumb

    1. The whole subsection (num and text) will be highlighted

  4. Delete it using backspace or Delete on your keyboard or right-click with your cursor on the Subsection breadcrumb and select Delete Element

    1. The subsection will be safely deleted

  5. To undo this deletion, select the Undo buttonimage-20250210-161547.pngImage Removedin the upper tool bar or use the keyboard short cut CTRL + Z

  6. To redo the deletion, select the Redo button image-20250210-161627.pngImage Removed in the upper tool bar or use the keyboard short cut CTRL + Y

Expected outcome

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Exercise 2: Divide a provision

In section 2, split subsection (3) so that it is divided into 2 child paragraphs⁠—

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Step 1: Split Subsection (3)

Split the introducing words in Subsection (3) into separate provisions

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titleDetailed steps to split a provision into multiple provisions
  1. In section 2(3), place your cursor after the word ‘may’

  2. Type ‘--’ to insert an em-dash

  3. Split the provision by right-clicking and selecting Split Element or use keyboard short-cut ALT+S.

  4. Delete the space before your second subsection text

  5. Repeat by placing your cursor after the word ’and' in the newly created subsection, splitting the element and tidying any spaces again

Step 2: Demote the subsections

Demote the sibling subsections created from the split into paragraphs

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titleDetailed steps to demote a provision
  1. Place your cursor in subsection (4) (the first of the sibling subsections created from splitting the element)

  2. Demote the subsection so that it becomes a paragraph by right-clicking and selecting Demote Element, using Tools > Demote Element in the upper toolbar or using keyboard short ALT+]

  3. Repeat for the second subsection created from splitting the element so that you end up with 2 child paragraphs of subsection (3)

Video recording

[Insert link to video recording completing this exercise]

✏️

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Key learning points

Converting subsection into section content using the promote feature.

Auto-converting section content into a subsection when a second subsection is inserted.

Starting point

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Instructions

  1. Place your cursor in the remaining subsection

  2. Promote it to become section content using any of the following options—

    1. Right-click and select Promote element,

    2. Select Tools > Promote element,

    3. Keyboard shortcut ALT+[

  3. The subsection will turn into an unnumbered section content element.

  4. Place your cursor anywhere in the last definition and click Enter to view the insert menu

  5. Use the down arrow key on your keyboard or click using the mouse to select Subsection from the insert menu, clicking Enter to insert it—

    1. A subsection is inserted after your cursor location (after the last definition)

    2. The section content will auto-convert to subsection (1)

  6. Type in the content of the second subsection.

Expected outcome

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Video recording

[Insert link to video recording completing this exercise]

✏️ Promoting/demoting provisions

Starting point

Instructions

Expected outcome

Video recording

[Insert link to video recording completing this exercise]

✏️ Converting section content to a subsection

Starting point

Instructions

Expected outcome

Video recording

[Insert link to video recording completing this exercise]

✏️ Grouping levels and wrapping/unwrapping provisions

Starting point

Instructions

Expected outcome

Video recording

[Insert link to video recording completing this exercise]

✏️ Converting a section to a schedule and vice versa

Starting point

Instructions

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Exercise 3: Merge provisions

In section 2(3), remerge the paragraphs so that they are a single subsection again

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Step 1: Merge the paragraphs

Merge paragraph (a) and paragraph (b) into a single paragraph

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titleDetailed steps to merge provisions
  1. Highlight both provisions in the Editor, or use multi-select in the Structure view to select both paragraphs (see https://lawmaker.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/USERMANUAL/pages/9339303/Using+the+structure+view#Selecting-more-than-one-provision

  2. Merge the 2 paragraphs by right-clicking and selecting Merge Elements

Step 2: Promote the paragraph

Promote paragraph (a) into a subsection.

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titleDetailed steps to promote a provision
  1. Place your cursor in paragraph (a) (containing the merged paragraphs)

  2. Promote the paragraph so that it becomes a subsection by right-clicking and selecting Promote Element, using Tools > Promote Element in the upper toolbar or using keyboard short ALT+[

Step 3: Merge the subsections

Merge the 2 subsections into a single subsection (see https://lawmaker.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/USERMANUAL/pages/9339235/Splitting+and+merging+provisions#How-to-merge-provisions )

✏️ Exercise 4: Inserting and removing grouping levels (wrapping/unwrapping)

Restructure the whole document by dividing it into 3 parts and removing all cross headings.

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Step 1: Remove the cross headings

Remove the 2 x cross headings inside part 1 by unwrapping them.

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titleDetailed steps to unwrap grouping levels
  1. Place your cursor in the first cross heading

  2. To remove the cross heading, right-click and select Unwrap Element or select Tools > Unwrap Element. The sections in the removed cross headings will automatically move into the remaining cross heading so as to maintain valid structure.

  3. Repeat with the second cross heading to remove the remaining cross heading

Step 2: Insert a new part

Insert a new part after the first part, renaming the first part to Meetings and calling the second part Performance

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titleDetailed steps to insert a grouping level
  1. Place your cursor anywhere inside part 1

  2. Click Enter to view the insert menu

  3. Select Part

  4. Type into the Part heading Performance

  5. Go back to the first part and updating the heading to just Meetings

Step 3: Move sections

Move sections 3, 4 and 5 into the newly created part called performance

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titleDetailed steps to move provisions using the structure view

Either—

  1. Multi-select sections 3 to 5 in the structure view (see https://lawmaker.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/USERMANUAL/pages/9339303/Using+the+structure+view#Selecting-more-than-one-provision )

  2. Cut them using Edit > Cut, right-click and selecting Cut or using keyboard shortcut CTRL+X

  3. Place your cursor in the newly inserted part

  4. Paste the cut sections using keyboard short cut CTRL+V

Or

  1. Drag the sections one-by-one into the newly inserted part using the structure view

  2. See https://lawmaker.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/USERMANUAL/pages/9339163/Moving+provisions+tables+and+amendments+within+a+document#Moving-using-the-structure-view

Step 4: Renumber the whole document

Renumber the whole document (See Renumbering provisions )

✏️ Exercise 5: Converting a section to a schedule

Convert section 4 into a schedule and then undo the changes

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Step 1: convert section into schedule

Convert section 4 into a schedule.

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titleDetailed steps to convert a section into a schedule
  1. Place your cursor in section 4

  2. Right-click and select Convert to/from Schedule…

  3. Update the schedule heading with Performance

  4. Rename the schedule cross heading by deleting 'Performance' from the start and capitalising the first word

  5. Type into the reference note ‘Text’ element the section/provision that calls the schedule e.g. Section 2

Step 2: Undo

Undo the conversion of section 4 into a schedule

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titleDetailed steps to undo changes
  1. Undo your most recent changes by clicking on the Undo button in the upper toolbarimage-20250224-150805.pngImage Added, selecting Edit > Undo or using keyboard short cut CTRL + Z

  2. Repeat the undo action until all your recent changes have been rolled back and section 4 reappears in the document.

Video recording

[Insert link to video recording completing this exercise]