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Optional Clauses

Legal Markdown JS supports multiple syntaxes for conditional content based on YAML variables. Each syntax offers different advantages for various use cases.

Table of Contents

Supported Syntaxes

Legal Markdown JS supports 4 different syntaxes for generating optional clauses, each with its own advantages and specific use cases:

Syntax Format Advantages Use Cases
Modern brackets [content]{condition} Compact, natural Inline text, expressions
Conditional {{#if}} {{#if condition}}content{{/if}} More readable, else support Complex conditions
Simple {{#variable}} {{#variable}}content{{/variable}} Concise, automatic loops Simple boolean variables
Legacy brackets [{{condition}}content] Legacy compatible Migration from previous versions

Modern Bracket Syntax [content]{condition}

The recommended syntax for inline conditional content:

Basic Usage

[This clause appears only if confidentiality is required.]{confidentiality}

[Premium support is included for enterprise clients.]{client.type ==
"enterprise"}

[This applies to California residents only.]{jurisdiction == "California"}

The service [includes priority support]{isPremium} and [24/7
availability]{hasExtendedSupport}.

With Complex Expressions

[Special terms will apply]{premium && region == "EU"} according to European
legislation.

[A {{discountPercent}}% discount will be applied]{amount >= 1000}

[Volume discount applies]{quantity >= 100} for large orders.

Multiple Conditions in Same Paragraph

Services include: basic consulting[, phone support]{hasPhoneSupport}[, and
access to premium resources]{isPremiumClient}.

Required metadata:

hasPhoneSupport: true
isPremiumClient: false

Result:

Services include: basic consulting, phone support.

Block Conditional Syntax {{#if condition}}

For complex conditions with logical operators and optional else clauses:

Basic If/Else

{{#if premium && region == "US"}} **Premium US Terms:**

- 24/7 phone support
- Priority handling
- Extended warranty

{{else}} **Standard Terms:**

- Email support
- Standard processing
- Basic warranty {{/if}}

Nested Conditions

{{#if client.type == "enterprise"}} {{#if client.region == "US"}} Special US
enterprise terms apply. {{else}} International enterprise terms apply. {{/if}}
{{/if}}

Complex Logical Expressions

{{#if (premium || enterprise) && status == "active"}} Advanced features are
available for your account type. {{/if}}

{{#if premium && status == "active" && region == "US"}} Special terms for active
premium users in the United States. {{/if}}

Simple Variable Syntax {{#variable}}

Concise syntax for boolean variables and automatic array iteration:

Boolean Variables

{{#includeWarranty}} **Warranty Terms:** This product includes a 12-month
warranty covering defects. {{/includeWarranty}}

{{#includeStandardTerms}} l. **Standard Terms**

The company's standard terms and conditions apply. {{/includeStandardTerms}}

Automatic Array Detection

The system automatically detects arrays and iterates over them:

{{#services}}

- {{name}}: {{formatCurrency(price, currency)}} {{/services}}

Required metadata:

services:
  - name: 'Legal Consulting'
    price: 150
    currency: 'USD'
  - name: 'Contract Review'
    price: 200
    currency: 'USD'

Result:

- Legal Consulting: $150.00
- Contract Review: $200.00

Variables with Underscores

{{#client_has_premium}} ll. **Premium Services**

As a premium client, you have access to:

- Priority support
- Advanced features
- Exclusive discounts {{/client_has_premium}}

Legacy Bracket Syntax [{{condition}}content]

For compatibility with legacy document syntax:

Basic Usage

[{{confidentiality}}This information is confidential and proprietary.]

[{{showLegalNotice}}This document is legally binding and has been reviewed by
certified attorneys.]

[{{client_has_warranty}}Warranty terms apply as described in Appendix A.]

With Cross References

[{{includeDetails}}For more information, see Section 5.2 of this document.]

Operators and Expressions

Note: For detailed information about comparison and boolean operators, including complex expressions and best practices, see the Conditionals documentation.

Supported Comparison Operators

Operator Description Example
== Equal to status == "active"
!= Not equal to type != "trial"
> Greater than amount > 1000
< Less than users < 50
>= Greater than or equal score >= 80
<= Less than or equal age <= 65

Logical Operators

Operator Description Example
&& Logical AND premium && active
|| Logical OR trial || premium

Complex Expression Examples

Multiple AND Conditions

{{#if premium && status == "active" && region == "US"}} Special terms for active
premium users in the United States. {{/if}}

Multiple OR Conditions

[Discount applicable]{isStudent || isSenior || isVeteran}

Nested Conditions with Parentheses

{{#if (premium || enterprise) && status == "active"}} Access to advanced
features enabled. {{/if}}

Numeric Comparisons

[Volume discount applies]{quantity >= 100} for large orders.

{{#if amount > 10000}} Executive approval required for high-value contracts.
{{/if}}

Advanced Use Cases

Combining Multiple Syntaxes

You can use different syntaxes in the same document:

l. **Terms and Conditions**

{{#if premium}} ll. **Premium Features** Premium users have access to advanced
features. {{/if}}

{{#standardWarranty}} ll. **Warranty** Standard warranty terms apply.
{{/standardWarranty}}

ll. **Additional Terms** [See Appendix A]{hasAppendix} for additional terms.

[{{showLegalNotice}}This document is legally binding.]

Using Nested Variables (Dot Notation)

{{#if client.subscription.isPremium}} **Premium Client Detected**

- Level: {{client.subscription.level}}
- Valid until: {{client.subscription.expiryDate}} {{/if}}

Required metadata:

client:
  subscription:
    isPremium: true
    level: 'Gold'
    expiryDate: '2024-12-31'

Conditions with Numeric Values

[A {{discountPercent}}% discount will be applied]{amount >= 1000}

Required metadata:

amount: 1500
discountPercent: 15

Template Loops

Basic Loop Syntax

{{#items}} l. {{name}} - ${{price}} {{description}} {{/items}}

Loop Context Variables

Within loops, special variables are available:

Variable Description Example
@index Current index (0-based) Item #{{@index}}
@first Is the first element {{#if @first}}First item{{/if}}
@last Is the last element {{#if @last}}Last item{{/if}}
@total Total number of elements {{@index}} of {{@total}}

Complete Loop Example

**Service List:**

{{#services}} {{@index + 1}}. **{{name}}** - {{formatCurrency(price, currency)}}
{{description}} {{#if @last}}

_All prices include taxes_ {{/if}} {{/services}}

Required metadata:

services:
  - name: 'Legal Consulting'
    price: 150
    currency: 'USD'
    description: 'General legal advice'
  - name: 'Contract Review'
    price: 200
    currency: 'USD'
    description: 'Detailed analysis of contractual documents'

Nested Loops

{{#departments}} l. **{{name}}**

{{#employees}}

- {{name}} ({{position}}) {{/employees}} {{/departments}}

Best Practices

1. Syntax Selection

Use {{#if condition}} when:

  • You need complex logic with operators
  • You require an else clause
  • The condition is long or complex

Use {{#variable}} when:

  • Working with simple boolean variables
  • You need automatic loops over arrays
  • You want concise syntax

Use [content]{condition} when:

  • The content is inline text
  • You need multiple conditions in a paragraph
  • You prefer compact syntax

Use [{{condition}}content] when:

  • Migrating from previous versions of Legal Markdown
  • Supporting legacy document formats

2. Metadata Organization

# Group related variables
client:
  isPremium: true
  hasSupport: true
  region: 'US'

terms:
  includeWarranty: true
  includeStandardTerms: false
  showLegalNotice: true

services:
  - name: 'Service A'
    price: 100
  - name: 'Service B'
    price: 200

3. Descriptive Names

# ✅ Good - descriptive names

{{#if includeWarrantyClause}}

# ❌ Bad - generic names

{{#if flag1}}

4. Comments in Metadata

# Optional clauses configuration
includeWarrantyClause: true # Show warranty terms
showPremiumFeatures: false # Hide premium features
clientRegion: 'EU' # Determines applicable legislation

5. Error Handling

Invalid conditions or non-existent variables fail safely:

  • False conditions or non-existent objects don't show content
  • Malformed conditions include content by default (safe behavior)
  • Missing variables show as unprocessed {{variable}}

6. Testing and Validation

Always verify that your conditions work correctly:

# Use debug mode to see condition evaluation
legal-md document.md --debug

Integration with Other Features

With Cross References

{{#if includeReferences}} For more details, see |terms| and |conditions|.
{{/if}}

With Helper Functions

{{#if showDate}} Effective date: {{formatDate @today "MMMM Do, YYYY"}} {{/if}}

With Header System

{{#if includeSection}} l. Conditional Section

This content only appears when includeSection is true. {{/if}}

Common Patterns

Legal Document Clauses

---
confidentiality_required: true
warranty_included: true
jurisdiction: 'California'
client_type: 'enterprise'
---

{{#if confidentiality_required}} l. **Confidentiality**

All information shared under this agreement is confidential. {{/if}}

{{#if warranty_included}} l. **Warranty**

[Extended warranty applies]{client_type == "enterprise"} to this agreement.
{{/if}}

[California law applies]{jurisdiction == "California"} to this agreement.

Service Agreement Variations

---
service_level: 'premium'
support_24x7: true
region: 'US'
---

l. **Service Level**

You will receive {{service_level}} service[, including 24/7
support]{support_24x7}.

{{#if service_level == "premium" && region == "US"}} ll. **Premium US Benefits**

- Priority phone support
- Dedicated account manager
- Same-day response guarantee {{/if}}

See Also