Press Ctrl-F9 to minimize the active window in the Notes work space and cascade all other active windows. To maximize all open windows, press Ctrl-F10.
When in a current document, view, or work space, press F9 to update all the fields. If you want to rebuild all views, press Shift-F9.
When you have a document or form open in Edit mode, press F2 to enlarge any selected text to the next available point size. Press Shift-F2 to reduce the selected text to the next available point size.
When editing a form or rich text field, press F7 to indent the first line of a selected paragraph. Press Shift-F7 to outdent the first line. Press F8 to indent the entire paragraph, and press Shift-F8 to outdent the entire paragraph.
If you want to initiate the printing process without going through the Notes menu, press Ctrl-P.
When you're in a database or the Notes work space, press Ctrl-M to create a new mail memo.
Press Ctrl-N from the Notes work space when you want to create a new database.
If you're in the middle of getting information from a server but need to stop, press Ctrl-Break. All server operations immediately cease.
To quickly select all documents in a view, press Ctrl-A. If you want to copy all selected documents, press Ctrl-C.
When in a database or document, press Ctrl-F to initiate Notes' Find feature. Press Ctrl-G if you want to "Find Next."
Normally you'll use your mouse to pull down menus. However, if you press Alt or F10, you can access the menu bar and use the arrow keys on your keyboard to make menu selections. The left and right arrows activate the various menus. The down and up arrows allow you to choose commands. Press Enter to invoke a command.
Quick--what's one difference between your standard Notes mail database and any other database? OK, there are a lot of differences, but the one we want to point out here is the Trash folder that you see in the navigation pane of the mail database. This allows you to easily mark documents for deletion by dragging and dropping them into it. Well, you don't have to keep this handy feature exclusive to the mail database; in fact, you can create the same folder in any database to which you have the proper access. To make a Trash folder, open the database in question, then choose Create|Folder from the Notes menu. If you want others to be able to use the folder, click on the Shared option. Now in the Folder Name: field enterThat's it--click on OK, and you're finished. Close the database, and then reopen it. You'll see the new Trash folder in the navigation pane. Just drag and drop documents into it, and they're marked for deletion.
You can generate the title of a collapsible section in a form or rich text field from a formula. This means that you can have the section title change based on certain field values in the form. To do this, open the form and select the section, then choose Section|Section Properties. Click on the option Formula (under Title:), then enter the formula in the formula window. For example, you could enter something like
Name + "\'s personal information
where Name denotes a field on the form. Close the Section Properties box and the formula is all set. If the field Name has the value "Elvis," the section title is "Elvis's personal information." When the field value changes, so will the section title.
A formula is a good way to hide paragraphs in a form or rich text field based on criteria that are subject to change. To use a formula to hide text, open the form in Edit mode, and then select the text that you want to hide. Choose Text|Text Properties from the menu, then click the Windowshade tab in the Text Properties box. Click On Hide Paragraph if Formula Is True, then enter the formula in the formula window. A simple example is something like
Department != "Sales"
Close the Properties box, then save the form. This means that Notes hides the paragraph if the value for the field Department is anything but "Sales."
Numbered lists are critical in many memos, especially when you want to tell someone what to do. Notes includes an easy way to get your lists numbered automatically. Create the list as a block of text, making sure that you put a carriage return after each line. Next select all the text included in the text block and select Text|Numbers. You can also click on the Number List icon from the SmartIcon bar. The numbered list appears pronto.
You can create numbered lists within lists. To do this, enter the sublist with the first list, then select it and press F8. This indents and numbers the sublist within the main list.
All views and folders use columns to display documents in various ways. The column uses at least one identifier from the document to identify it to the user. For example, a discussion database may use the contents of the Subject field as its identifier, while another may use the documents' author names. The same columns are often used in different views, but with slightly different characteristics. Here are some other column traits.
All columns:
Most columns:
Some columns:
Special columns:
The next series of tips will show you some ways to manipulate columns to your best advantage in Notes views or folders.
If you see a column in one database that you think you could use in another, go ahead and copy it from the former and paste it into the latter. Many columns can be easily moved with only minor changes to make it useful in the second database. To do this, select the database and choose View|Design. In the navigation pane, click on Design|Views (or Design|Folders), and then double-click on the view or folder that has the column you want to copy. Click on the column you want to copy and choose Edit|Copy; then close the view or folder and the database. Next, select the database you want to paste the column into and choose View|Design. In the navigation pane, click on Design|Views (or Design|Folders) and double-click on the view or folder you're designing. Click on the column to the right of the new column location and choose Edit|Paste. The new column is inserted immediately, and you can modify it for this view. When you're finished, save the view or folder.
The last tip showed you how to copy and paste a column from one database to another. You should remember that you can also use the same method for columns that are in the same database, but in different views. This is probably even easier because the columns may need fewer modifications, as they contain essentially the same data.
Sometimes you just can't find a column that's similar enough to a column you need in another database or view. Not to worry--go ahead and create a new column. Here's how. Select the database where you want to put the column and choose View|Design. In the navigation pane, click on Design|Views (or Design|Folders), and then double-click on the view or folder you're designing. Now you can do one of two things. You can select the column to the right of the new column location and choose Create|Insert New Column, which creates the column between other columns; or you can select a column and choose Create|Append New Column, which adds the column after the selected column. To set or modify the column properties, choose Design|Column Properties (more about some of these options in the next few tips). When you're finished, close and save the view or folder.
Giving a column a title is not a necessity, but it's useful if you want other users to know what kind of information is contained in the column. Here's how to title a column. Select the database and choose View|Design. In the navigation pane, click on Design|Views (or Design|Folders), and then double-click on the view or folder. Double-click on the column, which opens the Properties for Column dialog box. Enter a title for the column in the appropriate field, and choose whether you want set the column titles to wrap to more than one line (although you're usually better off with a short title). When you're finished, close and save the view or folder.
The easiest method to have the column display information is simply setting it to a specific field value. To do this, select the database and choose View|Design. In the navigation pane, click on Design|Views (or Design|Folders). Double-click on the view or folder that contains the column, and then click on the column. Click on Field in the design pane and select the field you want to display. Save the view or folder. When you open the view again, the field's contents display in the selected column. (Note: A column cannot display the contents of a rich text field or encrypted text.)
If the contents of one field won't do, you can have the column calculate and display a value based on frequently used functions. To do this, select the database and choose View|Design. In the navigation pane, click on Design|Views (or Design|Folders) and double-click on the view or folder. Click on the column; then in the design pane, click on Simple Function and select a function. Save the view or folder. An example of this is a column that shows when a document was created, which is accomplished by choosing the Simple Function @Created. To see this for real, open the By Author view of the Document Library (R4) template and check out the Created column.
In the previous tip we showed you how to use simple functions to display document information in columns. In the next few tips, we'll show you some of the more useful of these functions. You can, for example, display information about document authors. The Author(s) (Distinguished Name) function uses @Author to return the names of the document's author(s) in fully distinguished format, as in Joe Wilson/Sales/Acme. The Author(s) (Simple Name) function uses @Name([CN];@Author) to return the author's name without its fully distinguished format, as in Joe Wilson.
Responses can be very important in columns, and you can use some simple functions in columns to display information about responses. The # of Responses (1 Level) function uses @DocChildren to return the number of direct descendant (response) documents for a document or next-level subcategories for a category. (The data type returned is special text.) The # of Responses (All Levels) function uses @DocDescendants to return the total number of descendant (response and response-to-response) documents for a document or subcategories for a category. (The data type returned is special text.)
If the simple functions we discussed in the last series of tips are a little too, well, simple, you can write more complicated formulas for your column. To do this, select the database and choose View|Design. In the navigation pane, click on Design|Views (or Design|Folders) and double-click on the view or folder. Click on the column, then in the design pane click on Formula and write the formula. Save the view or folder. We'll have some examples of useful formulas in the next few tips.
You can also use simple column functions to display information about the view or folder. For example, the Collapse/Expand (+/-) function uses @IsExpandable to return a + (plus symbol) if the view entry has descendants that are not visible because the main document is collapsed, or a - (minus symbol) if there are no subordinate documents, or if subordinate documents are not currently visible. Use this function when a view contains a large number of response documents. (Note: Instead of using Collapse/Expand (+/-),you may want to design the view to show triangles, which allow users to click on rows instead of double-clicking.) Finally, the # in View (e.g. 2.1.2) function uses @DocNumber to display a number for each document indicating its order in the view. Responses are numbered in outline style under Main documents; for example, the first response to the first main document would be 1.1. (The data type of the document number is special text.)
You can also use simple functions to display information about times and dates in columns. For example, the Creation Date function uses @Created to display the time and date a document was created. (The data type is a time-date.) The Last Modified function uses @Modified to determine when a document was last saved. (The data type is a time-date.) Finally, the Last Read or Edited function uses @Accessed to determine the last time and date a document was read or edited. (The data type is a time-date.)
A couple of simple column functions can be used to display information about attachments and documents. The Attachment Length function uses @AttachmentLengths to return the size(s) of the document's attachment(s). (The data type is a number list.) The Attachment Names function uses @AttachmentNames to return the operating system names of the document's attachments. (The data type is a text list.) The Attachments function uses @Attachments to return the number of files attached to the document. (The data type returned is a number.) Finally, the Size (bytes) function uses @DocLength to return the size of the active document in bytes. (The data type returned is a number.)
When writing your column formula, use the Fields & Functions button to paste fields, @functions, or @commands into the formula. You can make column formulas consist of a combination of @functions, @commands, field values, and text enclosed in quotation marks. Also, always convert information to the data type that your formula expects. For example, if you want to append a numeric value to a text value in a column, use a formula like
Product + ": " + @Text(Quantity)
If you refer to a column in an @DbColumn or @DbLookup formula, always use the column number, rather than the title. Columns are numbered from left to right, with the leftmost column being column number 1. To make sure you see all the columns in a view (to make sure of the number), look at the view in the column builder.
Here's a formula that displays names of months in a column. You need to do this because Notes treats months as numbers, so you must convert them to text values to display them in a column view. Enter the formula as follows in the column formula pane:
m :=@Month(@Created);@If(m = 1; "January"; m = 2; "February"; m = 3; "March";m = 4; "April";m = 5; "May"; m = 6; "June";m = 7; "July";m = 8; "August";m = 9; "September"; m = 10; "October"; m = 11; "November"; m = 12; "December"; "")
Now, in order to sort these in proper order, you must add a hidden column to the left of this column that sorts documents in ascending order with the following formula:
d :=@Month(@Date);@If(d = 1; "A"; d = 2; "B"; d = 3; "C"; d = 4; "D"; d = 5; "E"; d = 6; "F"; d = 7; "G"; d = 8; "H"; d = 9; "I"; d = 10; "J"; d = 11; "K"; d = 12; "L"; "")
This formula is useful for displaying totals of currency amounts, such as budget figures. You could, for example, design a Total Budget column in a Budget by Month view, formatted as a numbers column that displays values as currency, with two decimal places shown. Also, Total is selected as the Totals option so that the annual budget can be displayed at the bottom of the view. The formula totals the values in each category to arrive at the monthly budget. The column uses this formula:Advertising + Entertainment + Miscellaneous + Overhead + Salaries + Travel
This just simply adds up the values of these fields and displays the results in the column.
Here's a formula that adds information about response documents in the column. You can use this formula in a discussion-style database to define a column that displays a description of each main document, provided the form used in the view includes the fields Subject and From:
Subject + " (" + @Name([CN]; From) + @DocDescendants(")"; ", % response)"; ", %responses)")
If the document is a main document, the column displays the contents of the Subject field, the author name, and the number of response and response-to-response documents. If there is one response, the column displays "response" as singular (1 response). If there are multiple responses, "response" becomes plural (2 responses). For example: Changing the Product Name (Sandy Braun, 2 responses).
Proper field naming is essential in effective Notes application design. The field name is important because Notes uses it to recognize and classify the field. Before you name a field, remember that there are a few rules in the name game. The field name can include letters, numbers, and the characters _ and $, but it must begin with a letter. You can't use any spaces in a field name. The best way to name a field is to use a short, descriptive term that you can easily remember when you write formulas that refer to the field. For example, you might have many fields that reference a name. Rather than just calling a particular field
Name
you should be a little more specific, but brief, like
AuthorName
or
CreatorName
While we're on the subject of naming fields, let's clear up the difference between the field name and the field label. As we said in the last tip, the field name is a very specific device that Notes uses for internal classification and calculation. The field name is of interest primarily to the application designer. Most fields also have labels, which primarily identify the field to the users. These don't have to be the same as the field name, and should tell the user what the field's purpose is. In the form design you enter the label as static text, for example:
Name:
Date
It's usually best to use the same names to identify fields that do the same or similar things across many different Notes databases or forms. This gives your databases a more standard look and feel. To get an idea of this, look at the Notes template databases, which use the same names many times over. For example, you'll see the name Body used for fields that store most of the document's information (this is generally an editable rich text data type). A field named Subject generally contains a short synopsis of the information. So don't feel shy about field name plagiarism; it really just makes things easier.
Notes already includes a bunch of field names that are predefined, or "reserved." These have specific uses and cannot be changed. You can use these fields in any appropriate form, but if you try to define another use, you'll likely get a Notes error. Some reserved fields can apply to any form, while others are specific to mail-enabled forms. Here are some of the most common reserved field names and what they do.
Reserved field names that you can use in any form:Categories - categorizes documents
FolderOptions - puts new documents into folders
SecretEncryptionKeys - encrypts fields
$VersionOpt - controls document version tracking
Reserved field names for mail-enabled forms:
MailOptions - mails documents.
SaveOptions - saves documents
Sign - signs documents (only effective when the document is mailed and the field is a signature)
Encrypt - encrypts documents (only effective when the document is mailed and the field is encrypted)
SendTo - identifies document recipients
CopyTo - identifies document CC recipients
BlindCopyTo - identifies document BCC recipients
DeliveryPriority - determines the routing priority
DeliveryReport - sends a delivery failure report
ReturnReceipt - sends a receipt when the recipient opens mail
MailFormat - routes mail to cc:Mail
Fields can only have one name, unlike forms and views, which can use synonyms. Therefore, you must be very careful if you want to change a name. Actually, changing the name is essentially the same as deleting the field, so you should do it only when you really, really must. If you change a field name in a form that's only used in one database (not shared in other words), you need to take care of a few other things. First, revise all the formulas that reference the old name. Second, if there are any existing documents created with the old name, you must run an agent that changes the existing field data to the field with the new name. If you change a shared field name, you need to do a little more (sometimes a lot more). First, you must edit each form that uses the shared field, deleting the old field and inserting the new one. Second, you must change all the formulas that refer to the old field name. Finally, if there are any existing documents created with the old name, you must run an agent that changes the existing field data to the field with the new name. Bottom line: Proceed very carefully with field name changes.
Notes fields can be either editable or computed. The former means that users can input or change the field's value, while the latter means that a formula determines the field's value. You can, however, use three specific types of formulas in editable fields to perform certain tasks. A default value formula puts an initial value in the field (which the user can change). An input translation formula changes a field's value after a user has entered it (this is most commonly used to standardize format or correct typing). Finally, an input validation formula makes sure the field's value meets specified criteria requirements. The next few tips will show you some ways to use these formulas in editable fields.
You'll often notice when you create forms in Notes that certain fields already have values, even though they are editable. As we know from the last tip, these are actually entered into the field by a default value formula. Here's how to design these into your fields:
First, select the database and put the form you're creating (or editing) in Design mode. Create a new field or click on an existing field, then choose Design, Field Properties. Select the Editable option, then select the Event:Default Value option from the design pane. Enter your default value--which determines what is entered into the field--in the edit window. This can be a simple text string (make sure this is enclosed in quotation marks), a field name, or a simple formula. When you're finished, click on the green check mark to save the formula, and then close the form and save your changes.
Putting the user's name into a field is one of the most common uses of the default value formula. You can easily design this into the field with a simple formula that uses the @function @UserName. Here's another formula that's not much more complicated, but gets a little fancier with the field value:
@UpperCase (@RightBack (@Left (@UserName; "/"); " "))
What will this formula enter into the field? Why it's the user's surname in uppercase letters, of course. @UserName returns the user name. @Left returns the part of the name to the left of the first slash (if there is one), extracting the proper name from the hierarchical name. @RightBack returns the part of the name to the right of the last space. Finally, @UpperCase puts the name in uppercase letters. Simple, right? If the user name is Joe Blow/Sales/East Coast, the default field value would be BLOW.
If you want to make sure an editable field has a specific standard format, use an input translation formula. Essentially, when a user enters a value, the field's input translation formula checks to see that it meets the formula criteria and converts it if it doesn't (translates it to the correct format). To make a field with this formula, select the database and open the form in Design mode. Create a new field or click on an existing one, then choose Design, Field Properties. Select the Editable option, then click on the design pane and choose the Event: Input Translation option. Enter the formula in the design window, then click on the green check mark to save it. When you're finished, close the form and save your changes.
The last tip showed you how to create a field that uses an input translation formula to standardize users' input values. Here's an example of a formula that makes sure a field called "Name" is put in proper case (initial capitals), and has no extra spaces. The formula is written like this:
@Trim(@ProperCase(Name))
"Name" is, of course, the field's name; @ProperCase puts the name in initial caps; and @Trim removes extra spaces. If the user puts
joe blow
into the field, for example, the formula returns Joe Blow.
The final of the three editable field formulas that we'll examine is called an input validation formula. Basically, you use this formula to make sure that the value a user enters into the field meets specific criteria, or verify that the field has an entry. To make a field with this formula, select the database and open the form in Design mode. Create a new field or click on an existing one, then choose Design, Field Properties. Select the Editable option, then click on the design pane and choose the Event: Input Validation option. Enter the formula in the design window, and then click on the green check mark to save it. (Note: The formula must use the @functions @Failure and @Success to work properly.) When finished, close the form and save your changes.
Here's an example of how to use an input validation formula. Your goal is to make sure that a certain field has been filled in before the form can be saved. In this example we'll call the field "Name." The input validation formula is the following:
@If(Name = ""; @Failure("You must enter your name.");
@Success)
If the user leaves the Name field blank, a message box appears with the message "You must enter your name." Once the user enters a name, he or she can save the document.
If you need to have a field store or display styled text (as opposed to plain text), graphic images, attachments, or other objects, you must designate it as the data type Rich Text. These fields can contain large volumes of data and don't have the size limits of other field data types, so you usually use them for things like the "body" field on a form. Generally, you make Rich Text fields editable, although you can designate them as computed.
Fields that display time and/or date values are very common in Notes forms. Typically, these show things like the date and time the document was created. If you want to put a time field in your form, there are several ways to display the information.
To create the field, select the database and then open the form in design mode. Create a new field or click on an existing one, then choose Design, Field Properties. Select the data type "Time," then select the display options. "Show:" determines the date/time combination for the field (Date and time; Date; Time; or 'Today' and time); "Date format:" the date display (MM/DD/YY; MM/YY; or MM/DD); "Time format:" the time display (hours and minutes; hours, minutes, and seconds); and "Time zone:" determines the time zone ("Adjust to local zone"; "Always show time zone"; or "Show only if zone not local"). You can make the field Editable if you want users to control the entry, or Computed to have a formula determine the value. Either way, when you're finished, close the form and be sure to save your changes.
If you want to use a field to perform calculations, you must include a default value. If you don't, you'll get a message saying "Incorrect data type for operator or @Function: Text expected" when the field attempts to calculate. You can include the default value when you create the field.
One very basic way to use a Number field is to have it calculate sums--for example, the total value of several fields in a form. If you have a Budget form, for example, you can use a Totals field to add up individual items. To do this, create a Number field with the option Currency, set to two decimal places. For the field's formula, add the fields:
Travel + Salary + Entertainment + Miscellaneous
It's that simple!
Notes used to allow only users with Editor-level access to edit documents that they themselves had not created, but not anymore. A new field data type called Authors allows certain users to edit documents they haven't created, but without giving them the powerful (and dangerous) Editor-level access. This is just like any other field. You select the data type "Authors" when you create it, and you can make the field editable or computed. You can enter a list of authors, generate the list from a formula, or do both, all via the Design pane of the field properties box. If you enter a list, put each name in quote marks, separated by a colon, such as
"author name":"author name":"author name"
The Authors field can also include individual names or group names (which are created in the Public Name & Address Book).
The last tip explained how to give certain users the ability to edit other people's documents through an Authors field. You should be aware that this field data type can only refine the Access Control List--it cannot supplant it. Specifically, if a user has only Reader or No Access to a database, that user still cannot edit a document, even if he or she is listed in an Authors field. Actually, only users who have Author-level access are affected by an Authors field, as any users who have Editor-level or higher access can already edit any document.
You can use the Authors field to track everyone who has edited a document. Notes tracks this information through an internal hidden field called $UpdatedBy. To see the contents of this field, open the document, and then open the Properties for: Document box. Select the Fields tab, then scroll through the list of fields until you get to the field $UpdatedBy. The contents of the field--in this case the users who have edited the document--appear in the right side box.
The last few tips showed how to use an Authors field to refine which users can edit documents. Similarly, you can refine the list of users who can read a document through a field that has the data type Readers. If you include a Readers field in your form, only users listed in the field can read documents created with the form, even if other users (not named in the field) have Reader or higher-level access in the ACL. As with an Authors field, this is just like any other field. You select the data type Readers when you create it, and you can make the field editable or computed. You can enter a list of readers, generate the list from a formula, or do both, all via the Design pane of the field properties box. If you enter a list, put each name in quote marks, separated by a colon, such as
"reader name":"reader name":"reader name"
The Readers field can also include individual names or group names (which are created in the Public Name & Address Book).
Here's a way to use a Readers field that lets users read their own documents but no one else's. You need two fields on the form. The first is a computed text field--call it Name--that uses the simple formula @UserName (which returns the name of the user who creates the document). The second is a computed Readers field that uses the formula Name (that's right, the name of the first field). This field makes sure that the reader of each document is only the user who creates it. (Note: Make sure that you always place the second field below the first field on the form, because Notes evaluates forms from top to bottom).
The last series of tips have given you some ideas about how to design and use fields in your Notes forms. Before you actually put any of these into production, you should make sure the fields work as you intend them. The next few tips will show you what to look for in specific field types. For example, if you want a field to display a value when it's first displayed, you must include a default value formula. If you're not seeing the value you want, check the field properties box to see if the default value formula is correct.
If you want to make sure that users enter information into editable fields correctly, make sure you add a help description for the field. Further, if users say that they cannot enter information into the field, make sure that you haven't designated it as a Computed field.
When you have a field that inherits its initial value from another document's form, you must include a default value formula. If the field is not inheriting correctly, check to make sure that the default value formula includes the appropriate value.
To get a full report on a database's design, check out the Design Synopsis. To see this, select File, Database, Design Synopsis, which brings up the Design Synopsis dialog box. There are several options for information about the database (Database, Space Usage, Replication, and Access List) and the design (Shared Field, Stored Query, Agent, Forms, and Views). Select one or more of these and click on OK. The report that follows gives you all the design information that you selected.
You'll often find that an editable field either accepts invalid data or doesn't accept valid data. If this is the case, check the input validation formula first. This makes sure that the data type is valid for the field.
You can use a simple action to delete selected documents from databases, similar to the way you copy and paste. To do this, select the database, choose View, Design, and put the form in design mode. Create a new action, then select Simple Action(s) and Add Action from the design pane, and select Action: Delete from Database. Click on OK, then close the form and save your changes. The selected documents are deleted from the current database AND any replica databases on other servers, unless the "Do not send deletions made in this replica to other replicas" is selected in the current database's replication settings.
Read marks in Notes are totally under your control. If you feel like marking a bunch of documents as "read"--even if they really haven't been--go ahead and do it. Better yet, do it all at once with a simple action. You should know the drill by now. Select the database, choose View, Design, and put the form in design mode. Create a new action, then select Simple Action(s) and Add Action from the design pane, and select Action: Mark Document Read. Click on OK, then close the form and save your changes. The unread shall be read. (You can do the opposite by selecting Action: Mark Document Unread).
Agents automate Notes processes, and now you can run agents automatically from a form with a simple action. To do this, select the database, choose View, Design, and put the form in design mode. Create a new action, then select Simple Action(s) and Add Action from the design pane, and select Action: Run Agent. Click on OK, then close the form and save your changes. The agent action is good to go.
You can successfully automate all kinds of Notes processes from forms by combining simple actions with @function formulas. You can automate these action-@function combos in a form through a simple action. To do this, select the database, choose View, Design, and put the form in design mode. Create a new action, then select Simple Action(s) and Add Action from the design pane, and select Action: @Function Formula. Write the @function formula in the editing window and click on OK; then click on Add Action and select the simple actions that you want to add to the formula. Click on OK, then close the form and save your changes.
If you want to send documents from a form automatically, you can use a "send mail" simple action. The document can be sent either in its entirety or as a link. To do this, select the database, choose View, Design, and put the form in design mode. Create a new action, then select Simple Action(s) and Add Action from the design pane, and select Action: Send Mail Message. Enter the recipients in the To field and the document's description in the Subject field. Next select either Include Copy of Document to copy the entire document into the message or Include Link to Document to create a link to the document in the message. Click on OK, then close the form and save your changes.
Copying and pasting documents between databases is a common way to move things around in Notes. If you want to move a bunch of selected documents all at once, you can use a simple action. To do this, select the database and choose View, Design, then put the form in design mode. Create a new action, then select Simple Action(s) and Add Action from the design pane; then select Action: Copy to Database. Click on Choose Database, select the server and target database where you want to paste the documents. and click on Select. Click on OK, then close the form and save your changes.
Here's a simple action that you can use to add a value to an existing field, creating a new value. To do this, select the database and choose View, Design, then put the form in design mode. Create a new action, then select Simple Action(s) and Add Action from the design pane; then select Action: Modify by Field. Choose the field that you want to add the value to, then type the value you want to add to the existing value. Click on Append Value and then click on OK. Close the form and save your changes. The field shows the new value.
A newsletter summary is another way to send messages automatically from a form with links to documents. The concept is similar to the send mail simple action, but this method adds summary information about the document(s) in a view-like manner. To create the action, select the database, choose View, Design, and put the form in design mode. Create a new action, then select Simple Action(s) and Add Action from the design pane, and select Action: Send Newsletter Summary. Enter the recipients in the To field, and then enter a short description of the summary in the subject field. You can also enter a block of explanatory text in the Body field (this can only be plain text). Click on OK, then close the form and save your changes. When the action is activated, the newsletter summary is sent to the users in the To field.
A couple of tips ago we mentioned the send mail simple action, which automatically forwards documents from a form. In order for the action to work, you need to include a SendTo field in the form. The SendTo field is a handy and necessary device for a variety of mail-enabled documents. You can include individuals, groups (the Christmas Card list?), or mail databases as recipients in SendTo fields.
Before we get to some specific examples, here's how to put a SendTo field in a form. Select or open the database, then select View, Design. Click on Design - Forms from the navigation pane, and double-click on the form you want to edit. Create a new field--text or editable--named SendTo, and define it as either editable or computed text. Select Allow Multi-Values if there are multiple recipients, and select Allow Values Not on This List if you want the recipient list to be flexible. If you choose a keywords field, select a Choices option to determine how the keywords are generated; then write the list or formula, or select the options that match the selected choice. If you choose a computed field, write the formula that selects the list. If you choose an editable field, write a default value formula that sets an initial value for the field. Set any other options you want (such as hiding the field), then close the form and save your changes. The next couple of tips will provide some examples of form options and how to use the SendTo field in forms.
There are a number of ways to modify the way a form is mailed when you use a SendTo field in the form. For example, you can present a mailing options dialog box when the form is closed and saved. To do this, select the option On Close: Present Send Mail Dialog for the form. When the user closes the form, the dialog box with options for mailing, saving, signing, and encrypting appears.
If you want a mail-enabled form to be mailed automatically, include a computed field called MailOptions, with the value "1." Documents are mailed automatically when closed and saved (remember, you must have a properly formatted SendTo field in the form).
If you want users to have the option to mail the document before they save it, include a simple keyword field. Create the field, called MailOptions, and make it editable keywords. Enter the keywords and synonyms
Mail | 1
and
Don't Mail | 0
in the list window, then select the keyword options (radio buttons probably work best). Now the user can choose to "Mail" or "Don't Mail" the document before closing and saving it.
Here's one way to use a form with a SendTo field. Let's say you have a mail-in database that solicits employee input--we'll call it "Employee Opinions." You want the employees to mail the opinion forms to this database, but you also want to give them the option to mail to other employees. To allow this, create a SendTo field in the survey form, make it editable and select the option Allow Multi-Values. Next, enter a default value formula that simply contains the name of the mail-in database in quotation marks ("Employee Opinions"). When users close the form, they can send it straight to the database, or add their own recipients.
If you have a database that you want other users to look at or use, put a button in a form that opens it when clicked. The button uses a very simple @command formula. To create it, open the form in edit mode and choose Create, Hotspot, Button. Format the button any way you want, then select Formula and enter the following formula:
@Command ([FileOpenDatabase]; "ServerName":"GOODSTUFF.NSF"; "View by Category")
Close and save the form. When the button is clicked it puts the Goodstuff database on the user's desktop and opens it to the By Category view.
Buttons are just one way to initiate Notes actions. Another action starter is called an action hotspot; and although these work similarly to buttons, you can get a little more creative with the way they look. You can use text or other graphic images as the hotspot, but the action starts when the hotspot is clicked (like our pal the button). To create an action hotspot, first select the text or graphic, and then choose Create, Hotspot, Action Hotspot. Now set the properties and define the actions for the hotspot as you would with a button. You can use simple actions, formulas, or scripts.
Should you place a border around an action hotspot? The answer depends on what you have made into the hotspot. If it's text, you should border it, because this makes it stand out. If it's a graphic, you probably don't need a border. Either way, the border option is in the Hotspot Properties box. Select the hotspot and choose Edit, Properties; then check Show Border Around Hotspot if you want one, or leave it unchecked if you don't.
Hotspots (and buttons) usually need to be visible when the form is being used, but not when it's being printed. To set this, open the hotspot properties box and select the Window Shade tab. Select Printed from the list of Hide When options.
Sometimes you need a little more space in the view window. If you want to show only the documents in the view without other identifying elements, you can hide the document selection margin on the left or the column headings at the top. To do this, select the database and choose View, Design, then in the navigation pane click Design Views (or Design Folders). Double-click the view, choose Design View Properties (or Design Folder Properties), then click the "style" tab (the one with the "S" icon). Deselect "Show selection margin" and/or deselect "Show column headings." Close the view and save your changes.
If you have hidden the selection margin as we said in the last tip, can you still select documents in the view? Sure. Just press and hold the Shift key as you click document names. The selection margin appears temporarily while documents are selected, and hides again when all documents are deselected.
You can make entries a little easier to read if you give each one a little more space in the row. To add some space, select the database, then choose View, Design. In the navigation pane click Design-Views (or Design-Folders), then double-click the view or folder. Choose Design-View Properties, then click the "style" tab. In the Row spacing box, select any option other than single (the default). Close the view and save your changes.
Another way to make views easier to read is to make the rows inalternating colors for the rows. To set the colors, select thedatabase, then choose View, Design. In the navigation pane clickDesign-Views (or Design-Folders), then double-click the view orfolder. Choose Design-View Properties, then click the "style" tab.Click "Alternate rows," then select the color for each row. Close theview and save your changes.
Some Notes views contain more columns than you can see in the normalview window. Also, some columns extend past the right border of theview window, obscuring the column title. If you want to see all thecolumns the view has to offer, select View, Show Horizontal ScrollBar from the main menu. A scroll bar appears at the bottom of theview, allowing you to scroll the view columns from left to right.
Notes columns may contain more information than you see in the viewwindow. To see more information in a column, place the cursor overthe right edge of the column title until you see a vertical line withtwo horizontal lines. This is called the splitter. Drag the splitterto the right and you will see more information. Note, however, thatsome columns don't allow you to do this.
You should, of course, want to bring some order to the way your viewdisplays documents. The best way to do this is to have Notes sort thedocuments automatically. To set the order, select the database andchoose View, Design. Select Design Views from the navigation pane,then double-click the view. Double-click the view that you want touse for sorting and click the Sorting tab. Click either Ascending(sorts in increasing order) or Descending (sorts in decreasingorder), then select Standard as the sorting type. Close and save theview.
As a database designer, you can tell Notes to highlight certain rowswhen a user opens a view. To do this, select the database and chooseView, Design. Select Design Views from the navigation pane, thendouble-click the view. Select Design, View Properties and click theOptions tab. Select the row you want to highlight from the On Openlist. Close the Properties box, then close and save the view.
Does ascending or descending sort order matter? It certainly can. Ifyou want to list the documents in the column in alphabetical orstraight chronological order, choose to sort in ascending order. Ifyou want to list the documents in reverse chronological order--thatis, with the most recent date first--choose descending order.
The sort order is very useful; sometimes you need to resort to alittle Notes trickery to avoid some limitations. Let's say you have aNotification form that contains a Priority field, which uses thekeywords Urgent, High, Medium, and Low. Your top column in the viewdisplays the Priority field, and is sorted and categorized. Theproblem is that the column sorts the field in alphabetical order(High, Low, Medium, Urgent), but you want users to see the documentsin priority order (Urgent, High, Medium, Low).
You can do this with two simple columns. Create the first column andmake it hidden, no title, and one character wide. To determine thepriority order, use this formula:
@If(Priority=Urgent;1;Priority=High;2;Priority=Medium;3;Priority=Low;4)
Finally, set the sort order as Ascending. Create the second columnimmediately to the right of this column. Makes this not hidden, withthe title "Priority," and at least 10 characters wide. Define thecolumn to display the value of the Priority field.
The first column takes the value of the Priority field and convertsit to the numbers, which are then sorted in ascending order (1, 2, 3,4). But because this column is hidden, the user only sees the displayfrom the second column (Urgent, High, Medium, Low).
If you want, you can design columns so that users can sort them(rather than having the sort happen automatically). Users click thecolumn header, then choose the sort method to see the documents inthe order they want. This applies only to the user at the time andhas no effect on the database design. To set this, select thedatabase and choose View, Design. Select Design Views from thenavigation pane, then double-click the view. Double-click the viewthat you want to use for sorting and click the Sorting tab. Selectthe option Click on Column Header to Sort, then choose the sortorder. Close the Properties box, then close and save the