Reference Library Applications

Chapter Overview

This chapter will focus on Reference Library applications. These applications are used to store information and tend to be used for reference purposes. This chapter includes two projectsa connection document manager and a spreadsheet report generator.

Reference Library applications can be used for a variety of purposes, such as to

• Store documents or files
• Store Web links
• Store lessons learned from projects
• Store labor hours
• Store postal codes
• Store names, addresses, and phone numbers
• Store and track company assets

By the end of the chapter you will have learned

• How to import and send connection documents
• How to send a connection document to a coworker
• How to send a form through email
• How to build a button to query a Domino server
• How to generate spreadsheets from a database view
• How to attach a file to an email
• How to remove a character from a string
• How to store a form in the document

In general, Reference Library applications can be quickly and easily built. This type of application typically stores static or historical information and tends to be used for reference purposes. In many cases, the application simply contains a form and view and can be built in a few hours.

This chapter includes two projects. The first project is designed to manage server connection documents. Connection documents are used by the Lotus Notes client and typically correct the error "Unable to find path to server." This is a common problem encountered by users when multiple Domino servers are implemented.

The second project builds Microsoft Excel spreadsheets from any Lotus Notes view. This project supplements Reference Library applications. Here, users select a default view to be used to build the spreadsheet. The routine then calculates the number of columns, column names, and column widths to build a spreadsheet report. All columns that contain a field value are then added to the spreadsheet. When complete, this LotusScript library can be added to any new or existing Notes application.

Note

You must have the Microsoft Office and Excel applications installed in order to generate spreadsheets from Lotus Notes database applications.

Project A Build a Connection Document Database