Applets
Although used mainly in Domino Web applications, Java applets can be stored directly in Notes databases through the use of this new resource. For large Java applets with multiple files, storing some of the related files as shared resources in the database makes standardization and distribution easier. When you set up files as shared resources, all the applets can use a single copy of the file, instead of each applet storing its own copy. As with the images, if a file requires updating, you only need to update one file.

Domino Administrator
Administrators more than developers tend to perform some of the same tasks over and over again. The new administration control panel for Domino is designed to take a task-oriented approach to these frequently performed duties. With the absolutely insane amount of attention that TCO (total cost of ownership) issues are receiving in computer publications, Lotus knew that making Domino servers easier and more convenient to manage was critical. This program has too many improvements to be covered in this short article. Look for a detailed review in an upcoming issue DominoPower.

What else?
I've noticed over the past five years that the connectivity at Lotusphere has gotten less powerful. In years past, "Lotusphere Online" had a great deal of compelling content: spirited discussion databases, technical information, presentations, etc. This year there was almost no information to speak of. You could access your internal Lotusphere email, browse the web and go to one or two very simple, sparsely populated Notes databases. Granted, the network didn't crash as frequently as in years past but it would still be nice to see some of the deep information that was available in the past. With the increasing number of breakout sessions, people probably don't have as much time to contribute or surf the servers. [In fairness, however, in earlier years, this depth of information wasn't easily available to anyone through their connection to the Internet. Now you can go to http://www.lotus.com and read thousands of pages. -- DG]

Wrap-up
That's it for this month's diatribe. I hope that you got a sense of what was there from a technology standpoint. For a insight into the more recreational aspects of the conference, don't forget to check out Denise Amrich's article "Lotusphere '99: the party report".

Dan Velasco is a Senior Technical Editor for WebSpherePower Magazine and DominoPower Magazine. He's a Sun Certified Java Programmer, Sun Certified Web Component Developer and an IBM Certified Solution Developer for WebSphere Studio V5.0. He's also a Principal CLP Application Developer (R4, R5 and ND6) as well as a CLP System Administrator (R4 and R5). You can reach him via email at dvelasco@webspherepower.com or on the Web at http://DanVelasco.com.