FIGURE A


MyTestForm has two fields called Tracking_Number and Display_Tracking_Number. Roll over picture for a larger image.

The first field, Tracking_Number, is used to calculate a number for this document when it is first created. The second field, Display_Tracking_Number, would simply display the value of the first one.

Aside from editing the actual Field Name, there would need to be list boxes for when the field calculates (Editable, Computed when Composed, etc), and the Field Type (Date/Time, Number, etc.). There would also be Hide When checkboxes, plus another field to calculate a Hide When formula (not shown). Given all of the new JavaScript events that we have available to us in the R5 Designer, I took the liberty of adding an "Add Event" tab to the table, which would add a blank tab (row) to this table for the selected FIELD Event (i.e. Input Validation, OnBlur, etc.).

Notice the Submit button at the bottom of the form. That is a Design Submit button, where the developer would send the code changes up to the server to be compiled. The Form Events Tab could show the WebQuerySave and WebQueryOpen information, or even JavaScript code that runs on a Form Event.

Remote access
I even gave thought to the Designer Help, because there's always the need to lookup the syntax of a seldom-used Method or Function. The Designer Help could be launched into a separate browser window, similar to the way the R5 Designer Help launches in its own window, wherein the you could search for some necessary syntax without losing the current code state.

This could even be expounded further by having Property Box information displayed via JavaScript instead of in a separate browser window. JavaScript on the form itself could send Property Information to the Property Box when the user clicks in the field. For example, when I click in the Tracking_Number field in the Notes Designer, the Property Box fills with information about the Tracking_Number field. This same functionality could be mimicked with JavaScript, and would have to write to the Notes Document at some point to save the changes made.

Future release...?
I will immediately offer up that while this scheme may look easy to incorporate into the Notes product line, the entire idea would probably be extremely difficult to render to whatever native language Notes uses (I'll assume C) if it were even possible. I realize that, but I still think that this little idea has some merit and if nothing else, may provoke other developers to think outside of the Designer "box" that we have become so accustomed to!

Chris Stoner, a.k.a. Green Jellybean, is an R4 and R5 Principal Certified Lotus Professional, currently working on a new project: http://www.macaytid.com. She can be reached at green_jellybean@bookideas.com or look for her at Lotusphere in Orlando!