To that end, we've started to see some information coming out of Lotus about "Rnext," the reputed follow-on release to R5. In this article, I'll give a brief overview of the new developer-oriented features in Rnext, with a focus on the Domino Designer client.

Launching the client
The first noticeable change is to the familiar password dialog box, presented when you start the application. Figure A shows the redesigned window in Rnext.

FIGURE A


It's time for the Rnext password challenge. Roll over picture for a larger image.

The new window allows the user and location to be chosen at start-up, rather than starting the client and changing location from the workspace. This is an excellent time saver.

Figure B shows the workspace presented after start-up. The color scheme is the obvious change, along with the links for setup. The icons along the left are also much prettier.

FIGURE B


The Rnext workspace has a spruced up look. Roll over picture for a larger image.

As you might imagine, the final result is likely to be different from these early preview screens.

Domino Designer
When you select the Domino Designer icon from the left, the screen shown in Figure C is presented.

FIGURE C


Open up Domino Designer. Roll over picture for a larger image.

The drop-down dialog box at the top of the frame is new. It provides quick access to common tasks. If you select, "Domino Objects for LotusScript and OLE," from the list, you'll see the diagram in the main work area. This is an excellent resource for any developer.

An excellent feature of the chart shown above in Figure C is that you can click on the individual elements (Domino objects). Selecting a box opens the associated help topic. A chart of JavaScript objects is included as well. Now, let's turn our attention to individual elements of a Domino database.

Database elements
Figure D shows the left pane expanded for a test database. You should quickly notice major changes.

FIGURE D


Changes are evident in the database design elements. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Here's a breakdown of the changes and additions:

• Shared Code: This area contains all design elements that may be reused throughout the database, including subforms, agents, fields, outlines, actions, and script libraries;

• Servlets: The Sun Java standard for server-based code is now a standard part of the Domino development environment; servlets were available in previous versions, but all development was restricted to non-Domino Java development environments;