creating fields in lotus notes document?

Question

I am trying to export items from my access database into lotus notes. The document I am trying to export to is a stationary, and has all the data written into it, I just need to somehow mark placeholders and then update the values. I have read the documentation and it appears I will need to address fields and then call a method to replace the text like so:

'where body is the field and the following string is what to replace field with
Call doc.ReplaceItemValue("body", "REPLACE BODY")

To be clear, my entire code looks like:

Set session = CreateObject("Notes.NotesSession")
Set maildb = session.GetDatabase("server", "mail\box.nsf")

Set View = maildb.GetView("Stationery")
Set entries = View.AllEntries

Set entry = entries.GetFirstEntry

Set doc = entry.Document

Call doc.ReplaceItemValue("Subject", "Report - " & Date)
'add code here
Call doc.send(False, "person.to.receive@thisemail.com")


End Sub

I have noticed that while perusing documentation, there seems to be an ability to create fields, and then address those fields to update values. So for example, if I have a field named $COST, then one could do:

Call doc.ReplaceItemValue("$COST", "The cost is $3000")

And that field should be updated to reflect the value I passed through the method. My big problem is, even looking through documentation, I cannot figure out where I need to go to add in my custom fields. It seems that the documentation assumes that you know how to create these fields and just address them. Or am I only supposed to create these fields programatically and then fill in the data? My client is Lotus Notes 8. Thanks!

I would recommend not to start field names with a $ sign, there are some reserved system fields that starts with that character, so that would confuse other developers that will work with your code. It is just an established convention not to use that character in field names. Also, for rich text fields (e.g. your body field), there are rich text classes that gives you much better control of the look of teh content, like Knut shows in his answer. — Karl-Henry Martinsson

Knut Herrmann Knut Herrmann · Accepted Answer · 2013-09-03T19:50:19

Yes, that is the cool thing about IBM Lotus Notes databases: you can put items (=fields) in a Notes document without a prior definition of fields.

If you create items in a document with doc.ReplaceItemValue() and save or send the document then the items are just there. You can check the items when you open the property box for a selected document. All items are listed on document properties' second tab.

Another question is of course to define fields in a form so that the created items are visible to user without looking at document properties box. Open database in Designer and put the fields in right position and size to form.

Your question and comments telling that you want to create a document, fill it with data and send it to users.

If all users have access to your Notes server then you can create that document in your existing database and send just a link mail to users. This way you can create a good looking form and position all your data fields. Users will access the document in database through link.

An alternative is to create an nice looking HTML file, attach it to the mail and send it. In this case you would add this code to your example at 'add code here:

Call doc.RemoveItem("Body")
Set rtitem = doc.CreateRichTextItem( "Body" )
Call rtitem.AppendText("your mail text")
Call rtitem.EmbedObject(EMBED_ATTACHMENT, "", "report.html")

creating fields in lotus notes document?

2 Answers