Create Mail-In Database using Standard Notes Mail Template

1
votes

I am trying to create a Mail-In database for a new workflow application, internal and external mail to arrive into a view which can be accessed by any member of the team, assigned reassigned, etc etc.

Attempt 1

I started with a blank canvas created a memo form, view, frame with preview etc, embedded another team calendar in the frame etc no problem until I started to try to implement basic functionality like forward and reply - with history. Forwarding my memo/mail with the history results in a copy of what becomes the ugly header in the new form. I needed it to be formatted like it is in a reply or forward of a Notes email ie like this.

enter image description here

Many hours later I could not figure out how the above has been achieved in Notes.

Attempt 2

Use the standard Notes 11 mail template and using the Notes message/memo form, add my bespoke view and frameset with preview etc. Nearly works, I get the neat history on Forward, however, on previewing the mail in my frameset the preview is pushed outside of my frame covering half of the other frames, it is unuseable. It seems like there is one form on top of another, ie this is apparent when opening the mail, adding a green background to the form is only visible on Edit. Again after hours and hours of searching through code and subforms, I cannot find the cause of it. I have established though if I open my client in basic mode, ie. nlnotes then it works perfectly.

So several questions all related, am I going about it the right way. I would like to use the mail template as a lot of what I need is built in, but I need to view that database in basic mode whilst in a standard eclipse notes client, ie stop it trying to open whatever it is trying to open in the eclipse version.

Or is there a better way, ie to generate the neat From: To: history in Forwarded and Replied to emails. I will also want any replies to be from the group email address rather then the individual user, I haven't got to that yet so I am not sure if it is a problem.

I have seen the Open NTF Team Mail project, but that is 10 years out of date, so I felt there would be more advantage in trying to use the existing mail template.

Hope that makes sense.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

1
lotus-noteslotus-domino
In previous versions of Notes, using the mail template sometimes adds complexity. (Things like controlling who the mail is "from" etc) If it were me, I'd start with a blank canvas and then copy/paste design elements from the template as you need them. - Duston
Yeah, I did want to start with a blank canvas, like copying the design elements like the Message Form, that's when you run into the problems described above. It isn't a case of copying a form, there is so much other stuff going on. I need to somehow copy it in 'basic' mode. - Mark Maden
We always create our own form and views, with minimal functionality. If users want more they should use their own mail database. FYI, historically, the mail template uses hidden functions and methods, only for mail purposes. One was Set replyNotesDocument = notesDocument.CreateReplyMessage( all ) , maybe you can use it? - D.Bugger
Thanks. I just wanted the built in neat history as shown. For a reference for anyone who may have the same problem. I have gone down the path of using the mail template. To get it to behave, I had to scrap my frameset and use an existing one 'Mail View Frame' then modify that to my design and it worked where my frameset wouldn't, how strange. I now find that basic Action Buttons in my View won't work, things like @Setfield, but if I recreate using LS then I seem to be on to a winner. All seems like a black art than an exact science but that is as you say probably due to hidden functions. - Mark Maden

1 Answers

0
votes

I suggest to create a new mail-in database and give it the right mail-template. Sometimes an application gets a hick-up and the application can't implement the template correctly. Or because of your previous tries there are design parts which shouldn't be there.

Is this the first time you create a mail-in database? Are all template elements signed correctly? Did you check the ACL, too?