Upgrading Lotus Domino from 8.5.2 to 8.5.3, custom template broken

Question

I have a custom template that is deployed on Domino servers and used by customers for their mail boxes. The hierarchy is like this:

StdRMail85
  |
Custom Template
  |
User Mailfile

This template has worked since version Lotus Notes/Domino 6.5 through 8.5.2, with some modifications as updates were made to the Lotus products. I have upgraded my Domino server and Notes client to 8.5.3 and the hierarchy for the template has been broken.

When loading the initial template form from the calendar view and following through the debugger in pre-8.5.3 the uidoc.Document.ParentDatabase has a file path of

mail\mailfile.nsf.

That mail file has a master that is the template that I've built. My template inherits from the StdRMail85. In 8.5.3 the uidoc.Document.ParentDatabase filepath is

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temp\notesA3700A\~editclp.ncf

I can add my template as a master to the mail file and refresh and or replace the design fine from the workspace. The integration point is a button in the calendar view. When that button is selected I load a saved form that contains user configuration data. The UIDOC for this form is the one that has a document.parentDatabase pointing to the editclp file and not the mail file in 8.5.3.

I have also noticed that after refreshing the template something seems to have a lock on the template as I cannot refresh it again or view the properties of it.

I applied the fix pack upgrade but, it was to no avail. Nothing has changed code wise or configuration wise in the template from 8.5.2 so I'm kind of at a loss. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance

So in pre 8.5.3 the databases inherit from your template? What do you mean when you say they inherit from a temp file in 8.5.3? Can you do a manual upgrade using File - Application - Upgrade Design? — Per Henrik Lausten
I updated it to be more clear. In my frustration with this I wasn't very precise in my question. I have tried both refreshing and replacing the design and it hasn't helped with the issue. I have also tried running fixup and updall on the server. — Corv1nus
Still not understanding. Are you saying that inheritance is not working? Or are you saying that some of the functionality in the user mail file is broken? If the latter, is it some of your custom functionality that is broken, or functionality from the standard template? — Richard Schwartz
Also, what do you mean by "When loading the initial template form from the calendar view ..." It might help if you could tell us what custom design elements you have in the custom template, and what they are used for. — Richard Schwartz
I think I almost understand your description of the problem now. The the NotesUIDocument class does not have a ParentDatabase property, so I think you must be referring to the uidoc.Document.ParentDatabase. So this looks like an issue that has been reported previously in IBM's Notes 8.5 Forum. See here: tinyurl.com/8a4y4a5 It doesn't look like a solution was ever posted there, but Simon O'Doherty responded in that thread, and he's also active here in StackOverflow so maybe he can help. — Richard Schwartz

Corv1nus Corv1nus · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-30T20:32:35

It appears that FixPack 1 for Notes 8.5.3 and FixPack 1 for Domino 8.5.3 fixed this issue for me. I'm posting the answer here in case anyone else runs into the problem.

Upgrading Lotus Domino from 8.5.2 to 8.5.3, custom template broken

1 Answers