They want me to do what?

September 12, 2007 7:20 AM

AHHHH - I'm not a web developer but somehow Lotus Domino Designer is now part of my job...where do I start?

OK I’ve done some stuff in teamsite and understand (beginner level) HTML but now I need to be able to create basic pages using Lotus Domino Designer 6.5. I have tried searching for free “dummy” or intro lessons unsuccessfully - all I need is how to start…any suggestions or sites I could go to?

posted by doorsfan to computers & internet (3 comments total)

Domino lets you use HTML and CSS to layout pages, but you don't have to.
The Designer client lets you put together pages with fields and buttons and controls, and is pretty much WYSIWYG. Just drop the element where you want it to appear on the page.

You can use Javascript to program the back-end logic, but again, that isn't required. There's something called Lotusscript which is very similar to Visual Basic. But you might not even have to use that. There's also something called Simple Actions which let you do things like Save, Close, Send Email, change fields, etc.

Books can be hard to find, I'm afraid. I've found the best way to get started is to poke around in some of the templates that Lotus provides out of the box. Their code is fairly complex, but you can see how things are laid out, and safely play around with things.

There are some great resources on the web. Check out the forums at Notes.net. When I run into trouble, I always search there first. Their archives go back years, and chances are very good they have an answer.
There is also a growing Open Source community creating templates. You'll find them at OpenNTF.
posted by Eddie Mars at 7:59 AM on September 12, 2007

Have you been tasked with creating application for the Lotus Notes client or for browsers? I have been doing Domino development for a long time so if you answer that, I can steer you in the right direction. Go check out CodeStore.net to see numerous examples of web development through Domino Designer done right. His older articles are chock full of great advice. Lotus Notes is a monster and there is a lot to know. And it is completely different than developing for a typical relational back-end. You have to get your head around forms and views first.
posted by jasondigitized at 8:06 AM on September 12, 2007

Wow. Two years ago today I was in your position. Still am, to an extent.

I'd like to second OpenNTF and CodeStore.net. Both -great- resources that I use on a weekly basis. I'd also recommend you check out Interface Matters, as Chris provides demos of some of the beautiful things he's done, and the IBM Notes Sandbox can be a great resource. I recommend you check out the Notes blogs and click their links to other Notes sites, as you never know what you'll find.

Do not discount Designer's Help - it's a good tool, with lots and lots of examples. I didn't get the training I needed until much later, but was able to pretty much teach myself LotusScript and @functions using Help and the different sites. And if you hit a snag, ask the community on the IBM forums. They are incredibly helpful.

In the meantime, enjoy the Lotus Notes BOFH.
posted by sephira at 8:52 AM on September 12, 2007