Lotus Notes Tips 7

LOOK FOR THE FIELD LABEL

While we're on the subject of naming fields, let's clear up the difference between the field name and the field label. As we said in the last tip, the field name is a very specific device that Notes uses for internal classification and calculation. The field name is of interest primarily to the application designer. Most fields also have labels, which primarily identify the field to the users. These don't have to be the same as the field name, and should tell the user what the field's purpose is. In the form design you enter the label as static text, for example:
Name:
Date

SAME NAMES

It's usually best to use the same names to identify fields that do the same or similar things across many different Notes databases or forms. This gives your databases a more standard look and feel. To get an idea of this, look at the Notes template databases, which use the same names many times over. For example, you'll see the name Body used for fields that store most of the document's information (this is generally an editable rich text data type). A field named Subject generally contains a short synopsis of the information. So don't feel shy about field name plagiarism; it really just makes things easier.

SORRY, THAT NAME IS RESERVED FOR NOTES

Notes already includes a bunch of field names that are predefined, or "reserved." These have specific uses and cannot be changed. You can use these fields in any appropriate form, but if you try to define another use, you'll likely get a Notes error. Some reserved fields can apply to any form, while others are specific to mail-enabled forms. Here are some of the most common reserved field names and what they do.

Reserved field names that you can use in any form:Categories - categorizes documents
FolderOptions - puts new documents into folders
SecretEncryptionKeys - encrypts fields
$VersionOpt - controls document version tracking
Reserved field names for mail-enabled forms:
MailOptions - mails documents.
SaveOptions - saves documents
Sign - signs documents (only effective when the document is mailed and the field is a signature)
Encrypt - encrypts documents (only effective when the document is mailed and the field is encrypted)
SendTo - identifies document recipients
CopyTo - identifies document CC recipients
BlindCopyTo - identifies document BCC recipients
DeliveryPriority - determines the routing priority
DeliveryReport - sends a delivery failure report
ReturnReceipt - sends a receipt when the recipient opens mail
MailFormat - routes mail to cc:Mail

NAME CHANGE?

Fields can only have one name, unlike forms and views, which can use synonyms. Therefore, you must be very careful if you want to change a name. Actually, changing the name is essentially the same as deleting the field, so you should do it only when you really, really must. If you change a field name in a form that's only used in one database (not shared in other words), you need to take care of a few other things. First, revise all the formulas that reference the old name. Second, if there are any existing documents created with the old name, you must run an agent that changes the existing field data to the field with the new name. If you change a shared field name, you need to do a little more (sometimes a lot more). First, you must edit each form that uses the shared field, deleting the old field and inserting the new one. Second, you must change all the formulas that refer to the old field name. Finally, if there are any existing documents created with the old name, you must run an agent that changes the existing field data to the field with the new name. Bottom line: Proceed very carefully with field name changes.

FIELD FORMULA FUN

Notes fields can be either editable or computed. The former means that users can input or change the field's value, while the latter means that a formula determines the field's value. You can, however, use three specific types of formulas in editable fields to perform certain tasks. A default value formula puts an initial value in the field (which the user can change). An input translation formula changes a field's value after a user has entered it (this is most commonly used to standardize format or correct typing). Finally, an input validation formula makes sure the field's value meets specified criteria requirements. The next few tips will show you some ways to use these formulas in editable fields.