BP218 IBM Lotus Notes 8 and IBM Lotus Expeditor Customization for LotusScript Developers

BP218: IBM Lotus Notes 8 and IBM Lotus Expeditor Customization for LotusScript Developers

John D. Head

Alex Kassabov

Before we begin

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Agenda

Who we are?

Notes 8 Standard ... The Revolution

What about use Notes/LotusScript Developers?

Installing the Development Environment

The Toolbar

The Sidebar

Composite Applications

801 and the PSC Special Project and My Widgets

Wrap-up and Q&A

Who are we?

John D. Head

Framework Manager at PSC Group, LLC

Involved in Lotus technology since 1993

Speaker

Over 25 sessions at Lotusphere since 1996

Speaker at View & Advisor conferences

Author

Advisor Magazine and other publications on Office and SmartSuite integration with Notes

LotusUserGroup.org contributing Author and Forum moderator

www.johndavidhead.com

Who are we?

Alex Kassabov

Vice President of Collaboration at PSC Group, LLC

Involved in Lotus technology since 1995

Notes R3 – got dragged there kicking and screaming

Speaker

Lotusphere sessions on Desktop Integration

Collaboration Summit

PSC Group, LLC

IBM Premium Business Partner for 15+ Years

Microsoft Gold Partner

Notes 8 and NMFR Design Partner

Host of IdeaJam.net

Former Host of OpenNTF.org

Winner of 2007 Lotus Award!

Finalist for 2008 Lotus Award

Host of the following blogs:

Ed Brill’s (www.edbrill.com)‏

Alan Lepofsky’s Notes Tip’s (www.alanlepofsky.net)‏

Alan Gartenberg - Sametime (www.adamgartenberg.com)‏

Jeff Eisen – Hannover (www.jeffeisen.com)‏

Domino Server Team (www.dominoblog.com)‏

Lotus Connections Team

(synch.rono.us)

Chris Pepin – IBM CTO’s Office (www.chrispepin.com)

Agenda

Who we are?

The Toolbar

The Sidebar

801 and the PSC Special Project

Wrap-up and Q&A

Notes 8 Standard – The Revolution

Notes 8 Standard is the BIGGEST change to the Notes client … EVER

Notes 8 Standard is not longer just a C++ application

Built upon the Lotus Expeditor Framework

Expeditor is built upon Eclipse.org

Huh?

The IBM Open Client Platform

Extensible plug-in architecture

Rich application ecosystem

Multi platform support

Server managed

Advanced client services

Offline support

Rich clients Run time platform Collaborative Services 3 rd Party Applications Lotus Sametime Lotus Notes

An Open Applications Foundation

Lotus Notes 8 software is

built on Eclipse.org open standard -- enables composite applications

Extends existing applications

Lotus Domino-based

3 rd party

Fully extensible and customizable

Technical article – Extending the client with Eclipse : http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/lotus/library/notes8-mail/index.html?S_TACT=105AGX13&S_CMP=EDU Online course - Exploring new features in Lotus Domino Designer: https://education.lotus.com/rw/lewwschd.nsf/594045664318da9e80256cae00361321/0c3713cab1c266e9852572e50062eaab?OpenDocument

What is Lotus Expeditor?

Lotus Expeditor is “ the IBM universal managed client for SOA”

What that really means:

Built on top of the Eclipse.org framework

Provides services such as provisioning, security, and interface

Expeditor is not Open Source

Applications built on top of Lotus Expeditor

Notes 8 Standard

Sametime 7.5 and 8

IBM Workplace Client Technology

IBM Websphere Everyplace

Competes directly with the .NET Framework

What is the Eclipse.org Framework

Open Source Framework

Java Technology

The first wave of applications that used Eclipse.org were development environments

Created by IBM in 2001

Eclipse Foundation Created in 2004

Works on Windows, Linux, and Mac

Why is Eclipse.org and Lotus Expeditor Important?

The Notes client has been reborn!

The entire client sits on top of both of these frameworks

This means the entire Notes Client interface has been rebuilt

You can now directly interact with

The ToolBar

The Status Bar

The New Sidebar

Composite Applications and Composite Application Components

We can do things we could never do before … and things that were very difficult are now easier … and supported!

Agenda

Who we are?

The Toolbar

The Sidebar

Wrap-up and Q&A

What about us Notes / LotusScript Developers

Um … Java ? ? ?

I write Lotus Script

I write Notes Applications

I do not want to learn Java

Is there a place for me in this world?

The answer is YES !!!!

There is now reason you, the LotusScript Developer …

… The Notes Client Developer …

Can now build applications that interact with Eclipse.org and Lotus Expeditor.

You just have to be willing to open your mind to new things …

Remember when Notes 4? You had to learn LotusScript

Notes 5? You had to learn Framesets and Java Agents

Notes 7? Web Services

Get the Point?

Our goal is to show you how to get started

You might even learn Java along the journey

The number one skill of a developer …

No matter the language or the development environment …

Be open minded to change

The number two skill?

Learn how to ‘borrow’ code and reuse 

Agenda

Who we are?

The Toolbar

The Sidebar

Wrap-up and Q&A

Getting Started … Creating a Development Environment

This is not Domino Designer … Yet 

You will need to install a bunch of things

You will need to tweak a bunch of settings

Versions and settings can be confusing, so we will walk thru it

Our recommendation … create a separate Virtual Machine for this

VMWare Server is free!

Do not try to do this with your production Notes client!

Installation of your Dev Environment – Step 1

Install Eclipse 3.2.2

http://archive.eclipse.org/eclipse/downloads/drops/R-3.2.2-200702121330/index.php

Make sure you have Administrator Rights to your Machine

Put into a folder in your C: root

C:eclipse3.2.2

Make sure your Windows Operating System is defragged FIRST!

Install Lotus Expeditor 6.1.1

http://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/download/nochargesearch.jsp?q=Lotus+Expeditor+Toolkit

Make sure Notes 8 Standard is installed and configured first

Reboot between installing Eclipse.org and Lotus Expeditor

Defrag again!

Locate the plugin_customization.ini file

Path: <notesdir>/framework/rcp/

Edit it and add this line to the bottom:

com.ibm.notes.branding/enable.update.ui=true

Restart Notes (restart the Windows)

Now you will see a File->Application->Application Management and Install Toolbar.

New Menu Items

New Dialogs

New Dialogs (continued)

Setting up your Development Environment Demo — Example 1 Demo Environment Setup

Agenda

Who we are?

The Toolbar

The Sidebar

Wrap-up and Q&A

The Notes 8 ToolBar

Notes 8 added the Toolbar and removed SmartIcons

Toolbars can not be programmaticly added

They can be managed, just like a Notes database

Toolbars can display based on Sidebar and Composite Applications that are loaded

The only way to do this is with Java

You can build the toolbar with a repeatable process

It’s the code behind the Toolbar button that is a bit harder

Extending the Notes 8 ToolBar Demo — Example 2 Extending the Notes 8 ToolBar The Un Demo

Agenda

Who we are?

The Toolbar

The Sidebar

Wrap-up and Q&A

Lotus Notes 8 Sidebar

Peripheral vision

Handy

Easy access

Use supplied plug-ins

Activities

Feed Reader

IBM Lotus Sametime ® Contacts

Calendar Day At-A-Glance

Create your own custom plug-ins

Extending the Lotus Notes Sidebar and Toolbar with custom plug-ins

Configure Lotus Notes 8 software as IDE target platform

RAD, RSA or Eclipse

Create a new plug-in

Implement SWT interface

IViewPart for sidebar plug-in

ISContributionItem for toolbar plug-in

Contribute to extension points

com.ibm.rcp.ui.shelfViews to place in sidebar

com.ibm.rcp.ui.controlSets to place in toolbar

org.eclipse.ui.viewActions to implement actions

Deploy to clients

Building a Sidebar Application – Eclipse Component Demo — Example 3 Eclipse Component Sidebar Application

Wait, that is Java! That is Complicated!

In finding ways for Notes developers to do this in the easiest way

Use a Web Browser Component

Can you build a Domino Web Application?

If so, you can build a Sidebar Application

Building a Sidebar Application – Web Component Demo — Example 4 Eclipse Component Sidebar Application

Agenda

Who we are?

The Toolbar

The Sidebar

Wrap-up and Q&A

Composite Applications – The Big Game

Building Real World Applications

Think of this as a super Frameset

The nice thing is a Frame can have pieces that are not Notes!

These are typically written in Java

IBM is trying to make this easier for all of us!

You can open a Composite Application from Websphere Portal in Notes 8 and it all works

Requires some changes to Portal applications for this to work

Composite Applications are the key Notes Client development focus for Notes 8 and 8.5

What is a Composite Application? Combines components on-the-glass Think rich-client mashup

High Level Programming Model Promotes Reuse Comprehensive Java IDEs Lotus Expeditor toolkit Rational ® tools WebSphere Portlet Factory No programming Portlets, Builders, Lists Script-style development Lotus Domino Designer Lotus Component Designer Build/Deploy Components Assemble and Wire Application Application Clients Composite Application Editor Application Template Editor Rich Client Browser

Composite Application Model - Definitions

Composite Application

collection of components brought together for a business purpose

Component

contains UI, business logic and storage (e.g., NSF)

Component view

presentation service/view into component (e.g., Notes view)

Property Broker Programming Model

Component interaction (aka event/action relationships)

loosely coupled through properties and actions

mix-and-match different component technologies

Property is a typed exchangeable data

Action is the logic to consume a property

Components define their properties and actions

can be defined via Property Broker Editor feature of Lotus Domino Designer

Wire connects properties to actions

Event/action relationships

1-to-1 or 1-to-many wiring options

Extensions to Lotus Domino Designer 8

New design elements

Wiring Properties - (WSDL XML)

contains property and action definitions

modified through Property Broker Editor

Applications - (CA XML)

contains layout and navigation

contains event/action relationships

modified through Composite Application Editor

Build NSF components with Lotus Domino Designer New property for view/folder columns New LotusScript APIs for procedural support of inter-component communication (event/action relationships) New property for actions Property Broker Editor and Import WSDL functions to support properties and actions Onselect view event handler

Building Eclipse-based Components

Properties and actions can be defined via Eclipse extension points and WSDL

Properties can be exposed via Java APIs

Three types of actions:

Core Action - org.eclipse.core.commands.AbstractHandler

SWT Action - org.eclipse.jface.action.Action

AWT Action - java.awt.Component

Composite Application Editor: Assembly and Wiring

Optional install feature of Lotus Notes 8 software

Edit composite applications stored in NSF or on WebSphere Portal*

NSF and Eclipse-based components added to and displayed on palette

Drag-n-drop components onto page for WYSIWYG display

Edit component and page runtime properties

Wiring interface displays properties and actions of included components

Connect properties to actions in 1-to-1 or 1-to-N event/action relationships

Lotus Notes 8 client runtime for defined wiring is property broker

Define layout of pages and components Define event/action relationships of components

But, what else is there?

Is there anything else out there to make this more Domino like?

Notes developers love the RAD features of Domino Designer

How can we build Composite Applications in a RAD manner?

Enter the IBM Component Library

IBM Component Library

22 Plugins that you can use to build applications

Posted to OpenNTF.org

Open Source, so you can see how these were built!

Building a Composite Application using the Component Library Demo — Example 5 The Component Library In a Composite Application

The Real Power of Notes 8 Standard – Composite Applications

Notes 8 Standard’s biggest development addition

Composite Applications : Think a Portal Page in a Rich Client

Tie together different windows to do stuff

Those windows can be more than Notes

Eclipse component

Portlet

Notes component

Third-Party pieces

IBM sees Composite Applications as a way to bring big ISVs back to the Notes Client market

Agenda

Who we are?

The Toolbar

The Sidebar

Wrap-up and Q&A

Notes 8.0.1 and the PSC Secret Project

Our goal with 8.0.1 (and this session)

Educate folks scared about Eclipse and Java

Discuss our secret project

The Secret Project – Eclipse.org Wizards

Sidebar

Menu

Composite Application Components

Eclipse.org Wizards

The design goal is to allow a Notes developer to build Eclipse.org components without writing code

Wizard in Eclipse

Select a Notes Database

Select a Notes View

Select a Notes Form and Fields

Click OK

Create a Sidebar Components 

Reality of Groundbreaking Technology …

Notes 8.0.1 Beta 2 broke pieces of this

It will ship for 8.0.1 Final

We will post this at our website

It will be free (with some small branding)

We are doing this to build the community amongst the tree-huggers.

Are you a tree-hugger? 

Maybe we do not need to build it now …

8.0.1 My Widgets

Since we wrote this presentation, the folks at Lotus have been busy

In the opening session, did you notice one of the features?

You can add a Notes database to the Sidebar!

8.0.1 My Widgets Demo — Example 6 My Widgets

My Widgets and Composite Applications

The big key here is My Widgets and how they will help you

In 8.0.1, there will be a new Component in the Palette called “My Widgets”

You will add the component to your Composite Application and then select an existing Widget.

Widgets can come from

Local Machine

Widget Library on a Server

Agenda

Who we are?

The Toolbar

The Sidebar

Wrap-up and Q&A

Sessions you should see this week

Integration of IBM Lotus Notes 8 with IBM Lotus Symphony and OpenOffice.org

John Head

Swan Osprey - Tuesday 1:30pm - 2:30pm

AD103 Creating Eclipse-based Components for Composite Applications

Chuck Imperato, Robert Balfe

Dolphin South Hemisphere I - Tuesday 1:30pm - 2:30pm

BP103 Building Composite Applications in IBM Lotus Notes

Niklas Heidloff, Jeremy Michell

Yacht & Beach Grand Harbor Salon V-VI - Wednesday 10:00am - 11:00am

AD107 Designing Great User Interfaces for Composite Applications

Kristina Beckley, Jo Grant

Dolphin North Hemisphere A-C - Wednesday 3:00pm - 4:00pm

AD111: Notes Widget s and Live Text: Linking Your Data to the World

8:30am - 9:30am, SW 5-6

Resources

LDD Discussions (Notes.Net) http://www-130.ibm.com/developerworks/lotus

John Head’s blog http://www.johndavidhead.com

Slides and content available from http://www.johndavidhead.com http://www.psclistens.com

Composite Applications Blog – Composite Applications for People

http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/page/CompApps?ca=drs-bl

Composite Applications Wiki

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/wikis/display/appdev/Home

Thank You! Questions & Answers We will be in the speaker room after the session Please remember to fill out your evaluation. www.lotusphere08surveyonline.com [email_address] [email_address] www.johndavidhead.com www.psclistens.com