Adding actions to navigators

About this task

After you add objects to a navigator, you automate the objects by attaching actions to them. For example, to program a graphic button so that it opens a particular view when a user clicks it, select Run: Simple Actions and then choose "Open a view or folder" in the Action field of the Programmer's pane. Then select a particular view in the Programmer's pane.

Simple actions for navigators

Procedure

You can use these simple actions for navigators.

Action: Open a view or folder

Procedure

When users click an object that opens a view or folder, the preview pane (if it is open) changes to display the selected document in the new view or folder.

Action: Alias a folder

Procedure

When users click an object that activates a folder, the folder activated by that object replaces the current folder (if one is open). To return to the original folder, use View - Go To.

Action: Open another navigator

Procedure

When users click this object, the current navigator (if there is one) is replaced by the new navigator. The replacement navigator must be from the same database.

Action: Open a link

Procedure

The action prompts you to paste a link to a document, view, or database. When a user clicks this type of object, Domino® Designer presents the specified document, view, or database.

Action: Open URL

Procedure

The action prompts you to specify a URL to open. Clicking the navigator object opens the URL.

Custom actions

Procedure

You can use an @function formula or a LotusScript® program to define a custom action. A navigator that runs an @function formula allows you to create specialized actions that aren't related to switching to a view, a folder, a navigator, or a link.

To attach an action

Procedure

  1. Create a new navigator, or open an existing navigator.
  2. Select a navigator object.
  3. In the Programmer's pane, click "Run: Simple action(s)."
  4. Select the simple action to run and supply any required information.
  5. Close and save the navigator.

To attach a formula or script

Procedure

  1. Create a new navigator, or open an existing navigator.
  2. Select the navigator object.
  3. To add a formula, select "Run: Formula" in the Programmer's pane. Then, type the formula and click the green check mark to confirm it.
  4. To add a script, select "Run: LotusScript®" in the Programmer's pane. Then, write the LotusScript® program.
  5. Close and save the navigator.

Results

For more information on writing formulas and scripts for buttons and hotspots, see the Domino® Designer Programming Guide.

Examples

Procedure

This section includes examples of automating navigators.

Opening a view

Procedure

A navigator that switches to another view gives users a graphical way to choose a view so they don't need to know the name of a view in the view pane. The Main Navigator in the Discussion template uses objects to open these views: All Documents, By Category, and By Author.

Creating a navigator object that opens a navigator

About this task

A navigator object (such as a button) that switches to another navigator is a graphical way to guide users through a series of decisions to reach the information they need.

This navigator displays a bar chart created in 1-2-3®.

Bar chart created in 1-2-3

To find out more information, users click a bar that represents an area's sales. Each bar in the first navigator is a hotspot rectangle that takes users to the Weekly Details by Country navigator. When users reach the second navigator, they see another bar chart that displays weekly sales by individual country. Clicking a bar in this chart opens the view for the country (for example, View by country\France). Each bar in the second navigator is a hotspot rectangle whose "Open a view or folder" action specifies the appropriate country view.

Hotspot rectangle in bar chart

Creating a shortcut navigator with an @function formula

About this task

This shortcut navigator allows users to click the icon instead of using the Create menu to create a new Action Item document.

Shortcut navigator

The action for the icon is "Run a formula" with the formula:

@Command([Compose];"";"3. Action Item")

Making a navigator object that runs a LotusScript® program

About this task

When users double-click the navigator object (for example, a button), this script opens the current database:

Sub Initialize
     Dim session As New NotesSession
     Dim db As NotesDatabase
     Set db = session.CurrentDatabase
     Call db.Open("", "")
     Messagebox(db.Title & " " & db.FileName)
     If db.IsOpen = True Then msg$ = "open" Else msg$ = "closed"
     Messagebox("Database is " & msg$)
End Sub