To create Readers and Authors fields

About this task

Restrict Read access to documents by creating Readers and Authors fields as follows.

Procedure

  1. Open the form in Domino® Designer.
  2. Create a field, or click an existing field. Then choose Design - Field Properties.
  3. On the Field Info(i) tab, select Readers or Authors as the type, and then:
    • Select Editable to allow authors and editors to modify the list.
    • Select "Computed" or "Computed when composed" to write a formula that computes the reader or author names.
    • Computed for display fields are not effective for controlling access because they are not stored in the document. Access is based on the items stored in the document. Notes® does not reference to the form design when displaying a document in a view.
      "Marketing"
      "Marketing":"[Admin]"
      "Marketing,[Admin]"
      "[Scheduling Committee]"
      @Username : Approvers : "[Admin]"
      Note: @Username in a formula doesn't grant access to the current user who just opened the document. Access is granted based on the value stored in the document. So if Mary Green last saved the document, and her name is stored in an Authors field, then when Joe Pigeon opens the document later, @Username in that field formula doesn't let him edit the document. Mary's name is stored in there and Mary can edit.
  4. To create editable or computed field values, click the Programmer's pane, select a formula type, and write the formula; click the green check mark to save the formula.
    Note: Include server names in the formula if the database will replicate.
  5. On the Control tab, choose one of the following options to generate a list of readers or authors from which users can select.
    Note: Unless "None" is selected as the lookup option for a Readers or Authors field, users press either CTRL+ENTER or, if specified for the field, the entry helper button to see a list of possible entries. If the Readers field is located inside a layout region, leave "None" selected; other lookup options do not apply.
    • Use None to rely on a formula or on authors to create the list of names. Select "Look up names as each character is entered" to speed up typing in editable fields. Domino® fills in the first name that matches the characters the user types.
    • Use Address dialog box for choices to display the Names dialog box so users can select names from a Personal Address Book or from the Domino® Directory. Select "Look up names as each character is entered" to help users fill in a name quickly and Designer looks up a match.
    • Use access control list for choices to display a list of people, servers, groups, and roles in the ACL.
    • Use View dialog box for choices to display a dialog box containing entries from a column in a Designer database view. Select the database to look up, select a view, and select a column number.
  6. Optional: On the Field Info tab, select "Allow multi-values" to allow more than one name to be stored in the field.
  7. Optional: On the Control tab, select "Allow values not in list" to let users enter additional names. This property is applicable only to Address and Access Control List choices.
  8. Save and close the form.

Results

Note: When you specify names for reader and author fields, use the full hierarchical name for each user. Within a domain, an abbreviated, or common name, is sufficient for user authentication, but between domains, you must supply the full hierarchical name or authentication will fail.
Note: Readers fields apply to users of all access levels, including Manager. A database manager cannot see documents with Readers fields that do not include them. Server administrators have a "full access administration" mode that lets them bypass this restriction.
Note: Authors fields can't let users with Reader access edit a document. Users with Editor access or higher can edit the document even if they are not explicitly listed in an Authors field. However, an Authors field also grants read access to the document. Many applications use a "computed when composed" Authors field with value "[Admin]", to insure that all database administrators have access to the document even if someone adds a readers field.
Note: You may have multiple Readers and Authors fields in a single document; their effect is cumulative.