Names fields

Create a Names field to display user names. A Names field can be computed or editable. If you associate the formula @UserName with a Names field, the name will appear the way it appears in Notes® IDs -- for example, Sara Ryan/Acme/US. If you enable online awareness for a Names field, users will see the online status of IBM® Sametime® users listed in a Names field and can initiate an instant message chat with an available user.

To display only the common name portion of names, use the [CN] parameters with @Name. For example, in an editable names field called Members use this formula as the default value:

@Name([CN];Members)

This formula displays the name "Sara Ryan" if the user's hierarchical name is Sara Ryan/Acme/US

Looking up names for field values

To help users enter names correctly in a document, provide links to existing lists of names. For example, a Names field might require that users select names from the access control list for the database. This enables users to pick a name from a list, eliminates spelling errors, and restricts names in the field. Other sources for names are the Domino® Directory or a view dialog that presents names from a column in a view.

Lookup options are available on the Control tab of the Field Properties box when you create a Names field, an Authors field, and a Readers field. You can turn off this option by maintaining the default choice of "none." If you select a lookup option for the field, users press CTRL+ENTER or click the entry helper button to see a list of possible entries. Lookup options are not supported on the Web.

Lookup options

  • Use Address dialog for choices -- This option displays the Names dialog box so users can select names from a Personal Address Book or Domino® Directory. Select "Look up names as each character is entered" to help users fill in a name quickly. Notes® looks up a match for the typed letters in the open Address Book or directory.
  • Use Access Control List for choices -- This option brings up a list of people, servers, groups, and roles in the access control list.
  • Use View dialog for choices -- This option brings up a dialog box containing entries from a column in a database view. Select the database to look up, select a view, and select a column number.