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Elements of Notes®
The HCL Notes® user interface is comprised of views menus, toolbars, navigation panes, and a sidebar that you can use for easy access to some frequently used applications.
Preferences
You can customize HCL Notes® so that it runs and displays just the way you want it to using Notes preferences.
How do I customize my Notes Client?
You can customize HCL Notes® so that it runs and displays just the way you want it to using Notes preferences.
How can I install language dictionaries?
You must install the language dictionaries before you can switch language dictionaries. The language dictionaries are recognized by the file extension XTAF for Notes Standard.

Elements of Notes®
The HCL Notes® user interface is comprised of views menus, toolbars, navigation panes, and a sidebar that you can use for easy access to some frequently used applications.
- Using the Open list
  Use the Open list to open HCL Notes® applications, documents, bookmarks and bookmark folders. The Open list displays icons and a brief description for each item.
- Toolbars
  Toolbars work with all the applications in your workspace. Some toolbars are context sensitive, which means that they change depending on the task you are performing.
- Using the sidebar
  The sidebar provides constant access to your HCL Sametime® Contacts, Calendar, Feed Reader, and Activities. You can change which of these applications displays in your sidebar. However, depending on your organization, you may not have all of these applications in your sidebar.
- Status bar: current state information
  The status bar appears at the end of the HCL Notes® main window. As you work in Notes, system messages and features appear in the status bar.
- Working with window tabs
  Window tabs make it convenient for you to switch from one open document or application to another in HCL Notes®.
- Preferences
  You can customize HCL Notes® so that it runs and displays just the way you want it to using Notes preferences.
  - How do I customize my Notes Client?
    You can customize HCL Notes® so that it runs and displays just the way you want it to using Notes preferences.
    - What options are available for customizing the basic Notes® client?
      In HCL Notes®, you can use preferences to change how often Notes will autosave documents, to check subscriptions from your Notes applications, and change default fonts, as well as many other basic preferences.
    - How can I set preferences for how Notes windows open and Notes window themes?
      You can set a preference to specify how your HCL Notes® windows open. You can also save the tab order, and specify a windows theme.
    - How can I modify the toolbar display?
      You can modify the display of your toolbars by hiding them, making additional toolbars visible, adding pop-up text to them, and resizing them.
    - How can I display or create toolbars?
      You can choose which toolbars display. You can also create your own toolbar and populate it with buttons that best suit your work needs.
    - How can I customize toolbar functionality and buttons?
      You can customize toolbars by adding and removing buttons. When you create a new toolbar, you use Toolbar Customize preferences to populate the toolbar.
    - How can I install language dictionaries?
      You must install the language dictionaries before you can switch language dictionaries. The language dictionaries are recognized by the file extension XTAF for Notes Standard.
    - How can I set spell check preferences?
      You set spelling preferences to specify a default dictionary language and to add any supplemental dictionaries needed. You can also set defaults for how to handle numbers, words comprised of uppercase letters, or words from a language other than the default dictionary language.
    - How can I switch to a different spelling dictionary?
      You can switch language dictionaries when spell checking a document.
    - How can I add, change, or delete words in my user dictionary?
      It's often helpful to add words to your personal dictionary, known as the user dictionary. These are words that you use commonly and are not found in a standard dictionary.
  - How do I customize the Notes color theme?
    Choose an overall color theme for the Notes interface. Customize colors for specific parts of the interface.
  - How can I set up my Notes client for other languages or regions?
    You can use regional settings to change your content language, sorting language, interface language, and units of measurement.
  - Preferences - Quick reference
    This quick reference card is a list of instructions for common tasks and shortcuts for Notes preferences, which you can print and keep at your desk for easy reference.
  - Further customizing your Notes client
    The topics in this section are intended for a more advanced Notes user.

How can I install language dictionaries?

You must install the language dictionaries before you can switch language dictionaries. The language dictionaries are recognized by the file extension XTAF for Notes Standard.

Procedure

In the Notes Client folder, navigate to File > Application > Install.
Important: If the "Install" option is missing, refer to the following steps on adding the "Install" option:
1. Ensure that the client allows updates: check the com.ibm.notes.branding/enable.update.ui parameter, which is stored in plugin_customizations.ini (in the \Notes\framework\rcp folder).
2. Set the parameter to "true": com.ibm.notes.branding/enable.update.ui=true.
After navigating to File > Application > Install, select Search for new features to install, and click Next.
In the Application Location dialog, select Add Zip/Jar Location.
Un-zip the XTAF file in your preferred location.

Note: XTAF files for language dictionaries can be found on FlexNet.
Select the language dictionary file you want to install (for example, select updateSite_nl.zip, if you want to install Dutch language dictionary).
It automatically fetches the local Site name and URL. Click OK.
Click Next to accept the License Agreement for installation. Select OK and then Finish.
Once the installation process completes, choose Restart Now. Additional dictionaries are available in File > Preferences > Spell Check.