Discussion Topic: What's the first application you'd built with IBM Lotus Notes/Domino?

12/17/2009 08:00 AM by Chris Toohey

I know that my first application - ever - was a CRM app in Microsoft Access. Well, we didn't know it was a CRM app... it was 1998; people were using 2-digit dating schemes and catchy acronyms like CRM, SFA, and even ROI were still a few years off. I called it ClientBase, and it allowed our summer interns to enter information gathered from our sales force and business cards collected in local eateries via fishbowl.

It got the job done... but wasn't the slickest thing out there. Hell, I was -- at that time -- considered an IT break/fix guy and not a seasoned uber-l33t developer I am today (of course), but even then I knew that Access wasn't the platform for this Franken-app.

The company I worked for was purchased by a much larger company that -- you guessed it -- was a Notes shop, and they wanted us to migrate all of our email and any applications to Lotus Notes/Domino.

The rest you can probably put together for yourself:

I created a new Database named clientbase.nsf... and I stared at my screen.

Being the n00b I was, I had no idea where to even start. I think I remember clicking on the Untitled View... and just staring at it.

I eventually read the Domino Designer Help Database and... well, talk about a Franken-app!

It got the job done though, and was an absolute testament to how awesome IBM Lotus Notes/Domino was/is: a complete novice like me was able to create a simple Lotus Notes application that got the job done.

So what was your first Lotus Notes/Domino application? For your admins out there, have you given it a go?

I'd imagine this'll tie in nicely with my upcoming getting started series...