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Using Notes URLs to open XPages, Forms, Framesets and more in the Lotus Notes Client
03/02/2010 12:15:00 PM by Chris Toohey
You can set an XPage Design Element as the Default Launch Object of a NotesDatabase, but I was asked recently if there is a way that you could launch an XPage (in the Lotus Notes Client) via a direct call - such as from an Email, an intranet URL, or another like-context.
I happen to use Notes URLs to call an XPage in the Lotus Notes Client, but before you jump in there are several things you should know...
Understanding the Notes URL
The syntax is simple enough:
Notes://Server/NotesDatabase Path
This isn't some new technique mind you, as I discussed Lotus Notes Client URLs back in 2003, but I do find that it's a forgotten yet extremely powerful method for calling Lotus Notes Client Design Elements and launching them in the Lotus Notes Client.
As you can see in the aforementioned post from 2003, you can substitute the NotesDatabase Replica ID for the NotesDatabase Path in the above syntax and it works just as well. In fact, using this method allows you to place the local replica in any subdirectory without fear of losing the handle, and is thus my preferred method.
Building your Notes URL
Notes URLs are absolute URLs, and are not relative to the current context (active NotesDatabase, Website, etc.), and thus need the complete URL.
You can use Notes URLs for intra-NotesDatabase navigation. You'll just need to create the absolute URL dynamically from the current context!
We'll start off with a very vanilla Notes URL:
Formula:
"notes://" + @Name([CN]; @Subset(@DbName; 1)) + "/" + @Text(@ReplaceSubString(@ReplicaID; ":";""))LotusScript
Function notesurl(db As NotesDatabase) As String Dim sname As New NotesName(db.Server) notesurl = |notes://| + sname.Common + |/| + CStr(db.Replicaid) End FunctionThis LotusScript was converted to HTML using the ls2html routine,
provided by Julian Robichaux at nsftools.com.
Simple enough, really. And adding an XPage to the URL is as simple as appenending the name of your target XPage Design Element to the Notes URL syntax:
Notes://Server/ReplicaID/XPage Design Element
Conclusion
Now that you have your Notes URL, you can use it anywhere you can use a standard HTTP URL, and launch NotesDatabases, Forms, FrameSets, and even XPages in the Lotus Notes Client!
From that 2003 post, I created a simple Notes URL that launched the Personal Address Book or even create a new Contact. Originating the Notes URL call from within Lotus Notes via Formula or LotusScript gives you even more options.
... and it doesn't stop with a simple Form or UI XPage launch in the Lotus Notes Client. Remember, there's nothing keeping you from adding LotusScript or Java to the PostOpen Event of your target Form Design Element or leveraging SSJS via XPage XAgents... all from a simple Notes URL call!
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The problem seems to be how to CLOSE an XPage that's been opened in this manner. The XPage will fill the screen and not be contained in the notes frameset with an outline on the left.
Ok so at least the page opens. It can be worked with, but I've not yet found out how to create a button to CLOSE the page so you can get back to the notes app that called it. The only thing you seem to be able to do is close the workspace tab. Not the best User Experience...
Well, that's why you write your XPage to render all navigation controls etc. - just like you would a standard Web Application:
It's a whole new world, baby!
David, to mix classic Notes elements with XPages on one "page" you need to dive into composite applications.
In a composite application page you can add several components, and a component can be a XPage, a form, page, view, frameset - whatever.
You can even "talk" from component to component. That's the way to go when you want to have XPages and classic elements side by side in the client.
Is there any way to open a form from user's mail file using Notes URL?
I want to open a new Meeting form (Appointment) using a link on a web page. Is it possible?
I believe so, there are some special notes URLs in the composite application world, which work in classic Notes, too.
For example the following opens the memo form in the user's mail db on local:
notes:///0000000000000000/Memo?OpenForm
or on a server:
notes://cn-name-of-server/0000000000000000/Memo?OpenForm
Thanks Julian, It works.
But what is '0000000000000000'? Does it refer to the mail file defined in the location documnet?
I struggled to work this out, so thanks.
It doesn't work as well as I hoped.
This code:
url:="notes://" + @Name([CN]; @Subset(@DbName; 1)) + "/" + @Text(@ReplaceSubString(@ReplicaID; ":";"")) +"/index.xsp";@Prompt([OkCancelEdit];"!";"!";url);
@MailSend(@UserName;"";"";"xpages from email";"";" click here: "+url );
@urlopen(url)
will open the xpage, but the link in the resulting email opens to the default view a la the basic client.
If I open it from the web browser or inotes it opens correctly.
I am using 8.51, and not the basic client, @url will work but not links in the email....
@XPageOpen("index.xsp")or
@XPageOpenDocument(unid [;"xpage.xsp"] )or
@XPageEditDocument(unid [; "xpage.xsp"])uiw.xpageopendocument(unid [,"xpage.xsp"])uiw.xpageeditdocument(unid [,"xpage.xsp"])uiw.XpageOpen("index.xsp")would be a lot easier though wouldn't it? :)
@Adam, to ensure it opens the XPage and not the default launch target for the application, append "?OpenXPage" after the page address (i.e. "xpage.xsp").
Julian,
I've not really looked at Composite Apps but that's not really going to help my goal... I just want enough integration points to support a nice migration to XPages. My goal is to not end up with a composite app, but to end up with a pure XPage app. I want to do as much of the new functionality as possible in XPages until the time is set aside to go back and do the existing features.
Since you can so nicely open XPages in the client via the Notes URL, it would be nice if there was a way to close the page or application and not have to rely on the user to close the tab itself.
ReplicaIDs are 16 characters from the HEX (0-9 A-F) representing some kind of time stamp. We however have a few "special" ReplicaIDs:
0000000000000000 : the current database0000000000000E00 : the current mail file per location setting
0000000000000E01 : Current addressbook (never checked if it is hardcoded to names.nsf or actually reads the notes.ini)
0000000000000E02 : Subscriptions (anybody using them?)
0000000000000E03 : Recent collaborations (stored in the bookmarks?)
Details on DeveloperWorks
What an excellent tip (just the basic bit of opening in the Client) Chris - I've always wondered how to do that it's obviously a pity I wasn't reading your blog in 2003. Interestingly although the URL works in Firefox - it doesn't in Chrome - not sure why.
We're using 8.5, and I am using the notes:// call from a non-notes based internal Web App, and it opens the form just fine in the client. Ideally, I would like to be able to pass a parameter along with this form call to populate one of the fields on that form. But I can't find a way to access any information from the call. Just wondering if this is even possible.
Am I trying something that isn't possible? Or is there a workaround for this?