This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Properties Dialog
The properties dialog is one of the most important aspects of Lotus Domino application development. It's used to set properties for practically every design element, field, object, action, or component of the database. It's important to understand that the options displayed in the properties dialog will change for each design element.
NOTE
You'll need to become proficient with the use of the properties dialog in order to develop Lotus Notes database applications. The properties dialog is a key aspect to all application development and maintenance. There are many configuration options for each design element. Configuration options will change with each form, view, field, agent, action button, etc.
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Figure 3.11 illustrates a properties dialog for a form. It's important to note that multiple tabs are displayed across the top of the dialog. Each tab has different properties. The tabs listed will also change depending on the design element being modified.
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Figure 3.11 Properties dialog
There are several methods to display the properties dialog. Using the menu bar, you can select File > Database > Properties. You can also display the dialog by right-clicking on the object (such as a field on a form) and selecting Properties from the popup menu. The dialog can also be displayed using the shortcut keys Alt+Enter. In some cases, double-clicking on the object will automatically cause the dialog to display. For example, double-clicking on a column in a view will display the properties for the selected column.
Finally, the very top of the properties dialog indicates what properties are currently displayed. To switch between design elements, click on the triangle (or dropdown indicator) to change the selected design element. This option allows you to switch between the properties for the database, design element (such as a form, view, or folder), or individual object (such as a field or view column).