Domino Formula Builder

 

 

In this topic ...

Quick Tips

Specifying Inputs

 

Related Topics ...

Using a Data View Portlet

Paging Assistant Techniques

Use the Domino Formula Builder when we need to display Domino information on a page, but that information is not readily available in a View or as a field in a Document.

The Domino Formula Builder evaluates an arbitrary Domino formula and places the result on a page. For example, we can write a formula that extracts information from a Document and use the builder to place the result on a page that displays detailed information about that document.

The Domino Formula Builder works in conjunction with either a Domino View Builder or a Domino View & Form builder. The Domino Formula Builder uses the Domino artifacts created by the other builder to communicate with the back-end Domino server while evaluating the provided formula.

This builder performs the following high-level actions at runtime when a page containing its result is requested:

  1. The builder obtains the unique ID for the Domino document, if any, associated with the formula. The ID is contained in the "Document UNID" builder input.

  2. The builder then retrieves the formula to be evaluated.

  3. The builder uses the Domino artifacts created by another other Domino builder to evaluate the function.

  4. The builder places the result on the requested page.

 

Quick Tips

  • Provide a UNID -- Use a Domino View & Form builder to display a set of documents contained in a View. Also let the user select a specific document and thereby provide the "Document UNID" input for the Formula builder.

  • Scalar Results Expected -- The builder assumes that the result of evaluating the formula is a scalar value. If the formula results in a Vector of values, then only the first item of the Vector is placed onto the page. To work around this limitation consider rewriting the formula so that the result is a single string built from the content of the Vector.

 

Specifying Inputs

The Domino View builder takes the inputs described in the table below. For help on inputs common to many or all builders such as those in the Properties and HTML Attributes input groups, see "Using the Builder Call Editor."

Input Name Description
Name Enter a name for this builder call. The Designer displays this name in the Builder Call List.
Page Location Use the Page Location input to specify the page or pages on which this builder call will act.

See "Locating Control Builders on Pages" for detailed documentation about the Page Location input and page location syntax.

Domino Connection Helper Select the name of the Domino artifact through which the Formula builder is to communicate with the back-end domino server.

This input is automatically populated with all of the valid choices based upon the builder content of the model.

Document UNID Select the optional unique ID of the document for which the formula is to be evaluated. Normally another builder would set the value of this input automatically when the user selects a specific Domino document for detailed display.
Formula Enter the syntax representing the Domino formula to be evaluated.