In our database applications, users have sometimes wished to know what the selection criteria is for the view i.e. What is the view criteria used to display the listed documents?
Is there a way to display a popup / message / help in a view that could be used to explain what the view is about? I have looked but cannot find anything.
Many thanks for any assistance.
I guess you can use the "About Document" and "Using Document" which can be populated in designer mode to explain "About Database" and "Using Database" for the current Database. You can explain in "Using Database" document the purpose and other information from a broad perspective as well as specific perspective like your information about the view etc.
These two documents can be viewed by users via Help->About this Database and Help-> Using this Database.
These two actions can also be given as action buttons in the relevant places, like your view in qusetion with actions
@Command( [HelpAboutDatabase] ) and
@Command( [HelpUsingDatabase] )
For more specific "Using Database" documents, you can always use Hide When on text or create sections and use hide when , to make the "Using Database" document to display specific information depending upon the context from where it has been launched. I would personally prefer a generic Using Database document covering the entire scenario. At the top you could have a section in a standout color which is visible as per specific criteria like "launched from where" which shows specific information about the UI element a user is in.
Using a specific action button in the view to show a prompt or dialog with relevant information is always there. This could be right aligned in a view with a help icon.
Hope this Helps
You could have a view action button, labelled "Show Selection", or the like, with code something like:
Sub Click(Source As Button)
Dim ws As New NotesUIWorkspace
Msgbox "XXX", 0, "View Selection"
End Sub
Replace "XXX", of course, with your explanatory text. Depending on how formula-literate your users are this could be the actual selection formula or a translation into English.
I don't think you can programmatically get the selection formula to display, but if you are in the view design anyway you can copy-and-pasted it easily enough.
1. Open the respective view in Domino Designer:
i. Launch Domino Designer.
ii. Navigate to the correct database and locate the view where you want to apply the change.
2. Add the following code in the "Postopen" event of the respective view:
i. In Domino Designer, open the "Postopen" event of the view.
ii. Insert the following code to trigger the selection formula pop-up for the end user.
Sample LotusScript
--------------
Dim uiws As New NotesUIWorkspace
Dim vw As NotesView
Dim uivw As NotesUIView
Set uivw = uiws.CurrentView
Set vw = uivw.View
Msgbox vw.SelectionFormula
--------------
3. Save and close the view in Domino Designer.
4. After adding the code, save the changes and close the view in Domino Designer. Preview the view in Notes Client.
i. Open the Notes Client and navigate to the respective view.
ii. The selection formula will now pop up for the end user as expected.
We hope the information provided is helpful in resolving your issue.
Thank you,
Regards,
Sridhar