Has anyone been able to get padding-top , padding-bottom, border-top, border-bottom to display correctly in notes v6 client?
If I grep the notes client directory, I find a liberal smattering of CSS border- and padding- keywords in htmcnv.dll and other files, which I hope means they are supported, but I am completely stumped how to get them to work. The demo code that is NOT working for me is:
table {border-top-style:solid;border-top-color:#000000;border-top-width:10px;background-color:#FFEEEE}
td {border-top-style:solid;border-top-color:#000000;border-top-width:10px;background-color:#EEEEFF}
.teststyle { padding-top: 50px;border-left:solid thin #000000 }
<td>
<table>
<tr>
<td>content content content
content content content content content content content content
content content content content content content content content
content content content content content content content content
content content content content content content content content
content content content content content content content content
content content content content content content content content
content content content content content content content content
content content content content content content content content
content content content content content content content content
content content content content content content content content
content</td></tr>
</table></td></tr>
all that comes through is the background color 
Many Thanks,
John Gray
Subject: CSS padding-top attribute in Notes Client
Kill all of the html/head/body info – it’s not required for passthru. Put the style stuff into a stylesheet (CSS) file, imported as a stylesheet resource, the inserted onto the form/page. The only thing you’ll notice wrong is that your padding stuff doesn’t work because you haven’t used the .teststyle class on any HTML element.
Subject: RE: CSS padding-top attribute in Notes Client
Sorry - I wasn’t clear enough - I have a requirement for a WebSphere (standard) application to send reports via email to notes users - I want to use html to layout the reports, but am having trouble getting anything to look ok. This is why my demo is a full web page - it is a mime text/html included in a multipart/alternative.
Subject: RE: CSS padding-top attribute in Notes Client
The problems you are having seem to stem from the “twin head” aspect of things. Domino docs have their own “header”, and that which lives in the HTML seems to be ignored. If the entire document is interpreted as HTML, it’s rendered via a browser (of course), but unless the style sheet is available as a resource object, it doesn’t make it into the client render.
Subject: RE: CSS padding-top attribute in Notes Client
Hi Stan,Thanks for following up on my problem so promptly.
sorry to say, I am still a little confused:
-
The people viewing my document are not viewing it in a browser, they are viewing it in lotus notes v6 email client.
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If the head is ignored, why does the background-color: #EEEEFF work?
-
my document is not coming off a domino server, it is being send from a java servlet using java.mail API, running inside a websphere application server container.
Probably I don’t understand your response because I don’t understand how domino fits into the picture of how notes email client receives and renders html email bodys - is there a 20 word explanation that would make this clear to me, or should I just RTFM? ( and if so, which manual - I have read a few already to no avail)
Subject: RE: CSS padding-top attribute in Notes Client
Okay, here goes:
MIME-to_CD conversion BAD (not significantly different from R5) – the client just plain acts differently and can only partially convert the HTML if the stylesheet is inline with the MIME part. The “good” options are:
use a browser (even the Notes-with-IE option); or
use passthru and a stylesheet resource (not pixel-perfect, but a definite improvement over the default behaviour).
Needless to say, the first is not an option for mail, and the second cannot be done without creating the mail in the Domino environment.
The reason that HTML mail looks good in, say, Outlook is that it actually opens an instance of IE within the mail client. Notes doesn’t – although it has been given the ability to fake it somewhat for Domino cross-client applications. Stylesheet resources in the database allow the improved rendering – and your multipart just doesn’t have that. You’re essentially where you were with the R5 client – a reasonable representation of the content (text) of the mail, but not exactly a browser’s version of HTML.
Subject: RE: CSS padding-top attribute in Notes Client
Hmmm… OK, in that case…
The HTML email templates I have been told I have to reproduce have thin 1 pixel vertical and or horizontal lines between cells - but not right around a cell. Do you know how I can achieve this? Have you seen any examples of complex formatting coming from mime to notes that might give me some ideas? Or will it only ever be possible to “dumb down” the layouts to a lowest common denominator? Is there anywhere else I can get info on this?
Thanks,
John.
Subject: RE: CSS padding-top attribute in Notes Client
Dumbed-down is best, really – or at least designed in a way that doesn’t degrade into uselessness in “alternate” clients. Cool layouts are fine, of course, but the designer has to understand how clients that don’t use HTML natively will display the content if the application is to be all-inclusive. As long as the meaning of the content doesn’t depend on the layout, even the “bastardized” version will get the message across. (For anything that really relies on layout, you can provide a link to a server-based HTML version of “general” content. This wouldn’t be an option for highly-customised messages, but for an e-zine it is a useful way to let people with non-Outlook clients see the 'zine as intended.)
Subject: RE: CSS padding-top attribute in Notes Client
Hi Stan,
Thanks for all the help!
John.