I work in an Eclipse/Java shop and I have explained to my group how Notes 8 will be an Eclipse RCP Application and that the composite aspect of this new architecture will allow for Eclipse applications to run in the Notes Client. We are eager to find more info on this Notes 8 client architecture and how Eclipse apps can be brought into Notes 8. We are also looking for an explicit API of the Notes 8 Client. Can anyone direct me or estimate when this info will be available? The Lotus Notes Domino 8 IBM Website does not have very much.
Subject: Notes 8 API
Well… Hmmm… It is true that Notes 8 is Eclipse based and that applications and/or parts of applications can be developed in Java. You really need to understand that the programming paradigm is now split between “Notes applications” (may be composite but need not be) and “Eclipse extensions”.
To start with the latter these are done using existing Eclipse API’s and existing programming API’s. As you might know Notes 8 is not built directly on Eclipse but on an IBM framework called Expeditor so you might want to look into those API’s. Notes 8 is extended as Expeditor (or Eclipse) e.g. using ViewParts for the new side-shelf of Notes 8.
As to the “pure Notes applications” you want might want to look into the standard Notes Java API. Notes applications are done as they always have been.
Hope this answers your questions…
/Mikkel Heisterberg
Visit my Notes/Domino blog @ http://lekkimworld.com
for posts on Notes/Domino and how to use Java in Notes/Domino…