Open Notes document from Excel

HCL Domino Domino Forum
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I’m trying to launch a Notes application and a specific document from a link in an Excel spreadsheet. Can anyone assist?

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Subject: Open Notes document from Excel

Instead of http:// try using notes://servername/databasepath/dbname.nsf/viewname/docunid?OpenDocument

or

notes://servername/databasepath/dbname.nsf?OpenDatabase

or any other usually valid url command.

I’m not sure if it works, but it works when you’re on the web and build a url like that, it opens the link in the Notes client.

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Subject: RE: Open Notes document from Excel

I am able to open up a Notes database with the this command:

http://server/path/dbname.nsf/

This application is web-enabled. I have some questions:

Does the Notes application have to be web-enabled?

I am looking to be able to open a specific document in the database, based on a key that is available in Excel. The key will be a user-defined field vs. a document i.d. Can we do this?

Thanks!

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Subject: RE: Open Notes document from Excel

Yes you can. You need to have a view in the notes database whose first column is sorted and contains the key. (It can be a hidden view from normal notes users, simply put the view’s name in parenthesis)

Then the url you call needs to be like this:

http://server/path/dbname.nsf/viewname/key?OpenDocument

If you want the document to open in edit mode, use EditDocument instead of OpenDocument.

As for web-enabling, not really. Domino will generate the HTML needed to display the document using the form in the database. However, the Domino server’s interpretation is poor at best. Some functions won’t work, or some parts will look absolutely horrendous.

You can use HTML and Domino development to create a form that will look very good on the web as well as providing the same functionnality, but some work needs to be accomplished for the form to look and feel the same as in the Notes Client.

Technically though, all you need is an Anonymous entry in the ACL and have the HTTP task running on the server. (Usually Anonymous has No Access because most applications don’t allow anonymous browsing).

Sorry I took so long to reply.