IdeaJam(tm) feed for Hynek Kobelka

Domino Designer / : Replica-ID format

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 20:39:22 +0000

Author: Hynek Kobelka
Tags: replica-id
Idea:

Right now @Formulas which work with a replica id need to get it in the format "XXXXXXXX:XXXXXXXX" (with a ":“), whereas LotusScript-functions only accept the replica-id without the ":". This is a constantly annoyance, and it should be so easy to make both functions work with ANY format.

Please make our lives a little easier. :-)

Domino Designer / : Computed View-Column-Titles

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 20:29:29 +0000

Author: Hynek Kobelka
Tags: column title computes
Idea:

Right now you have to use „fixed“ text values in column titles. This makes it difficult to design multi-language applications as it is not acceptable to create several copies of a view only to get proper titles on it. Everywere else (forms,outlines,... )we can easily compute texts so why not here. Mostly we need to read the values from a profile document.

Domino Designer / : Keywords with aliases in views

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 20:32:29 +0000

Author: Hynek Kobelka
Tags: alias keyword view
Idea:

Keywords are a standard in an application and it would make totaly sense to use the available alias ("xxx | 1") functionality. However if you want to use this keywords in views (which is very often the case as categories) then aliases are now totally useless.
Why should i store my data in a document in a nice way (as an alias), if i have to hardcode the text values into every view where i want to display them ?
We need a solution where a view-column formula can read the text values for aliases for example from a profile-document.

(Oh and this is even more important for multi language applications.)

PS: By the way something similar already works for "color columns". So it should not be impossible to do.

Notes Client / Other: Remove the "Random Password Generator"

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 20:45:21 +0000

Author: Hynek Kobelka
Tags: password random generator
Idea:

If a user is about to change his password, the dialog offers him the function "Generate Password", which generates for him a set of random paswords. This is the most useless function i have ever seen. I have never met anyone who has actually used it.

It should be removed, or at least hide-able through policies.

Domino Designer / : Dockable tables

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 20:59:41 +0000

Author: Hynek Kobelka
Tags: table
Idea:

Make tables "dockable".This means that they can be placed "on top" or "next to" of each without even one pixel between them.

Thats all.

Domino Designer / : Debugger for Java

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 21:00:59 +0000

Author: Hynek Kobelka
Tags: java debugger
Idea:

Most developers are used to Lotus-Script. They would not have much of a problem to write scripts in Java. The general syntax can be learned in a few hours and the main knowledge lies actually in the object-modell of the Notes-Classes, which are identical to LotusScript. However what we are missing is a step-by-step code debugger like the one for LotusScript. Once we get this you will see immedialtely a increased usage of Java in LN.

Notes Client / Other: Compact All Local Databases

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 21:08:33 +0000

Author: Hynek Kobelka
Tags: compact databases
Idea:

Local replicas tend to grow in size and they often contain a lot of free space. Right now it is only possible to compact every database separately through the "Database properties".

We need a function on the replicator page which would compact ALL existing local databases at once. (And maybe scheduled and in the background ...)

PS: In R8 you can actually do this by launching the file "ncompact.exe" from the Notes-program directory. Thats all. (In previous versions you needed additionaly to copy this executable from a server to your client)

Notes Client / Other: Remove the "Encryption" Tab on the document properties-box

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 21:16:08 +0000

Author: Hynek Kobelka
Tags: encryption document
Idea:

Sometimes users manage to find it and encrypt/lock with reader fields some documents. It is really a pain to resolve these problems. Please leave encryption and reader-fields up the the developers of the databases.

Notes Client / Core/Frameworks (Incl. sidebar, rich text editor): New view export/import formats (*.XLS)

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 21:29:39 +0000

Author: Hynek Kobelka
Tags: export view
Idea:

Let us export and import to MS-Excel (*.xls) format.

(Many people don't know what a "Tabular-Text" or „Comma-Separated-File“ is.)

And while you are at it:

Why not also to *.ODF and *.PDF and *.HTML ?
Automatically add the proper extension to the file. (The users don't know that WK4 is for Lotus 1-2-3)
And it would be nice if we could get access to this export-functions through LotusScript as well

__________________________________

Added on 9.11.2007

There is actually an other stupid bug in the export dialog:

After you open the export-dialog you can actually set the "Save as type"-field which has the default value "Structured text". If you change this to "Calendar file (.ics)" and enter a file name, then it works fine and you are presented with the next dialog for iCal-Export. However if you select an existing iCal file from the file system, then the "Save As Type"-field is automatically changed to "Calendar file (.ics)", but if you now continue you are presented with the "Structured text"-dialog. (Even that it looks like that the type has been changed, it is actually not the case and you are still exporting structured texts.)

re: Debugger for Java

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 21:32:20 +0000

Author: Curt Stone
Comment: You can use third-party debuggers but native would be nice.

re: Compact All Local Databases

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 23:10:14 +0000

Author: Alan Lepofsky
Comment: I do agree that local DBs should be compacted, but I'd like to see it just happen in the background, and not have the user know about it at all.

Domino Server / Directory: Make Domino LDAP schema compatible with SAMBA

Sat, 03 Nov 2007 10:31:33 +0000

Author: Hynek Kobelka
Tags: LDAP Linux
Idea:

The LDAP schema of the Domino Directory can be extended by adding additional fields and subforms to the design. It could be modified in such a way that it would contain all the necessary fields which are required for SAMBA to use it directly as its LDAP directory. Many SMBs today store their users twice (once in Domino and then for example in OpenLDAP). However the greatest function would be that it would allow to use Notes-groups for access to file shares. And the management of Notes-groups can be "assigned" to specific users.

PS: OK it may sound weird, but i already tried it and it even worked for log-ins. So it is not that difficult to do.

Domino Server / Directory: Different Addressbook-dialog content for mail and ACL

Sat, 03 Nov 2007 10:48:13 +0000

Author: Hynek Kobelka
Tags: addressbook directory
Idea:

Right now I get the same dialog if I am writing a mail and start selecting users from the Domino Directory, or if I am adding a new user to the ACL. The dialog is fine but the content should be different. (especially for mail addressing).

The entries which are displayed are: Person, Server, Groups, Mail-in databases, Ressources

(Additionally groups aready have a type field with options: Multi-purpose : Access Control List only: Mail only ...)

I would like that for mail addressing the following entries would be hidden: Server, Groups of type "ACL only", Ressources, some Mail-In databases (they need to be marked)

It would be even better if i could specify in every document (group,mail-in) that this entry should not be displayed in the "Mail Address dialog".

PS: To use the existing reader fields is not an option, because i sometimes want that a user can e-mail to a specific group/mail-in db, but he should not see this group in the selection.

Notes Client / Calendar: Bring back the old calendar view "By week format"

Sat, 03 Nov 2007 12:28:45 +0000

Author: Hynek Kobelka
Tags: calendaring
Idea:

In R8 we only have a week calendar view where each day is displayed as a column. This means that one day gets only 1/7 th of the actual view width. (1/5 if you select "one work week"). In previous versions there was an other week format, which was separated only into two columns and provided therefore more space for the entries.

Please could you bring this format back as an additional view, as many users are used to it ?

Notes Client / Core/Frameworks (Incl. sidebar, rich text editor): Redesign the Replicator Page

Sat, 03 Nov 2007 15:35:12 +0000

Author: Hynek Kobelka
Tags: replica
Idea:

The replicator page has not been changed in many years and an total redesign would be appropriate.Especially the following features need to be added/fixed:

Better "Folder"-creation and Drag'n'Drop functionality
"Discover local replicas " function which offers you a list of all local databases, which are not currently on your replicator page but have a replica on some server
Display the current size of all local replicas and the "free space" ratio in a resortable view (Users now don't even know how much space their local replicas take. )
Allow to issue a "Compact All" command on you local replicas like suggested here:
Option to transfer/copy/use one predefined replicator page for several locations. (If you are using several locations, then you have to arrange a replicator page for each of it separately.)
Increase the limit of entries on the replicator page (Now you can only have 256 entries on it. Even that it may sound strange some people want to have even more local replicas)
Display an indicator if a database is encrypted or not on the replicator page
Display the full filepath of the local replicas and let me resort them by it

Domino Server / Directory: Add new view "Groups By Members" to the Domino Directory

Sat, 03 Nov 2007 11:09:25 +0000

Author: Hynek Kobelka
Tags: directory addressbook
Idea:

Simply add a new categorised view to the Domino Directory, to display all groups by its members.

Additionally embedd this view into the Person-form in such a way that only the groups of the current person are shown. (Its about 10 minutes of work) :-)

And if you want it even better, then place a button into the Person-form which would completly resolve all group memberships (including nested groups) for this user and display them in a list.

re: Redesign the Replicator Page

Sat, 03 Nov 2007 15:53:44 +0000

Author: Bruce Elgort
Comment: Very nice. We have other formatting tools available in CoexEdit but haven't turned them on (yet).

re: Redesign the Replicator Page

Sat, 03 Nov 2007 15:49:26 +0000

Author: Hynek Kobelka
Comment: Thanks for the tip. I've changed it now.

re: Display "No Opinion Thanks" button in the view level

Sat, 03 Nov 2007 15:38:46 +0000

Author: Bruce Elgort
Comment: Hynek,

First I would like to say thank you for your participation in Idea Jam. Secondly we haven't added the "No Opinion" logic at the view level yet. I do use the "No Opinion" option a lot and it would be nice to simply and quickly vote on idea (with a No Opinion vote) at the view level.

With respect to your question whether to post ways to improve Idea Jam using Idea Jam - ABSOLUTELY. Use the Idea Jam to build and improve the Idea Jam.

Domino Server / Data Storage and Management: New compact-task parameter to change attachment compression

Sat, 03 Nov 2007 15:45:32 +0000

Author: Hynek Kobelka
Tags: compact attachments
Idea:

From version 6.0 there exists the database property "Use LZ1 compression for attachments" which can compress attachments better then the standart "Huffman" method. However this property is by default not enabled and it also only affects attachments which are created after it has been enabled (or disabled). This means that existing attachments are unaffected.

I have always wanted an option that the compact-task would transfer ALL existing attachments in a database according to the current database property. This would definitly save some disk space and it still is not late for such function.

_________________________________________

Added on 6.11.2007:

I have been informed by Pumynt Chooboonraj that exactly this functionality has already been added to Domino in version 6.5.6 and 7.0.1. Here is a technote which decribes it: www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss

Thanks Pumynt !

And thanks Lotus for adding this function !

<rant>Oh and congratualtions, you also did a great job in hiding this function from us. Don't make a big announcement, don't put it in the 'What's new section' and also don't mention it in the help-file for compact parameters. Just add it secretly in a maintanace release, post a technote and wait if anybody finds it. :-)))</rant>

_________________________________________
Added on 9.11.2007:

The compact parameter seems to work fine but it is (as always :-)) crippled. From the technote:

"The feature does not act on attachments that were not previously compressed and does not exist in Notes' Compact code." This actually means that attachments, which were send my mail, or which were copy-pasted from a mail database will not be compacted with this function.