Using Quattro Pro with Lotus Notes
Lotus Notes is a database application with messaging capabilities. Notes/FX (Notes Field Exchange) lets you embed a Quattro Pro notebook in a Lotus Notes field, using it to exchange data between the applications. Either application can use the data.
The first step in linking a notebook with a Lotus Notes database is to create a field block in Quattro Pro. This helps set the fields you want the Lotus Notes database to recognize as common to both applications. For additional information, see the reference topic “Example: Setting up Notes/FX field blocks.”
Next, you must create a new database in Lotus Notes. Then, you can embed a Quattro Pro notebook in Lotus Notes. Once you set up a form in Lotus Notes with fields configured to match those in the Notes/FX field block file, you can create a Lotus Notes view. In Lotus Notes, a view displays data from the database in a specified order. The columns you create display the data entered into a single field on a database form.
Activating the Notes database form allows you to enter data in Quattro Pro Notes/FX that displays in the Lotus Notes database view.
To create a field block in Quattro Pro |
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Organize data into two columns in a new notebook.
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Select the field block.
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Click Insert Name Name cells.
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In the Name box, type Notes Fields.
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Click Add.
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Click Close.
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Click File Properties.
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Type information in the following boxes:
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Title — lets you type a title; for example, Current Value
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Subject — lets you type a subject; for example, Present Value Calculation
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Comments — lets you add comments
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The Statistics tab in the Properties dialog box shows you the name, location, title, creation date, date last saved, and revision number of a file.
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For additional information on field blocks, see the reference topic “Example: Setting up Notes/FX field blocks.”
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To create a Lotus Notes database |
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Start Lotus Notes.
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Click File Database New.
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Choose Local from the Ser
ver list box. |
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Type a name for the database in the Title box.
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5.
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Type a filename in the Filename box.
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Choose Blank from the Template list.
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To embed a Quattro Pro notebook in Lotus Notes |
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Double-click the Database icon on the Lotus Notes workspace.
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Click Create Design Form.
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Create edit fields with descriptors and properties that correspond to fields in the Notes/FX field block.
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For example: Payment (number, editable)
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Place the pointer in the Rich text box, and click Create Object.
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Enable the Create an object from file option, and select the Quattro Pro file.
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Click Design Form properties.
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On the Launch tab, choose Quattro Pro from the AutoLaunch list.
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Select the Creating, Editing, and Reading options from the Launch when list.
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If you want the form to launch only when the Launch button on the activated form window is clicked, disable these three items.
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On the Basics tab, and type a name for the form in the Form name box.
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You can label an edit field with a descriptor by typing directly on the form next to where you want the edit field to display.
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You can also create an edit field on a Lotus Notes form by clicking Create Field, or by clicking the Create field SmartIcon on the SmartIcon toolbar.
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To create a Lotus Notes view for embedded Quattro Pro fields |
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Open a Lotus Notes database.
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Click Create Design
loads/sub/quattro-pro/en/source/images/onestep.jpg" height="14" width="9" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" align="absmiddle"> View.
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Type a name for the view.
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Click View, and double-click the view.
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Click Create Insert new column.
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Label the column with the name of the first field on the form.
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In the design pane, enable the Field option.
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Select the field name from the list.
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Repeat steps 4 to 6 for the remaining form fields.
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If you want to add a column to the right of the default column, double-click on the column bar.
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To enter data in Quattro Pro Notes/FX |
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Open a previously-created database.
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Click Create, and select a form.
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Click File Open.
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In Quattro Pro, type new data.
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Click File Properties and type information in the following boxes:
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Title — lets you type a title; for example, Current Value
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Subject — lets you type a subject; for example, Present Value Calculation
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Comments — lets you add comments
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To close the Lotus Notes form after entering data in the Quattro Pro embedded field, click Close in the upper-right corner of the Lotus Notes dialog box.
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If Quattro Pro doesn’t aut
omatically start when you click File Open, click the Launch button to start Quattro Pro, and open the file containing the Notes/FX field block. |