The Composite App Component catalog contains various "recipes" consisting of re-usable components and instructions for using those components in a Composite Application.
This introduction provides information on the format of the recipes.   It also provides the  basic steps needed to access the components in the recipes within the Composite Application Editor or CAE.   

General Format for a Recipe

Recipes in this database are generally divided into a number of sections.   Most recipes follow the following format for the sections.

Overview

The first section common to all recipes is the "Overview".   This provides information about what the component does, as well as the kind of application that can make good use of the component.

What you Need

This describes the component and how it can be accessed within the Composite App Component Catalog.  It also describes the other application elements that are necessary to get the component to work with your data.

Assembly

The instructions for getting the necessary components into a page of your composite application.

Wiring

Describes the connections that are needed between various components to pass the appropriate data.

Advanced Component Properties

Application specific data elements that need to be set for the component.

How it works

Describes the application and how the components interact with the data and the UI.

Further Steps

Where do we go from here?   Describes any shortcomings and enhancements that can be done to improve the application

How to Create a New Composite Application

A composite application is a special type of Notes database.   You create it by going to the File - Application - New menu., or typing Ctrl-N

When the above dialog is displayed, give the database a Title, and File Name.   If the database is going to reside on a server instead of your local machine, make sure the server name is entered in the server field.  

To make sure a composite application database is created from the process, select the -Blank Composite Application- template in the template list.   Select OK to create the Composite Application.   Notes will then open the composite application database with a blank page:

How to Edit a Composite Application

Editing your composite application is done by opening the Composite Application Editor (CAE).  This is done by choosing the "Action" menu item in Notes and selecting "Edit Application".

This will open the CAE with your empty application:

The left hand side of the CAE has the frame for the default navigator.  Within the Navigator is the default Blank Page.  This can be closed or opened by clicking the arrow tab in the middle of the frame separator.

The right hand side of has the initial blank page that is created by default when creating the database.

How to Add a Component From the Catalog to your Palette

To open the CAE Pallette, you can use the menu option "Tools - Component Pallette - Open".   You can also open it by finding the arrow tab in the middle of the right hand side of edge of your application, and clicking the arrow to expose the pallette.  

We will now describe how to add components from the Composite App Component Catalog.   These instructions will work for any Notes database containing components you wish to add.  The first thing to do is know the server and file name for your application.   The database is on the server CAMDB01/CAM/A/Lotus and the file name is c_dir\CompaAppComps.nsf.

A good practice for the CAE is to create a Category to use in the Pallette.   The category is useful to group components, such as components from the same source like the Composite App component Catalog.   To create a category in the Pallette, go to the menu option "Tools -Component Pallette - Add Category".   This well create a new category on the Pallette labeled "New Category".   The "New Category" text will be highlighted and editable so you can name the category, such as "Composite App Component Catalog".   We will use this category when adding to the Pallette.

In the CAE, go to the menu option "Tools - Component Pallette - Add Components - Add NSF Component".   This will bring up the dialog box shown below:

We need to supply the Notes URL to the database.   Click the Browse button which brings up the "Locate Object" dialog:

We now need to click the folder icon to the right of the Application selection list box, to bring up the "Choose Application" dialog.   Make sure you fill in the server for CAMDB01/CAM/A/Lotus and the file name of c_dir\CompAppComps.nsf.

Click the "Select" button

When you return,to the Locate Object dialog, select Kind of object to be View, and the View to be the "By Category" view.

Click "OK"

Notes fills in the URL, and you are need to fill in the Component Name and Component Description.

Clicking "OK" adds the component to the application.

How to Add a Component From your Palette to your Application

The "By Category" component should be available in your Pallette in the "Composite App Component Catalog" category.   Find the component, and left click and drag it to your page.   The component will be added to the page and an entry for this component will be added to the Navigator.

How to Create a Wire

You start to create a wire by select what component you want to wire from in the left hand navigator. Right click the component and select "Wiring". This will open a page in the CAE with that component focused on the left, and the other components to the right of that. All of the properties you can wire from will be displayed in the focused component and all of the actions you can wire to will be displayed in the other components. As you hover over properties and actions you will get a pop-up to show you details on it.

You can create a wire in two ways:

    1) Select the property you want to wire from. Then right click on the action you want to wire it to and select "Create wire to this action".

    2) Click on the property you want to wire from. Then drag it to the action you want to wire it to and drop it.

You can delete a wire by clicking on the X that appears on the action when the property wired to it is selected.

If you want to wire a property to an action in another page, click on the "Include another page" button and select the page the component with the action resides on. The components from that page will appear in the same UI and you can select or drag appropriately.

Overview

The composite application that one is most likely to use is the Notes Mail and Calendar. So it makes sense that this is a fertile ground for adding things to.

This recipe shows you how to add to your main mail view a Sametime business card that displays the author of the current e-mail. Naturally it only works if the author of the e-mail is on your Sametime network!

What you need

Your mail template needs to have been upgraded to the shipping mail template with Notes 8. If you have not already done this, you can right click the mail icon on your workspace and select Application->Replace Design. From the list of templates select Mail (8). It may take some time. When it's done you will have the new Notes 8 Composite Application Mail template.

Some companies may use different identifiers for their Notes mail addresses and Sametime IDs. Often the Sametime ID is the Internet address for the sender. We will need to know which field in the mail document is set to a value that can be used for the Sametime ID (1). If your IDs are the same, then you can probably use the From field. In other cases the INetFrom field my be better. If you select a typical document, select Right Click and Properties, you can use the second tab of the infobox to scroll through all the fields in the document and see which one contains something that looks like what your company uses for a Sametime ID.

Assembly

While in your mail view do Actions->Edit Application to open the CAE on your mail file. Make sure you are on the first page.

1.        Drop a Sametime Business Card component Notes Link on top of the Notes Mail Mini View so that they form a tabbed folder together.

2.        Drop a Notes URL Processor component Notes Link in the same column as the Notes Mail Mini View at the bottom.

           Adjust to make this the smallest size possible.

Wiring

1.        Notes Mail View.Notes url changed -> NotesURL.NotesURL

2.        NotesURL.Field 1 -> Business Card.name

Advanced Component Properties

(Note: field names are case sensitive.)

1.        NotesURL.field1 = <the field containing someone's Sametime ID (1)> (You can use INetFrom if you are IBM internal.)

How it Works

When a document is selected in the Notes Mail View component it's Notes URL is broadcast. This is received by the Notes URL Processor. This component will apply any @formulas in it's Advanced Component Properties and broadcast the results in the corresponding field property. In this case, we do a simple field lookup for the field we determined above (1). This is then passed onto the Sametime Business Card which does the lookup and displays the data.

Further Steps

You can use the pattern of mapping the Notes URL to the Notes URL Processor component to extract any field that you might want for passing onto a third productivity component. It helps where the original data element you want has not been broadcast by the original component but is there in a Notes field. 

Overview

The composite application that one is most likely to use is the Notes Mail and Calendar. So it makes sense that this is a fertile ground for adding things to.

This recipe shows you how to add to your main calendar view a Sametime Buddy List that displays the invitees of the current meeting. Naturally it only works for those people who are on your Sametime network!

What you need

Your mail template needs to have been upgraded to the shipping mail template with Notes 8. If you have not already done this, you can right click the mail icon on your workspace and select Application->Replace Design. From the list of templates select Mail (8). It may take some time. When it's done you will have the new Notes 8 Composite Application Mail template.

Some companies may use different identifiers for their Notes mail addresses and Sametime IDs. Often the Sametime ID is the Internet address for the sender. We will need to know which field in the mail document is set to a value that can be used for the Sametime ID (1). If your IDs are the same, then you can probably use the AltReguiredNames field. In other cases the INetRequiredNames field my be better. If you select a typical document, select Right Click and Properties, you can use the second tab of the infobox to scroll through all the fields in the document and see which one contains something that looks like what your company uses for a Sametime IDs.

Assembly

While in your mail view do Actions->Edit Application to open the CAE on your mail file. Make sure you are on the second page.

1.        Drop a Sametime Buddy List component Notes Link on top of the Notes Calendar Mini View so that they form a tabbed folder together.

2.        Drop a Notes URL Processor component Notes Link in the same column as the Notes Calendar Mini View at the bottom.

           Adjust to make this the smallest  size possible.

Wiring

1.        NotesURL.Field 1 -> IM Buddies.buddies

Advanced Component Properties

(Note: field names are case sensitive.)

1.        NotesURL.field1 = @Implode(<the field containing someone's Sametime ID (1)>) (You can use @Implode(INetRequiredNames) if you are IBM internal.)

2.        NotesURL.onSelect = true

How it Works

When a document is selected in the Notes Calendar View component the Notes URL Processor noticed since it's onSelect setting is on. This component will apply any @formulas in it's Advanced Component Properties and broadcast the results in the corresponding field property. In this case, we do a simple field lookup for the field we determined above (1) and use @Implode to convert the text list to a string. This is then passed onto the Sametime Buddy List which displays the list of users.

Further Steps

You can use the pattern of mapping the Notes URL to the Notes URL Processor component to extract any field that you might want for passing onto a third productivity component. It helps where the original data element you want has not been broadcast by the original component but is there in a Notes field.