Capturing the text from dialog boxes
March 30 2006 04:00:00 AM
Add/Read Comments [12]
When an error occurs, users often just
tell their support staff "It does not work"! This lack
of detail often results in the support staff having to going back and forth
with the user to figure out what the real problem is, or what the error
message was. Some advanced users know how to take screen shots of
the error messages they get (using ALT+PrtSc for example) which is a huge
help, but Lotus Notes let's you take this even one step further.
When you are presented with a dialog box
you can press CTRL+C to capture the text from the titlebar, the message, and the button labels to the clipboard. You can then paste the information into an email or into your company's HelpDesk system as shown below.
---------------------------
IBM Lotus Notes
---------------------------
You are not authorized to access that database
---------------------------
OK
---------------------------
So while the saying "A picture is worth a thousand words" is true in many cases, for Support the words can be just as important! Having the actual "text" from messages stored in a database enables you to do things like perform full text searches to find other occurrences of the error, where you would not be able to if you just had the screenshot.
Thank you Thomas Gumz for reminding me about this feature.
When you are presented with a dialog box
you can press CTRL+C to capture the text from the titlebar, the message, and the button labels to the clipboard. You can then paste the information into an email or into your company's HelpDesk system as shown below.
---------------------------
IBM Lotus Notes
---------------------------
You are not authorized to access that database
---------------------------
OK
---------------------------
So while the saying "A picture is worth a thousand words" is true in many cases, for Support the words can be just as important! Having the actual "text" from messages stored in a database enables you to do things like perform full text searches to find other occurrences of the error, where you would not be able to if you just had the screenshot.
Thank you Thomas Gumz for reminding me about this feature.
I can't believe I've been working with Notes for 10 years and have never heard about that feature. Thank you SO much for sharing it. There's nothing more frustrating than trying to google an error message when you don't have the exact text.
-Jim
I second Jim. This is neat and can save alot of email space, thanks for the tip!
Awesome. :) Just Awesome.
Although a neat feature, many users do not have the first idea what CTRL-C is or how to use it.
An even better feature (Notes "Hannover" perhaps?) may be to have a little button (similar to the one that appears when you open up an event in the windows event viewer) which copies all text to the clip board.
For the least proficient users asking them to click on the button (which also happens to have a handy tooltip pop up if they mouse over the button) would be easier than asking them to CTRL-C.
Nice, but doesn't work on the Mac client, unfortunately.
Cheers,
- Mike
love it!
Notes never fails to surprise me - even after all these years there are still little pearls tucked away like this one!
brilliant!
Thanks for that, Alan, a fantastic feature. Is this available in R6 or is it new with R7?
Hi Dave, I am pretty sure it works in any version, and actually in any Windows application. It may not be unique to Notes.
Per comment #8 above, you seem to be correct about this being related to Windows, rather than specifically a Notes function. At least it does not work as expected on my work PC, which is still running under Windows NT, but it does work properly for my colleague at the next desk, whose PC is running Windows 2000 Professional.
Sooner or later, though, my Windows version will be upgraded, and I'll be able to use this tip, which will be very helpful; thanks very much for sharing all this information.
Stan, you're very welcome. I hope you don't have to wait for Vista! I also hope you get to run current versions of Notes!
The Thomas Gumz link doesn't work... Great tip.. I love your website it is probably my most often used resource.. second only to notes.net.
Thanks Anthony, that is really nice of you. Here is another link for Thomas, at least you get to see his picture! { Link }