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January 2 2007 10:30:00 PM
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The Lotus Notes User Interface (UI) is made up of several different elements. Today I want to describe the four elements shown in the screen shot below. I'll describe the areas the arrows below are pointing to, working from the top of the screen down to the bottom...
The top arrow points to the File Menus, and the second arrow points to the Toolbar, which contains Toolbar icons. Most likely you are accustomed to these two UI elements, as most programs use these.
The next row contains "Window Tabs". Lotus Notes has had a "tabbed interface" since version 1 in 1989. As I pointed out last year, I find it amusing that now tabs are all the rage in other programs such as web browsers and chat clients.
The fourth arrow points to the Lotus Notes Action Bar. Action bars (and the Actions Buttons they contain) are available at both the Notes datbase view level (as shown above) and the form/page level (shown below).
As you move from one Notes database to another, the file menus, toolbars, and window tabs stay pretty much the same (they are some contextual changes) as they are associated with the overall Lotus Notes interface.
However, Action Bars are unique to the specific Lotus Notes database you are in. The database's developer decides what actions are most appropriate for you to use. For example, in your mail file you have Actions such as "Forward" and "Reply", while in a Discussion Database you have Actions like "New Topic" and "Response".
If you like to use your keyboard more than your mouse, you can access Action Buttons by pressing the ALT key and the number corresponding to the Action Button as shown below. I describe this feature in more detail in the tip Extended Accelerators.
I wish more programs had Actions similar to the way Lotus Notes does.
The top arrow points to the File Menus, and the second arrow points to the Toolbar, which contains Toolbar icons. Most likely you are accustomed to these two UI elements, as most programs use these.
The next row contains "Window Tabs". Lotus Notes has had a "tabbed interface" since version 1 in 1989. As I pointed out last year, I find it amusing that now tabs are all the rage in other programs such as web browsers and chat clients.
The fourth arrow points to the Lotus Notes Action Bar. Action bars (and the Actions Buttons they contain) are available at both the Notes datbase view level (as shown above) and the form/page level (shown below).
As you move from one Notes database to another, the file menus, toolbars, and window tabs stay pretty much the same (they are some contextual changes) as they are associated with the overall Lotus Notes interface.
However, Action Bars are unique to the specific Lotus Notes database you are in. The database's developer decides what actions are most appropriate for you to use. For example, in your mail file you have Actions such as "Forward" and "Reply", while in a Discussion Database you have Actions like "New Topic" and "Response".
If you like to use your keyboard more than your mouse, you can access Action Buttons by pressing the ALT key and the number corresponding to the Action Button as shown below. I describe this feature in more detail in the tip Extended Accelerators.
I wish more programs had Actions similar to the way Lotus Notes does.
