LepoLand - A Blog by Alan Lepofsky

That's a clever tool, Alan.

ooooooh... dat's cool!

Cool, i like this thing, thanks!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I've been playing around to get something like this to work (specifically for pasting my call-in info into a calendar entry) - just saved me a whole lot of work.

Now someone was thinking!! That one I like a lot

....but I like it. I've had something circa Notes 3.x like this for many years, but without the Smarticon support. Thanks much!

Thanks! We'll pass it on!

lol - But I think I will have to convert my stationery to this application. Looks a lot simpler to use. Thanks!

@8, the issue with Stationary is that it is just for composing emails. This application can be used anywhere in Notes. :-)

WOW !! And you can use it even in the designer to paste your favorite code snippets into the programming pane ...

Great job. This will sit next to a couple of my other toolbar icons.

Thanks!

@10... that is a great idea.. and something several people have responded back to me about. I'm embarrased that I've never even used to it do that! I will now!

A fellow IBMer pointed out the following to me...

1) Adding "recache" to the lookup will make sure you see any new documents you create in the database, without having to exit/reopen the target database (where you are pasting)

choicelist := @DbColumn("" : "ReCache" ; "" : database ; "($All)" I

2) I used Veranda as the font, so when you paste things in, the lines that follow will be Veranda, and that may confuse some users.

absolutely love it... thankyou!

Great little applet, thanks. The ReCache addition is really worthwhile.

Hi Alan, pretty good -

regards Tom

As Ulrich notes, it can also be used in non-rich text contexts. It would be nice to have a separate app for designers to store _just_ code.

Can't we use picklist...?

Great Alan,

As always Notes is more flexible than we think.

But, please tell me how can we add a smart-icon trough the usage of lotusscript!

regards, Pettrie

Outstanding. Very impressive little app.

Hi there

Our paths crossed in 97 98 while I was at ISM in Toronto.

Any way I work at the CSO for Research In Motion and generally have to type the samething over and over(Hate It)soooo...

I take out the last line @PostedCommand([EditPaste]) and Bingo

I can now paste any thing any where I want,in this this case the ticketing system and I am happy.

Cheers

James

Hey, I am having a heck of a time pasting in a Notes document link into a PDF and having it launch properly..Ideas?

Hello Cherann. What format are you entering into the PDF? Are you using notes:\\ URLs?

Great tool.

However, how can I add a new text?

I can't find anywhere the database to add my personal text.

Thanks.

Hello D. R. Do a File-Open-Database, choose Local as your server, and open "pasteinformation.nsf". There you will see the existing documents, and an Action button to create new ones.

What's a Penguin?

Its a graphic of the Linux Tux logo.

Superb tool. How would I adjust the code under the button so that it picks always one particular entry from the Db. Reason is that 9 out of 10 I pick the same entry, e.g. conf.call information. Would then create a separate button for 'direct' choice, avoiding pick-list.

Thanks

replace the line:

dockey := @Prompt([OkCancelList] ; "Add text..." ; "Please choose the document title containing the content you wish to paste at the current cursor position." ; "" ; choicelist) ;

with:

dockey := "the exact title of the document you want to always use" ;

Thanks for the great job. I was looking for such a tool for ages. I would use that mainly for pasting prepared pieces of code in designer. I will save great amount of time.

I have been trying to use a tip mentioned here { Link } recently but it seemed that it does not work for longer texts. The tool you provide is simply excellent.

Mirek, I am thrilled I could help.

Alan thank you for presenting this @ Lotusphere!! I really love this tool. I am a developer and am using similar to Ulrich's suggestion.

@10 I've put in computed text as well (specifically for generating out my base comments in my script libraries for @created date & username).

Jim, glad it helps.

This is such a great concept, but I can't get it to work. I followed the directions and went to the .nsf to create my own document. I tried to use this in an email message, but it would only close the message and my Inbox.

Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong?

I win the dork award. Meaning, I figured it out.

Thanks, you've made life at work easier.

Thanks for this excellent tool, Alan. I am rolling it out today to my company (with a few mods). Instead of a local "Paste Information" db, I am hosting the db on the Domino server and I modified the code to point to it. I also added a readers field to the form in the database so that everyone can now create documents in that db but they only see their own docs in the picklist.

To roll it out to users, I am using an app that Andre Guirard wrote for the view that lets you mail a button to the user and creates the toolbar icon automatically. THANKS ANDRE !!!

There will also be a button to add the database to the user's bookmarks !

Whoo hooo !!

Dan, that is a great story. Thank you for sharing.

Hi Alan -- I love this tool, but I'm disappointed to find it doesn't quite work as designed in Notes 8. Upon clicking the toolbar button and selecting an entry from the picklist, the Paste Information db is opened, as is the document selected. The document body is copied to the clipboard, but the db and document are not closed and the Paste Information db view retains focus. Has anyone else tried this out?

Do you have this happen every time? I've seen an occasional issue, but I use it everyday, usually without problems.

It's been consistent for me ... I'm on the (internal) M4 build.

Hi...when i choose one of the premade text it seems to get stuck using only that one...when i try to click the other ones it doesnt work

Mark, I am not sure what you mean. Can you please explain a bit more. Are you saying if you create a document called "phone number" and put some text in there... then when you choose "phone number" it does not paste the right information?

Hi Alan. I actually figured the problem out. Not completely though...Is it possible to have the CC: field to be filled out without havinng the cursor being on the cc field. Sorry its hard to explain, but basically...i have a "text a" and "text b" for example. I need "text a" to fill the main body of the email (which uses your database of pre made emails) so i put the cursor on the main body of the email field, but i need "text b" (email adresses) to be placed in the cc: or bcc: fields which correspond with the email being sent. Is this possible at all? I've been trying to figure it out with no luck. Please help!

figured it out :D thanks anyways!

Ok, glad you got it working.

Like MT above, each time I use the database, it pastes the contents from the same item, no matter which item I select from the menu.

Only way to change selection is to open database & pick the one that I want. Then that item is pasted everytime (until I open db & pick a different item again).

Sounds like comment by mt on 29-mar, but I can't figure this out...

Curiously, problem has resolved itself. Don't know why. Great tool! Thanks.

Hi, great tool,

was wondering how to point to a server held database (yes i'm a notes noob)

Hi Ian, no worries that is a good question. What you need to do is update the two lines that look for the database by replacing "" with "the name of your server". For example:

choicelist := @DbColumn("" : "ReCache" ; "place the name of your server here" : database ; "($All)" ; 0 );

@PostedCommand([FileOpenDatabase]; "place the name of your server here" : database ; "($All)" ; dockey ; 1 ; 1 ) ;

Hi Alan,

Thanks for that. I still thinks its brilliant, and the great thing is you can have several paste repositories.

Thanks again,

Ian

Can't seem to get mine to work. Here is the code after the fixes you suggessted in other posts.

database := "pasteinformation.nsf" ;

choicelist := @DbColumn("" : "ReCache" ; "amontano.nsf" : database ; "($All)" ; 0 );

dockey := "the exact title of the document you want to always use" ;

@PostedCommand([FileOpenDatabase]; "amontano.nsf" : database ; "($All)" ; dockey ; 1 ; 1 ) ;

@PostedCommand([EditDocument]) ;

@PostedCommand([EditGotoField] ; "Body" ) ;

@PostedCommand([EditSelectAll]) ;

@PostedCommand([EditCopy]) ;

@PostedCommand([FileCloseWindow]) ;

@PostedCommand([FileCloseWindow]) ;

@PostedCommand([EditPaste])

How do I make it bold

How do you make what bold?

I have the problem like MT and others described.

"Like MT above, each time I use the database, it pastes the contents from the same item, no matter which item I select from the menu."

The solution is, do no customize the database file (nsf) or view. E.g. "Descending Columns".

You can cutomize the DB, but you are right, you should not alter the view that is used by the DB lookup.

Wow wow wow.. that's really cool..!! I've started using it rightaway and am going to spread the news..

Thanks Ajesh. I need to get around to making a "Notes 8 looking" version.

Neat. This beats the w2k resourcekit's cliptray application that I've been using for years to paste in common pieces of code (things like setting up error handling etc).

(why didn't I stumble across this one earlier ;-) )

Woonjas, I'm glad it helps you. Feel free to pass it along to any other Notes users you know.

Did they change a Formula function in 8.0.1?

I can select the source data document to copy from, but I get a Cannot execute the specified command" error and nothing gets pasted?

Hi Chad, I've heard from a few other people whom have had problems. Does this happen for you all the time, or just occasionaly. I can't find anything that would cause the issue, and I'm not seeing any problems, so it is hard for me to debug.

Hi Alan - we love this app, but we too are seeing a problem in 8. It finds the info, copies it and closes the windows, but fails to paste. I took out the last command - @PostedCommand([EditPaste]) - and ran it again. I found myself back in my original document, but NOT focused on the text field where I wished to paste the info. Clicking into the field, and pressing ctrl-V, pasted the information correctly. So, its losing focus somehow?

Strangely, if I try multiple times, eventually it starts working correctly.

This problem seems to exist on the 8.0.1 standard client which is loosing focus as DebHanna describes. I also tried the Notes 8.0.1 basic client, works fine on that one.

Hello Alan,

This is a nice little application. Thank you for sharing. I have been using it for about a week with no problems. So, I recommended it to an employee in my office. She decides that she will use it as well. She follows the instructions on your blog and is now having problems with the application. The Problem is exactly the same as described in two posts above: [45] and [53]. Surprisingly, shortly after her Lotus Notes db was doing this...my computer started to do it. The computer would copy only one entry – the first copy only. I also received an audible warning that something was awry. Mine stopped doing it when I messed around with the entries in the pasteinformation.nsf database. I deleted two entries and recopied the body field of another entry.

Since four people had the sample problem, I think you should be aware of it. I have not seen any support for this problem on this blog. Could you help us?

We are using Lotus Notes 7.0 August 15, 2005. I am not a Lotus Notes Guru so I don't know if you need the Domino Server information. Let me know. Please support us.

Thank you,

@63, make sure you have not clicked on any of the columns in the pasteinfo.nsf to sort them.

Hello Alan,

Thanks so much for your quick response. That worked like a charm.

My employee is ecstatic.

Have a wonderful day!

-Jeremy

Great, glad I was able to solve the issue.

Hello Alan,

here I have this

database := "Signature.nsf" ;

@PostedCommand([FileOpenDatabase]; "" : database ; "($All)" ; 1 ; 1 ) ;

@PostedCommand([EditDocument]) ;

@PostedCommand([EditGotoField] ; "Body" ) ;

@PostedCommand([EditSelectAll]) ;

@PostedCommand([EditCopy]) ;

@PostedCommand([FileCloseWindow]) ;

@PostedCommand([FileCloseWindow]) ;

@PostedCommand([EditPaste])

How can I make that when I use this, with a customized DB as a signature, the cursor should be in the body (text) field of the mail and not in the "TO" field ?

Thanks

Hi Tezeu, just click in the place where you want the information to be pasted, before you click on the toolbar icon.

I mean that when we click on "New memo", by default the cursor is in "TO" field, and i got to click first in body of the memo and then on the toolbar icon... is there a possibility that when I open a memo and click on button it should be copied to body field not in field "TO" ? Can the code be written this was ?

Thanks

You could try this:

@PostedCommand([EditGotoField] ; "Body" ) ;

database := "Signature.nsf" ;

@PostedCommand([FileOpenDatabase]; "" : database ; "($All)" ; 1 ; 1 ) ;

@PostedCommand([EditDocument]) ;

@PostedCommand([EditGotoField] ; "Body" ) ;

@PostedCommand([EditSelectAll]) ;

@PostedCommand([EditCopy]) ;

@PostedCommand([FileCloseWindow]) ;

@PostedCommand([FileCloseWindow]) ;

@PostedCommand([EditPaste])

It works !

Thanks a lot

Anyone managed to fix the bug in 8 where it works and then doesn't work ? Several colleagues have the problem.

Hi Tony. The simple answer is no, as no one can consistently recreate the issue. My personal thought is that it has something to do with the number of tabs open, and if the "next tab to open" would be off the right side of the screen. The good news is, the content you select actually IS placed on the clipboard, so all you have to do is press CTRL+V and it will be pasted.

@73

Thanks for the comments Alan, I have just tested with a colleague who recieves the pop-up error "Cannot execute the specified command". He had 2 tabs open, his mail and the email he was composing. I asked him to do a Ctrl V and your right that worked. The strange thing was that after that, the toolbar button worked again.

As they say in France... Tres Bizarre ! Forgoet ND8 Widgets... lets have ND Quirks !

Tony, I'm glad it is working, sort of. ;-)

Hi again,

to 70 and earlier. The information from the database remains in the clipboard. Can we change the code that after we click the button and the information in pasted in the mail, that the text dissapears from clipboard ?

Thanks

I don't know of an @command that clears the clipboard. I'm curious why you'd need that? What harm is caused by having the info on the clipboard until the next time you copy something?

I don`t know if there is a good reason for this. When I am connected remote to others pc they don`t want that what they pasted should be in my clipboard too. I also thought that it is not technically possible.

This is great - I shared it with my whole department and we're all using it now! Thank you so much!

Go Scotiabank! Say hi to all the folks there. I miss Toronto!

Hi Alan,

I've been using this db for a while now and I'm starting to get alot of documents that I use regularly. I was wondering how difficult it would be to create a view with folder twisties?

I have managed to create another pane on the Main frameset with an overview page, but I can't work out what I need to do so that the folders still display on the final paste 'prompt' to select the document I want.

I was looking into categorizing and creating extra buttons to organise this but it would take a bit more coding than I can handle at the moment. Can you (or anyone who is reading) think of a solution?

Thanks in advance.

Lachlan

Hi; I just upgraded to 8.0.1 and got the same problem as several others have seen in that the final paste didn't work.

After changing all the @PostedCommand's to @Command's it works fine.

Have no idea why though... (but don't really care anymore :-)

Alan, I have been using this piece of code in a button since you released it, especially useful when notifying 1st line support of repeat solutions to stuff! I recently started to use this in 8.0.1 and I was able to repeatedly recreate the "Cannot execute specified command" error.. I changed to use only @Commands but this caused additional issues.. I finally got it working by only changing the last two calls to @Command!!!:

database := "pasteinformation.nsf" ;

choicelist := @DbColumn("" : "" ; "" : database ; "($All)" ; 0 );

dockey := @Prompt([OkCancelList] ; "Add text..." ; "Please choose the document title containing the content you wish to paste at the current cursor position." ; "" ; choicelist) ;

@PostedCommand([FileOpenDatabase]; "" : database ; "($All)" ; dockey ; 1 ; 1 ) ;

@PostedCommand([EditDocument]) ;

@PostedCommand([EditGotoField] ; "Body" ) ;

@PostedCommand([EditSelectAll]) ;

@PostedCommand([EditCopy]) ;

@PostedCommand([FileCloseWindow]) ;

database := "Downloads\\pasteinformation.nsf" ;

choicelist := @DbColumn("" : "" ; "" : database ; "($All)" ; 0 );

dockey := @Prompt([OkCancelList] ; "Add text..." ; "Please choose the document title containing the content you wish to paste at the current cursor position." ; "" ; choicelist) ;

@PostedCommand([FileOpenDatabase]; "" : database ; "($All)" ; dockey ; 1 ; 1 ) ;

@PostedCommand([EditDocument]) ;

@PostedCommand([EditGotoField] ; "Body" ) ;

@PostedCommand([EditSelectAll]) ;

@PostedCommand([EditCopy]) ;

@PostedCommand([FileCloseWindow]) ;

@Command([FileCloseWindow]) ;

@Command([EditPaste])

Hope this helps !

Please Note that the previous post should only show one instance of the code !

That is great! Thank you for posting a fix!

I like it...

I like it alot.

WHat a timesaver. ! thanks.

Hi Alan,

this tool is awesome!! It saves so much time and - what is even more important - lets you keep cool while answering tons of standardized mails...

One question: Is it possible to create a shortcut for this button? So that I don't need to use the mouse to execute pasteinformation?

Had this icon in Notes 7, but lost it during Notes 8 upgrade? Anyway now added this back, as per Flow above, can we create a shortcut to paste the information?

Great tool

Hi Alan,

Very nice, thanks for posting. One thing I had to do to get it to work, the script did not include a semi-colon on the last command. I added and it seems to be fine.

Thanks Jerry. This is certainly the most popular tool I've shared.

Is there a way to create a button that will automatically choose a specific item from the pasteinformation.nsf?

I.E. I want to create a button to select item #5 in my DB without prompting for selection. . .

Thanks

Never mind. In case someone else wants a button to pull out a specific item from the pasteinformation.nsf here is what I got working (Look for "ITEM YOU WANT" and put the name in quotes:

database := "pasteinformation.nsf" ;

@PostedCommand([FileOpenDatabase]; "" : database ; "($All)" ; "ITEM YOU WANT" ; 1 ; 1 ) ;

@PostedCommand([EditDocument]) ;

@PostedCommand([EditGotoField] ; "Body" ) ;

@PostedCommand([EditSelectAll]) ;

@PostedCommand([EditCopy]) ;

@PostedCommand([FileCloseWindow]) ;

@PostedCommand([FileCloseWindow]) ;

@PostedCommand([EditPaste])

Congratulation!

Nice solution and it works! I use it to add a signature to my mail.

It is possible to add the signature automatically to all my new mails, and not to press the button every time?

Thanks a lot!

Yes, go into your mail preferences, and create a signature there.

{ Link }

I didn't succeed. 8(

I can add a text signature to all my e-mails.

I can also add a signature pressing a button on the toolbar. The button is accessing a signature.nsf file. In this case in the body mail appears my name and under it a button. If the button is pressed appears details about me: address, telephone, etc. Otherwise remains only my name.

I would like to add this "special" signature to all my e-mails, and not press every time the button. And I didn't succeed. 8(

Our team has been using the Paste Information tool for several years on Notes 7. We love this tool. When employees are migrated to Notes 8 we all lose the paste icon from our toolbar. I followed the installation instructions listed above to reinstall the icon but it is not visible on the toolbar. What do I do to get this icon back for Notes 8. Our most frequent application is within email and calendars. Thanks!

Chris, Had the same issue. You need to go into File->Preferences. Select the 'Toolbar' and expand it. Then click on 'Toolbars' and make sure your toolbar is checked as 'visible'. You can also check which toolbar you assigned the paste icon by clicking 'Customize'

Hi Alan,

we have adapted your tool straight to the Mail Template (8.5.1) . I have replaced the add-action button as a Lotus Script. Just s.o. needs s.th like that as well.

Furthermore I think sth like AutoText and the possibility to serve more than one signature should sometimes be implemented in the Domino product itself.

<code>

Sub Click(Source As Button)

%REM DOCU

@author Peter Arndt, SIT GmbH

@created 07.06.2010

%END REM

On Error Goto errh

Dim uiws As New NotesUIWorkspace

Dim db As NotesDatabase

Dim col As NotesDocumentCollection

Dim d As NotesDocument

Dim quidoc As NotesUIDocument

Dim sourcedoc As NotesUIDocument

Set sourcedoc = uiws.CurrentDocument

Set db = uiws.CurrentDatabase.Database

Set col = uiws.PickListCollection(PICKLIST_CUSTOM,False,db.Server,db.FilePath,"($AlleTextbausteine)","Textbaustein einfügen" , "Wählen Sie einen Textbaustein, welcher an der aktuellen Cursor Position eingefügt wird.")

Set d = col.GetFirstDocument

If Not d Is Nothing Then

Set quidoc = uiws.EditDocument(True,d)

Call quidoc.GotoField("Body")

Call quidoc.SelectAll

Call quidoc.Copy

Call quidoc.Close(True)

End If

If Not sourcedoc.CurrentField = "Body" Then

Call sourcedoc.GotoField("Body")

End If

Call sourcedoc.Paste

Exit Sub

errh:

Print "Hinweis: Es ist ein Fehler beim Einfügen eines Textbausteines aufgetreten: ", Error$, Str(Err), " in Zeile " + Str(Erl)

Exit Sub

End Sub

</code>