Like the simple paring knife that skilled chefs turn to again and again — but newer cooks too-often overlook — the input validation and input translation formulas of IBM Lotus Notes are powerful, multiuse tools that new developers frequently fail to take advantage of. For the new Notes developer, what's needed is a guide to what can be accomplished with input validation and translation formulas and how to use these formulas to successfully accomplish the job at hand.

I'll show you how to use input validation and translation formulas in the Notes client, so you can add them to your development skillset. To demonstrate the formulas, I'll use the fields in a sample application, "A Running Notes Log," that you can download from www.eVIEW.com. This application can be used by multiple runners to track running workouts and capture data for each of their runs, such as the date of run, time, distance, and so forth.

This article assumes a basic understanding of Formula language and Notes development. I developed the sample application in IBM Lotus Domino Designer 8.0.2; however, the majority of @formulas I discuss should be relevant as far back as release 6. For information on using @formulas in XPages (release 8.5), please see the sidebar "Input Validation and Translation in XPages."