Domino Designer 8.5.1 — XPages in the Notes Client, Composite Applications, Mashups, and Portal!

John Mackey, president, Groupware Solutions Inc.


October, 2009

IBM Domino Designer 8.5.1 has significant new XPages capabilities that enable you to design an application just once and then run it without changes in a variety of platforms, including the Notes client. Get an overview of the new features, insight into what they mean to you, and step-by-step guidance on building applications using the new XPages features.

Wow! Notes and Domino 8.5.1 is released, and it is packed with new features and enhancements. Usually a point release is mostly a maintenance release, but not 8.5.1. The IBM development team has not only fixed and enhanced hundreds of items, they have added many new features — and I am not talking about the addition of some new @functions. They have added important features that would normally justify a new release number.
Here are some of the new features in Domino Designer:
  • XPages in the Notes client. XPages can now run in the Notes client. Developers can enable server-based XPage applications to run in the client as well as create local replicas to take XPage applications offline. This is accomplished by enabling a new XPages client launch option via a Domino Designer property sheet or the client Infobox. Users can also include XPages applications in composite applications by including their client XPage application as an NSF component and having it interact with other components such as the Personal Information Manager (PIM) component and Google gadgets.
  • The XPages component design element. Components based on XPages can be developed with Domino and deployed in composite applications. Components can be projected as iWidgets and therefore can run in IBM WebSphere Portal and IBM Mashup Center.
  • The LotusScript editor in Eclipse (LSEE). This editor is an alternative to the classic Notes-based LotusScript editor. LSEE takes advantage of the many editing features of Eclipse while retaining most of the classic editor’s features. Finally, LotusScript developers have a modern editor that provides code assist with custom-class support, hover with pop-up help, custom code templates, and many more features!
  • The Java editor in Eclipse. The Designer Java interface for agents, libraries, and Web services now opens the Eclipse Java editor, which is the same editor you open if you are in the Java perspective. It provides a full editor for all your Java programming — it’s not limited to libraries.
Come with me on a hands-on exploration of the new XPages features. Experience for yourself how to build applications using these new features and deploy them to a Notes client, composite application, mashup, or portal.

Would you like to see the full version of this article?

If you are an electronic license holder to THE VIEW, please log in to view this article.

If you would like information about becoming an electronic license holder — and having 24/7 unrestricted access to all articles and content in THE VIEW Online Knowledgebase — click here to see the available subscription options.

Or call 1-781-751-8813 to speak directly with a subscription and licensing specialist about customized access for you and your team.