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HCL Domino Designer Basic User Guide and Reference
This guide provides information on using HCL Domino Designer and programming language reference information.
Application Management
Welcome to the Application Management section of Domino® Designer Help.
Security in an application
Domino® offers a multi-layered approach to security. Server administrators can secure databases, servers, and domains. Database designers and managers control the following:
Notes® and Domino® encryption
Encryption is a digital security mechanism that protects data from unauthorized access. Encryption protects data from unauthorized access. Using Notes® and Domino®, you can encrypt:
Database encryption
Database encryption is designed to prevent unauthorized access to locally stored databases and is not intended as a replacement for field-level encryption. Database encryption provides an additional layer of security because ACL settings do not protect locally stored databases.

HCL Domino Designer Basic User Guide and Reference
This guide provides information on using HCL Domino Designer and programming language reference information.
- What's new in HCL Domino Designer 11 for developers?
  The following features are new for developers in HCL Domino® Designer 11.
- Accessibility and keyboard shortcuts
  Accessibility features assist users who have a disability, such as restricted mobility or limited vision, to use information technology content successfully.
- Application Design
  Welcome to the Application Design section of Domino® Designer Help.
- Application Management
  Welcome to the Application Management section of Domino® Designer Help.
  - Security in an application
    Domino® offers a multi-layered approach to security. Server administrators can secure databases, servers, and domains. Database designers and managers control the following:
    - The database access control list
    - Application design element security
      An application developer can restrict access to design elements within an application. Application design security takes effect when users gain access to an application.
    - Notes® and Domino® encryption
      Encryption is a digital security mechanism that protects data from unauthorized access. Encryption protects data from unauthorized access. Using Notes® and Domino®, you can encrypt:
      - Database encryption
        Database encryption is designed to prevent unauthorized access to locally stored databases and is not intended as a replacement for field-level encryption. Database encryption provides an additional layer of security because ACL settings do not protect locally stored databases.
      - To encrypt a database
      - Encrypting documents and fields
        A document is considered to be encrypted if it is created from a form that contains one or more encrypted fields. Each encrypted field is linked to a key that encrypts the contents of the field. An encryption key can be secret -- that is, a key that you must send to users in order for them to decrypt a field -- or public -- that is, a key that is already in a user's ID file and in the user's Person document where it is publicly available.
      - Procedural overview: encrypting documents
      - Enabling encryption for a field
        You can enable encryption for more than one field in a form. The field can be any data type.
      - Creating secret encryption keys
      - Distributing secret encryption keys
      - Merging secret encryption keys
      - To create a field that maintains a list of secret encryption keys
      - Managing encrypted information
        As you consider what type of encryption you need in your application, keep the following in mind:
      - To encrypt all documents automatically
      - Using electronic signatures in Notes® applications
      - Attaching signatures to documents
  - Completing an application and managing design changes
    As you prepare to deploy an application, consider these finishing touches:
  - Deploying an application
    The tasks involved with application design, database design, database management, and DominoTMsystem administration may overlap, depending on the size of your organization and the structure of job responsibilities. In some organizations, an application developer may be responsible for both application and database design, while in others, a database manager may handle all database design and management tasks. In addition, database management overlaps with Domino® system administration.
  - Procedure for optimizing and troubleshooting databases
- Domino® Query Language
  Domino® Query Language (DQL) is a facility running on a Domino server that provides a terse, shorthand syntax for finding documents. It supports a wide variety and complexity of search terms. It leverages existing design elements, avoiding the need to write detailed code to access them. DQL consolidates all methods in Domino for searching document contents.
- Composite Applications - Design and Management
  Composite applications are a key element in a service-oriented architecture (SOA) and contextual collaboration strategy. The ability to create and edit composite applications lets you easily integrate different types of components and technologies.
- DB2® Access views
  Domino® Designer includes two types of design elements to assist you in managing data contained in DB2® enabled Notes® databases:
- Programming Overview and User Interface
  This section contains general guidelines and examples that show where to use Java, LotusScript, and the formula language.
- Formula Language
  This section documents the formula language.
- LotusScript® Language
  Welcome to the LotusScript® Language section of Domino® Designer Help.
- LotusScript/COM/OLE Classes
- Java/CORBA Classes
  This section documents the Java/CORBA classes.
- Connectors
  Connectors provide native access to a wide variety of DBMS products, ODBC, the platform File system, Enterprise Resource Planning systems, and Transaction Processing systems.
- Javadoc™ for Domino® Designer related APIs
  As part of providing additional Java™ reference documentation, Domino® Designer ships with a help plugin that contains Javadoc™ for additional Domino Designer related APIs.

Database encryption

Database encryption is designed to prevent unauthorized access to locally stored databases and is not intended as a replacement for field-level encryption. Database encryption provides an additional layer of security because ACL settings do not protect locally stored databases.

Database encryption uses a public-key algorithm. Encryption generates a random encryption key, encrypts this key with the public key associated with a specific user ID, and appends the resulting key to the specified database. A user can access an encrypted database only if the user's private key can decrypt the appended key. It is a good idea to encrypt local databases if they are stored on a portable computer, or if you share your computer with other users.

You can also use local encryption to encrypt databases on a server with the server ID. Then, only those Domino® administrators with access to the server ID can read the database.

Note: When a user copies a database, the data remains encrypted -- even if the database is copied at the operating system level. The encrypted data is also safe from access by API programs.

Use the local encryption option from the Database Properties box to encrypt databases on a workstation with a database owner's user ID, and to encrypt databases on a server with a server ID. To encrypt a local database after the initial creation of the database or replica, you or the server administrator must first compact the database.

Encryption levels

When you encrypt a database, you must select one of the following encryption levels: simple, medium, or strong. The stronger the encryption, the longer it takes to open a database.

Use simple encryption when security needs are not great. It is enough to deter casual snooping.
Choose medium encryption (default) to balances security, strength, and fast database access.
Use strong encryption when security requirements are paramount, and the resulting database access performance is acceptable.

For more information on encryption, see Domino® Administrator Help.