Setting Domino® Designer LotusScript® Editor user preferences

Accessing the LotusScript® Editor Preferences panel(s)

To access the Lotus® Editor Preferences panel, choose File >Preferences >Domino Designer >LotusScript Editor. From this panel, you can access and change settings in these LotusScript® Editor areas:

• LotusScript® Editor settings
• Code Templates settings (sub-panel)
• Comment Templates settings (sub-panel)
• Fonts and Colors settings (sub-panel)

LotusScript® Editor settings

To access this Preferences panel, choose File >Preferences >Domino Designer >LotusScript Editor. You can change the following editor settings areas from the LotusScript Editor Preferences panel.

• Use Eclipse-based LotusScript® Editor - The LotusScript® editor in Eclipse (LSEE) is an alternative to the Notes-based LotusScript® editor. LSEE takes advantage of the many editing features of Eclipse while retaining most of the Notes® features. You can switch back and forth between the Eclipse and Notes® editor by selecting or clearing the related Designer editor preferences on this panel. Make sure this is checked (default setting) if you wish to use the Eclipse-based Editor. If it is not selected, then you use the Notes-based LotusScript® editor. Refer to the "Eclipse-based language interfaces" section of this guide for more detail.
• General
  • Automatically include 'Option Declare' - Make sure this is checked (default setting) if you wish to automatically include the 'Option Declare' statement in the new code you are creating in the Eclipse-based Editor.
  • Automatically indent pasted - Make sure this is checked (default setting) if you wish to automatically indent code you are pasting into the Eclipse-based Editor.
  • Enable automatic recompilation of all dependencies - Automatic compilation of LotusScript® libraries is on by default. You can also manually compile all LotusScript® in the current application by deselecting this option.
  • Save and sign design elements during automatic recompilation - This feature is on by default. Enabling this lets you save and sign any design elements that are automatically compiled if the design element has no errors.
• Saving With Errors
  • Prompt me on save if there are LotusScript® errors - Select this option (default setting) if you want to be prompted on save if there are errors in the code you are writing. If it is not selected, then you will not be prompted. Refer to the "Eclipse-based language interfaces" section of this guide for more detail.
  • Remove existing object code when saving with errors - When saving with errors, you can also delete the binary code for the last good script. Enabling this option lets you do this.
• Code Assistance
  • Show hover help on LotusScript® keywords - Enabling this option (enabled by default) lets you display hover help when you place your mouse over LotusScript® keywords. Hovering over certain keywords displays the associated help topic or developer comment if it is available.
  • Hover help time delay (milliseconds) - Specifies the interval (in milliseconds) that you want to pass before hover help is displayed.
  • Content assist auto activation delay (milliseconds) - Specifies the interval (in milliseconds) that you want to pass before the content assist feature is enabled. Content assist proposes coding alternatives based on the objects available in the current context. Content assist in the LotusScript® editor in Eclipse (LSEE) is similar to auto-completion in the Notes® editor, but not exactly the same.

Code Templates settings

A code template is text that is automatically inserted into the body of new code element definitions. Code templates are extremely useful for enforcing or simplifying programming standards in a team or organization. You can specify uniform error handling, logging, or tracing code, and the LotusScript® editor automatically inserts it each time you create a new code element, saving time and preventing accidentally ignoring the standard or making mistakes in its implementation.

To access the Code Templates preferences panel, choose File >Preferences >Domino Designer >LotusScript Editor >Code Templates. You can change the following settings from this Preferences panel.

• Automatically include template in new code elements - Selecting this option enables the code templates feature. By default, code templates are disabled and every code template is set to a blank newline.
• Code Element - Click any element in the Code element listbox to see its template in the Code template field.
• Comment Template - displays the code template you are creating

To create a code template, click any element in the Code element listbox, then enter your template in the Code template field. Your LotusScript® code is automatically modified to use the correct upper- and lower-case letters as you type.

Pressing Ctrl+Up or Ctrl+Down in the template editor moves you to the previous or next template. When you are finished editing your template, click Apply or OK to save your changes.

Comment Templates settings

A comment template is created when you enable the editor to automatically generate comments for new libraries, classes, types, functions, subs, property gets, and property sets. You can control the content of these comments, disable automatic comment generation, and manually trigger the creation of a comment.

To access the Comment Templates preferences panel, choose File >Preferences >Domino Designer >LotusScript Editor >Comment Templates. You can change the following settings from this Preferences panel.

• Automatically include comments in new code elements - Selecting this option enables the comment template feature. By default, comment templates are disabled and every comment template is set to a blank newline.
• Code Element - Click any element in the Code element listbox to see its comment template in the Comment template field.
• Comment Template - displays the comment template you are creating.

To create a comment template, select the code element and edit the comment area to determine the content of the template.

You can explicitly insert a comment with Source > Apply Comment Template.

The editor displays comments placed before libraries, classes, types, functions, subs, property gets, and property sets when you hover over the name of the element or invoke content assist for the element.

To disable automatic comment generation, open the Comment Templates preferences dialog as described above and clear the Automatically include comments in new code elements option.

Fonts and colors settings

To access this preferences panel, choose File >Preferences >Domino Designer >LotusScript Editor >Fonts and Colors. On this panel, you can change the font, font size, text type, text style and text colors that applied to the text in the Editor. A Preview field lets you see your changes before you apply them by clicking the Apply button.

For more detail on all of the settings mentioned in this topic, refer to the Eclipse-based language interfaces section of this guide.