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IBM Domino Designer Basic User Guide and Reference
Basic product usage information and programming language reference information.
LotusScript® Language
Welcome to the LotusScript® Language section of Domino® Designer Help.
Introduction to LotusScript®
This chapter introduces LotusScript® and describes, in general terms, how to use the script editor to write and modify scripts, how to compile scripts, and how to use the debugger to locate problems in the logic of your applications.
What is LotusScript®?
LotusScript® is an embedded, BASIC scripting language with a powerful set of language extensions that enable object-oriented application development within and across IBM® software applications. LotusScript allows you to place more complex scripts in a greater variety of locations and events than traditional macros. LotusScript and its development toolset provide a common programming environment across IBM applications on all platforms supported by IBM software (such as Windows™, AIX®, Linux™). It is available in:

IBM Domino Designer Basic User Guide and Reference
Basic product usage information and programming language reference information.
- Application Design
  Welcome to the Application Design section of Domino® Designer Help.
- Domino® Designer templates
  The templates described in the following table are available with Domino® Designer and are specifically intended for use by application developers.
- Importing to and exporting from views
- Developing applications using MAPI
  Domino® Designer Release 6 and later supports the messaging application program interface (MAPI), which allows mail integration between Domino and a MAPI-compliant messaging application, such as Microsoft™ Outlook, Microsoft Office applications, or user-written C++ programs.
- Features to avoid using in Web applications
  Developers creating applications specifically for the Web, or for the dual purpose of serving Notes® and Web clients, should review the following tables for features that are not supported on the Web.
- URL commands for Web applications
  You have a variety of options for programming a Web site. You can directly manipulate objects such as documents or views in an application using Domino® URL commands. Adding Domino URL commands as HTML in forms gives users shortcuts for navigating databases and performing other tasks quickly.
- Application Management
  Welcome to the Application Management section of Domino® Designer Help.
- 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.
  - Introduction to LotusScript®
    This chapter introduces LotusScript® and describes, in general terms, how to use the script editor to write and modify scripts, how to compile scripts, and how to use the debugger to locate problems in the logic of your applications.
    - What is LotusScript®?
      LotusScript® is an embedded, BASIC scripting language with a powerful set of language extensions that enable object-oriented application development within and across IBM® software applications. LotusScript allows you to place more complex scripts in a greater variety of locations and events than traditional macros. LotusScript and its development toolset provide a common programming environment across IBM applications on all platforms supported by IBM software (such as Windows™, AIX®, Linux™). It is available in:
    - Advantages of LotusScript®
      LotusScript® offers the following advantages:
    - Working with scripts
      A script is composed of statements in the LotusScript® language. LotusScript code can be organized into applications, modules, sections, functions, and statements.
    - Working with IBM® software
      IBM® software provides the environment in which you create, debug, and run LotusScript® modules. Each IBM software application that works with LotusScript supplies its own application programming interface (API), which lets you use product functionality and create and manipulate product objects from within LotusScript. A product API is effectively an extension to the LotusScript language that is available when you are running that product.
    - Debugging applications
      The debugger helps you find logic errors in an application. If your application compiles without errors but does not yield the results you expect, the debugger can help locate the place in your scripts where something went wrong. The debugger can:
  - Script and Statement Construction Rules
    This chapter describes the rules for writing the basic elements of a script in the LotusScript® language.
  - Data Types, Constants, and Variables
    This chapter provides information about LotusScript® constants and variables and the data types of the values that they can represent.
  - Expressions and Operators
    This chapter describes the set of LotusScript® operators, how they may be combined with operands to form expressions, and how those expressions are evaluated.
  - Procedures: Functions, Subs, and Properties
  - File Handling
    This chapter describes file handling in the LotusScript® language.
  - Error Processing
    This chapter describes error processing in the LotusScript® language.
  - User-Defined Data Types and Classes
    This chapter describes two kinds of custom data structures that you can define in LotusScript®. Each can hold data of different types in a single data structure.
  - Managing Flow in Scripts
    The flow of execution of a script generally follows the sequence of statements in the script. This chapter describes the behavior of particular statements that alter the flow of execution.
  - Managing Asynchronous Web Agents in Domino®
    This chapter describes how to use multiple threads and synchronization to manage HTTP agents with Domino®.
  - Beyond Core LotusScript®
    This chapter discusses the role that LotusScript® plays with IBM® products, your operating environment, other programs, and interactive user applications.
  - LotusScript® Language Reference
    This chapter describes the use of statements, built-in functions, subs, data types, and directives in the LotusScript® language.
  - Language and Script Limits
    This appendix describes LotusScript® language limits of several kinds: for example, the legal ranges in data representation, the limits on numerical specifications within statements, and the maximum number of different kinds of elements that can be defined in a script.
  - Platform Differences
    The LotusScript® language and functionality on the UNIX™ platform, the Macintosh platform, and the OS/400® platform differ in various ways from the language and functionality described in the rest of this language reference. This appendix describes the differences.
  - LotusScript/REXX Integration
    This appendix provides an overview of REXX integration in the LotusScript® language.
  - LotusScript® Aliases
    This appendix lists the LotusScript® aliases and their equivalent text.
  - MIME Charset Names
  - Compile-time Error Messages
    This chapter describes the compile-time error messages in the LotusScript® language.
  - Run-time Error Messages
    This chapter describes the run-time error messages in the LotusScript® language.
- LotusScript/COM/OLE Classes
- Java/CORBA Classes
  This section documents the Java/CORBA classes.
- Lotus® Connectors
  Lotus® 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.
- 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.

What is LotusScript®?

LotusScript® is an embedded, BASIC scripting language with a powerful set of language extensions that enable object-oriented application development within and across IBM® software applications. LotusScript® allows you to place more complex scripts in a greater variety of locations and events than traditional macros. LotusScript® and its development toolset provide a common programming environment across IBM® applications on all platforms supported by IBM® software (such as Windows™, AIX®, Linux™). It is available in:

IBM® Notes® Release 4 and later
IBM® Lotus® Approach® 96 Edition and later
IBM® Lotus® Freelance Graphics® 96 Edition and later
IBM® Lotus® Word Pro® 96 Edition and later
IBM® Lotus® 1-2-3® 97 Edition and later
IBM® Lotus® Enterprise Solution Builder

LotusScript® offers a wide variety of features. Its interface to IBM® software is through predefined object classes. The products oversee the compilation and loading of user scripts and automatically include class definitions to allow more efficient coding. LotusScript® extends the development capabilities of IBM® software by providing:

The ability to place scripts in a variety of objects and events in many IBM® software applications. LotusScript® has a set of extensions beyond Visual Basic, that provide additional power and utility when writing applications using IBM® software.
A debugger and syntax-directed editor.
Access to a broad range of product functions through the classes defined for each product.
Access to external class libraries defined using the the LSX Toolkit.

The environment in which you write, debug, and run scripts depends on your IBM® software application. To learn about your product's programming environment, see your product documentation.