Designing a form to hide the Notes® document

You can design a form to hide the Notes® document when users:

• Create a document (Opening Create).
• Open a document to edit it (Opening Edit).
• Open a document to read it (Opening Read).
• Close a document after creating it (Closing Create). This option is available only if "Opening Create" is selected.
• Close a document after editing it (Closing Edit). This option is available only if "Opening Edit" is selected.
• Close a document after reading it (Closing Read). This option is available only if "Opening Read" is selected.

You can also design a form that hides the Notes® document in some circumstances and shows it in others. Use this type of form when document creators, editors, and readers play different roles in maintaining the information in the Notes® database.

Hide Notes® documents when:

• The main focus of the document is the object, and users don't need to fill in anything else.
• The form contains only one object.
• Users aren't familiar with Notes® and want to work in a familiar application.
• The Notes® database is functioning solely as a container system for other application files.
• All users have access to and can launch the other application and always work in that application.

Show Notes® documents when:

• Readers need to see more than the data object itself.
• The form contains multiple objects.
• Revising the data in the object is optional; therefore, you don't need to launch the application every time the Notes® document opens.
• Users who create and edit documents need to fill in other fields on the form.
• Some users have operating systems, such as OS/2, that don't support OLE objects, but they still need to read the information or edit other fields in the Notes® document.

You create a report-tracking database that allows users to use 1-2-3® to create and update their own expense reports. When users create or update expense reports, they don't need to see the Notes® document; instead, they want to autolaunch the expense report object in 1-2-3®.

To design a form that mirrors your users' workflow, create an Expense Report form, embed a worksheet object in the form, and set the form properties to automatically launch the worksheet. In the "Hide when" box, select:

• Opening Create
• Closing Create
• Opening Edit
• Closing Edit.

When users choose Create - Expense Report, Notes® automatically starts 1-2-3® and launches the embedded worksheet object. Users enter information directly into the 1-2-3® worksheet object and never see the Notes® document. When users complete the expense reports and quit 1-2-3®, the worksheet object embedded in the form updates, users are returned to the view level in Notes®. If users want to edit their expense reports, they open the document in Edit mode, and 1-2-3® autolaunches. When they close 1-2-3®, users are returned to the view level of Notes®.

Information from the expense report worksheet appears in the Notes® document or in the Notes® view. The Notes® database contains all of the expense reports.