Customization updates for 8.5.1

There have been several customization improvements in 8.5.1. The major difference is that all customization forms and subforms have been moved to a separate file called the Extension Forms File. If the Extension Forms File exists on the Domino server, Lotus iNotes will use the forms and subforms contained in it. The Extension Forms File is not shipped with Lotus iNotes -- you create it yourself from a provided template. That way, when you install a hotfix or newer release, your customizations are not overwritten by the new release.

Instructions on creating the Extension Forms File are in the Lotus iNotes Administrator documentation. The topic can be found in Domino and Notes info center here.

If you've added, or want to add, your own subforms to the Extension Forms File, you should add the optional="yes" parameter to the InsertNotesSubForm tag. Example:

<InsertNotesSubForm optional="yes" name=your_custom_subform>

You can also add your own resources, such as image files to the Extension Forms File. Insert them in the Resources\Files section. Then, to refer to them in your code:

src="/iNotes/Forms85_x.nsf/yourimage.gif"
background-image:url(@{s_EFF}/yourimage.gif?OpenFileResource&MX);

Other customization improvements:

Simplified stylesheets

In earlier releases, there were separate stylesheet files for each browser type. In 8.5.1, the separate browser-specific stylesheet files have been consolidated into one. For example, the following stylesheets have been consolidated into f_ShimmerSkin-h_StyleSheetView:

f_ShimmerSkin-h_StyleSheetView
f_ShimmerSkin_Gecko-h_StyleSheetView
f_ShimmerSkin_Safari-h_StyleSheetView

To specify a style for a specific browser type, we've introduced a couple of new tags:

<NotesFragment>
<NotesFragmentSwitch>

These allow you to conditionally include segments of the stylesheet. With the NotesFragment tag, the enclosed content is included if the includeif condition is true. Example:



The NotesFragmentSwitch tag simulates the if ... elseif ... else ... pattern. Example:

Easier customization of gradient fills

Starting in 8.5.1, there is a new properties file called dwa.properties, which contains color specifications for vector graphics colors. Lotus iNotes started using vector graphics with the new Lite architecture in 8.0.1. These include gradient fills and borders of gradient fill areas. Originally, the color specifications were spread throughout the code. Now, they are all together in dwa.properties, which makes it a lot easier for customizers to change them. The dwa.properties file is in the Forms85 file, and for 8.5.1, changes will need to be made there. In a future release, you will be able to put your dwa.properties changes in the Extension Forms File.

Easier customization of the logo

It's now easier to add your own logo to Lotus iNotes. In 8.5, you modified the Custom_Banner_Lite with your logo information and also had to update some skin files if your logo was larger than the Lotus iNotes logo. Now, you only have to update Custom_Banner_Lite.

New customization subform

A new subform, Custom_Page_Dictionary, has been added. NotesVars added to Custom_Page_Dictionary will be available for use in the Custom_CSS subform. For example, you could set a NotesVar that reads a NOTES.INI value:



And then use that NotesVar in a CSS style in Custom_CSS:

Other

Note that starting in 8.5.1, the Full mode Mail read form uses the "lite" architecture. So to customize it, you should use the Custom_JS_Lite subform instead of the Custom_JS subform.