Setting missing Names, Readers, Authors fields with Formula Language i.o LotusScript

Abstract

Administrators and designers alike commonly assume @Formula language does not permit to define Authors, Readers or Names fields within forms or subforms. This document demonstrates such is false and documents how you can achieve such.

Context

It happens design misses are discovered during staging or production phases, When such problems occur designers, but sometimes administrators too, generally resort to LotusScript to create Authors, Readers or Names fields in order to quickly fix editor or reader access failures.

Assume a fictitious « Person » form misses a « grantedReaders » field to function properly. First thing is to fix this faulty form with the appropriate field and associated values. While future documents will function appropriately, previously created documents can be fixed as follows :

1. Create a new form called « fix | Person » simply holding the missing field plus its default/computed values.
2. Create a « fix » view listing all Person documents but displaying the newly created « fix » aliased form. Make sure that view holds a column detailing « grantedReaders » information, although not required this column will illustrate @Formula magic. 
3. Create an new agent running @Command([ToolsRefreshSelectedDocs]) on selected documents
   .. and you're almost done

Select Person documents created in the past and run the agent. Once refreshed, « fix » view makes newly created values visible. You can make sure recalculated Person documents hold adequate SUMMARY and READER_NAMES fields selecting document property.