Lotus Domino: reports and connectors - Crystal Reports, XML, ODBC/JDBC, OLE

Lotus Notes Domino is very efficient in electronicthe information may be pasted in another application
document workflow automation. Unfortunately the(for ex., MS Excel), and create needed report on this
electronic document workflow can not replace paperdata.
documents completely. For example some documentsThus, as we can see, regular Lotus Notes mechanists
should be sent to your suppliers or customer in papercannot solve all tasks in reports creation. For instance,
form. Lotus Notes (as a client) has built-in tools forusing such the mechanisms it is not possible to create
printing documents, views and folders. But inbuilt Lotushistograms, based on Domino data.
Notes mechanisms providing such services as printingIn order to create full-featured reports in Notes/Domino
on the paper Domino database contents can not solveit is necessary to deploy integration technologies.
all reports generation objectives.Following technologies could be used:
Regular printing mechanisms of Lotus Notes client- Creation in Notes/Domino functionality which loads
allow the following:data into external applications in the required formats. In
- Print one or several documents from Dominothis case developer is limited only by integration
database vis Lotus form. A developer can create themechanisms which are supported by Notes/Domino
form in Domino, which will be used for the printing. In(for ex. XML, ODBC/JDBC, OLE, etc);
simple cases the printing will be correct. If the form is- External application way, pulling data from Notes
complex (for ex. It has many design elements, such asDomino. For example, it may be Crystal Reports;
inbuilt views, sections, etc.), then the problems may- OLE. OLE allows reliable connection to Lotus client
begin to show up (wrong indents, fonts, text imposition,and data extraction and even processing. Author is
etc.);familiar with two successful projects in this field,
- Print data from view, folder in table format. So in thisrealized by IBM business partners. Both use OLE
case developer is very limited in report' s design;technology, which works seamlessly at the Notes
- In Domino R6 two more mechanisms were addedclient side (not on Domino server).
some-how connected with printing:The summary of this article is - Complex reporting of
- automatic preparation for contact information from athe Notes/Domino databases is possible, but usually
document printing (function Contact print). In otherwe see the common needs to go beyond standard
words -information printing from document in envelopebuilt-in printing mechanism, inbuilt in Lotus Notes client.
label form;Good luck in your system setting up and contact us
- copying of selected in view/folder documents intofor any help in USA: 1-866-528-0577, Germany: (0177)
clipboard (menu Edit -> Cope Selected as Table). Later8349 806!