APPLICATION DESIGN

Creating links
Example

You can create text or graphic links that users click on to navigate to other parts of an application or to external sites on the Web. In the properties box, you can set how the link displays to users. You can use a different color text for text links, or a hotspot around a graphic that shows when a user moves the mouse over it. IBM® Lotus® Domino(TM) converts these links to Hypertext links on the Web.

To create a Named Element link

To link to a design element, create a Named Element link. Named elements are:


When you link to a named element, the link references the element's name. Any change in the name of the element will break the link. Whenever possible, create aliases for design elements. If the design element has an alias, the link will be maintained as long as the alias does not change.

There are two ways to link to a named element. You can copy and paste, or you can use the Link Properties box.

To copy and paste a link

1. Select the design element you want to link to.

2. Choose Edit - Copy as Link - Named Element.

3. Select the text or graphic that will serve as the link and choose Create - Hotspot - Link Hotspot.


4. At the Hotspot Info tab, click the Paste icon.

5. (Optional) Enter a target frame for the link.

6. (Optional) Select "Show border around hotspot." (Not supported on the Web.)

To create a link using the properties box

1. Select the text or graphic that you want to serve as the link.

2. Choose Create - Hotspot - Link Hotspot.

3. On the Hotspot Info tab of the Hotspot Resource Link Properties box, select Named Element as the type of link.

4. Select the type of Named element you want to link to and do one of the following:

5. (Optional) Enter a target frame for the link.

6. (Optional) Select "Show border around hotspot." (Not supported on the Web.)

To create a link to a document, view, anchor, or database

Hotspot links are more stable than traditional HTML links because they do not reference file names; rather, they reference the unique internal ID of the element. If the name of the linked item changes, the link remains valid.

To create a link to a document, view, anchor, or database:

1. Open or select the element you want to link to. For database links, you can open the database in either the Notes client or in Designer. For document, view, or anchor links, open or select from the Notes client.

2. Choose Edit - Copy as Link - <type of link>.

3. Select the text or graphic that will serve as the link and choose Create - Hotspot - Link Hotspot.


4. On the Hotspot Info tab, select "Link" for the type.

5. Click the Paste icon.

6. (Optional) Enter a target frame for the link.

7. (Optional) Select "Show border around hotspot." (Not supported on the Web.)

To create a URL link

Use a URL link to create a link based on a URL name. Since this type of link is based on a hard-coded URL name, any changes to the URL break the link.

1. Select the text or graphic that you want to use as the URL link.

2. Choose Create - Hotspot - Link Hotspot.

3. On the Hotspot Info tab of the Hotspot Resource Link Properties box, select URL as the type of link.

4. Enter a full URL (including protocol) for the value. For example:


5. (Optional) Enter a target frame for the link.

6. (Optional) Select "Show border around hotspot." (Not supported on the Web.)

Example
See Also