You can create an unshared action in a view, folder, form, page, or subform to provide one-click shortcuts for routine tasks in a view or document. Actions become part of a design element's design and are not stored with individual documents.

You can also create a shared action in a database that can be used in multiple views, folders, pages, forms, and subforms. Shared actions are stored as shared resources in the database.

To build an action, you can use any of the following:

• Simple actions that you select from a list
• Formulas
• LotusScript
• JavaScript
• Common JavaScript

Because actions are available in a view or document, use them for any general-purpose task related to a group of documents. For example, use actions:

• When Web browsers accessing the database need substitutes for IBM® Lotus® Notes® menu choices.
• To present a shortcut as a clickable button.
• When the automated task is relevant only to a subset of documents.
• When users need to see all the available choices in a row at the top of a document.
• When the automated task isn’t limited to a particular section of a form.
• If formulas are complex and you don’t want to save the formula with each document.

• View actions -- Let users create, print, delete, or categorize documents.
• Form actions -- Process an approval; mail a document; or give Web users, who don’t have access to Notes menus, a way to click to edit, save, or close documents.
• Simulate Notes menus for Web users.
• Automatically send documents to reviewers.
• Automatically process employee requests.

Some views and forms in databases contain system actions, available either in the Actions menu, as buttons, or both. You can’t change the "System actions" functionality, but you can customize their appearance in the action bar. Open the view or form. Click Objects and the system actions are displayed in the list.

Example
See Also

Action bar
Creating and inserting shared actions
Creating a form, subform, page, or view action
Adding automation to applications

Glossary