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I am trying to programmatically generate lotusscript (in a form of a scriptable button) from a web application (Java EE) and send it to an end-user who will then run it in his/her Lotus Notes client.

How can I achieve this? Is there an API for me to use in order to embed lotusscript in an email?

Arjan Tijms
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ccjx
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    You can do this ONLY if the mail will be sent through Domino server. If it passes-through any internet server it will remove all lotus-specific things. F.e. your application may connect to a database on Domino server, create mail and send it. – pstr Jan 29 '13 at 08:51
  • @pstr Unless you use my solution - sending the URL for the user to click. – David Navarre Feb 02 '13 at 16:28
  • @DavidNavarre You described one of the ways how to "connect to a database on Domino server, create mail and send it". – pstr Feb 02 '13 at 19:47
  • @pstr Ah, you're right. I described how to solve the underlying problem of executing LotusScript code from an email generated in Java EE - by not including the code in the email. – David Navarre Feb 04 '13 at 16:22

3 Answers3

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Here is an idea. I haven't tried it and am not certain that it will work:

  1. Create form with a LotusScript button in Domino Designer and set to be stored in the document
  2. Create a document with that form
  3. Export the document as DXL (Domino XML)
  4. In your Java EE application use ncso.jar to import the DXL (you can modify the LotusScript in the XML first as needed)
  5. Email the document using Document.send(). When connected to Domino server with CORBA/IIOP, I think this should work.

Update

You might be able to skip the DXL part and just modify the LotusScript in the document item. I understood that you have to modify the LotusScript for each recipient. If not then everything is much easier (see Richards answer).

Arjan Tijms
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Panu Haaramo
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  • Thanks Panu, I am looking into your solution, and Richard mentioned that sending it via CORBA/IIOP will have an unsigned issue. Is it possible to get it signed so that the users will not have issues with that? What do I need to get it signed? – ccjx Jan 29 '13 at 19:13
  • I think it will be signed by the user name you use. Then it depends on Notes Client ECL settings what that user name can do when running code in their Notes client. – Panu Haaramo Jan 29 '13 at 19:24
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Rather than trying to embed a button, I would consider taking advantage of the 'stored form in document' feature of Notes.

I.e., using Domino Designer I would manually create a database (I'll call it "MyDb.nsf" for convenience). Create a form in this database ("MyForm" for convenience) and set it up with the required fields for an email message (SendTo, Subject, Body, etc.). Then create a button on the form and enter the LotusScript code.

With this done in advance, your code can take advantage of the optional attachForm parameter in the Document.send() method.

What you would do is open MyDb.nsf in the usual way, then use Database.createDocument() to create your document in that database, then use Document.ReplaceItemValue("Form","MyForm") to bind this document to your form. Also set the other Items (e.g., Subject, SendTo, Body) as needed, and when you're all done call Document.send(true). This will embed your form in the document and send it, so the LotusScript code will travel in the embedded form that is sent with the message.

I think this might be the best method for you, because I think that this will preserve the signature on the form when it embeds it. I'm not sure about that, but on the other hand I'm much more certain that any other way of sending with CORBA/IIOP will give you an unsigned script (because CORBA/IIOP has no access to the private key needed to sign the document). And an unsigned script will mean that your users get ECL warnings when they execute it -- and that could result in them adding an entry to their ECL to permit unsigned scripts, and that's a bad security practice.

Richard Schwartz
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  • Thanks Richard, however I would need the process to be automated, so I don't think I will be able to use this method. – ccjx Jan 29 '13 at 19:09
  • @ClarenceCai This can be automated too. This is basically the same as my suggestion without the extra step of modifying LotusScript. – Panu Haaramo Jan 29 '13 at 19:26
  • @PanuHaaramo I see.. I will check into that as well. My apologies Richard, I am new to development in the Lotus suite. – ccjx Jan 29 '13 at 19:45
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    Yes, assuming that you are not custom-generating LotusScript every time, you can easily automate this process after you create the database, form and button once. And honestly, I would not recommend generating customized LotusScript for each user or each email that you need to send. Instead, I would recommend writing one script that reads hidden fields from the form to control what it does. Then your 'customizations' would simply be a matter of setting the values in the hidden Items when you generate new messages to be emailed. – Richard Schwartz Jan 29 '13 at 20:16
  • Just be aware that "Stored form in document" will require X.509 set up if the document goes to an external email address, otherwise you will get encryption errors. The external receiving user will need a copy of your public signature and must have it allowed to execute code as well (assuming they are using Notes). – Simon O'Doherty Jan 30 '13 at 10:52
  • Since he's sending LotusScript, it's a good bet the recipient has Notes ;-) Anyhow, design Notes are not signed with X.509. They are signed with Notes PKI. For an external user, the message would have to be tunneled through SMTP as an encapsulated NSF (encap.ond) file. (I presume there's a flag item to control that.) The receiving Notes client would recognize the encap.ond file, extract the note, and validate signature by standard Notes PKI. The recipient would need to cross-certify the signer's Notes ID (or the senders O or OU certifier ID) in order to validate the signature. – Richard Schwartz Jan 30 '13 at 12:25
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Another option is to embed a URL to open a Page design element with your code (or a call to the agent) in the QueryOpen, so it runs when the page opens.

Notes://myserver.mycompany.com/utilities.nsf/MyTaskLauncher?OpenPage

I'm not sure if it could pass parameter values or if you have to rely on the user's credentials to determine the proper information.

Advantages:

  1. Code resides in one location, so I can update it if I find out there was a bug in the original version.
  2. Minimal manipulation of the user's mail file with stored forms.
  3. Smaller email message, since I don't have to send along form information.
  4. Easier to build a simple string in Java EE than the higher-powered solutions.
  5. The agent can either use the signing ID or run with the user's credentials.
  6. Can be sent to any email address, so long as the recipient has a Notes client.
David Navarre
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    This gives "Operation not currently implemented" to me. Are you able to run an agent with Notes URL? – Panu Haaramo Jan 31 '13 at 16:15
  • @PanuHaaramo Oops! I'd assumed it would work in Notes, since it works on the web. I will change the answer to "put it in the QueryOpen of a Page design element". – David Navarre Feb 02 '13 at 16:20