Lotus Applications Barcode Tutorial

LotusScript functions are designed to support IDAutomation's barcode fonts. The macros, functions and LotusScript source code provided in the download are free to use as long as the macros, functions and source codes are used with IDAutomation barcode fonts. The LotusScript code has been tested with Lotus Notes / Domino Designer versions 4, 5, 6 and 7 and Lotus Approach 9.5 and should be compatible with later versions of these products as well. The download contains working examples.

• Lotus Notes Barcode Tutorial
• Approach Barcode Tutorial
• LotusScript Function List
• Importing Barcode Methods into the Shared Script Library

• Download the LotusScript Barcode Functions for Lotus Notes and Approach
• Visit the Barcode Fonts page for a complete list of IDAutomation barcode fonts available for purchase and download.

Choose the correct barcode font for the barcode field; make sure it is centered in the box with some white space before and after the barcode.

Method 2 - Using LotusScript:
This method is only recommended for advanced Lotus Notes / Domino developers. Code128 and other more complicated barcodes require a LotusScript event and a LotusScript function. See the Lotus Script in the barcode database example for an illustration of how to implement these barcodes. In this database example, the LotusScript code that formats the Code128 field is located in the "QuerySave" Event of the form.

The LotusScript for the function that formats the text to the barcode font is "Code128b" in the "Globals" definition for the form in this example. These must be imported from IDAutomation's file of LotusScript Functions. In Notes 4.5, there is a limit of how many functions that can be placed here so copy and paste only the functions needed. In Notes 7, right click and choose Import, select the file named "IDAutomationLS.lss" which is provided in the LotusScript download package and skip steps 1 and 2 below.

1. Open the IDAutomationLS.lss file with a text editor. Copy everything in the declarations section at the top of the file into the declarations event.
2. Then copy the functions needed from the IDAutomationLS.lss LotusScript file into the "Options" event. After this the functions will appear as an event in (Globals).

Add the LotusScript source code for the QuerySave event:

This code does the following:

1. Retrieves the data field.
2. Calls the function to format the barcode.
3. Saves the result to a field on the form during the save process.

For example:

Sub Querysave(Source As Notesuidocument, Continue As Variant) 
  Dim uiDoc As NotesUIDocument
  Dim uiWorkspace As New NotesUIWorkspace
  Set uiDoc = uiWorkspace.CurrentDocument
  'call the function to format the data from field SSN and save it to field Method2SSN
  Call uiDoc.FieldSetText("Method2SSN", Code128(uiDoc.FieldGetText("SSN"),0,0))
End Sub

Install the appropriate barcode fonts before the application can display or print them. For instructions, please refer to the font installation procedures.

1. Create a new field in the database to place the barcode in.
2. Choose Field Properties - Basics - Field Definition - Options.
3. Then enter the formula in the Modification Formula box.
4. Choose the correct barcode font for the barcode field; make sure it is centered in the box with some white space before and after the barcode.

To copy the functions into a database:

Click the Object drop down box and browse to the field that contains the data to encode in the barcode.

Click the script drop down box and choose Change. Enter the following source code for the change event, changing the function name for the barcode (in this case the function is Code128b) and changing "DataField" and "BarcodeField" to the names of the fields in the database.

Choose File - Save Scripts. Return to the database file.

NOTE: When selecting the font from the pull down menu, please do not use the fonts that begin with the "@" Symbol. Instead, scroll down in the list and select the ones that begin with "IDAutomation".

For all functions listed below, the DataToEncode is the string data type. Other data types, such as numbers or dates, may need to be converted to the string data type to be properly encoded. All parameters are required. For example, use Code128("123456", 0, 1) instead of Code128("123456"). For all number symbologies, such as POSTNET and UPC, dashes or spaces may be inputted for easier readability which will be filtered out by the function before the barcode is generated. For UPC-A, UPC-E & EAN-13, the +2 and +5 add-on codes may be created by adding the data to the end of the string.

* NOTE: Interleaved 2 of 5 fonts dated May 1, 2001 or later must be used for Interleaved 2 of 5 functions. Code 128 fonts dated December 2000 or later MUST be used for Code 128 functions.

The barcode functions may be easily imported into the shared script library. For example, in Domino Designer 7 perform the following:

1. Choose Shared Code - Script Libraries.
2. Select New LotusScript Library.
3. After the Option Public statement, right click and choose Import.
4. Select the file named "IDAutomationLS.lss" which is provided in the LotusScript download package.

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