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Always remember to fill in your subject lines

Andreas Arning, Presented by Lotus Software, IBM Corporation

Andreas Arning works on WebSphere Process Choreographer.

Summary: Never forget to include a subject line again! This tip describes how to create a message prompt to remind yourself to include a subject line in a Notes mail message anytime the Subject field is blank. No experience with the formula language required!

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Date: 03 May 2004
Level: Introductory
Also available in: Japanese

Activity: 3389 views
Comments:

If you don't like receiving mail messages without subject lines, then you may not like sending them either. But sometimes sending an email without a subject line is unintentional. Now you can create a prompt to warn you when you attempt to send a message without a subject line.

Figure 1. Empty subject line prompt

Here's how to create it.

Open Domino Designer.
Open the Memo form. If prompted about changes, accept the warning that this change will be lost when the template is refreshed.
In the Objects tab of the programmer's pane, click the Send (Action).
NOTE: If you cannot edit the Send (Action) in the programmer's pane, go to the Shared Code - Actions view to open the Send shared action instead.

In the formula window, add the following code to the beginning of the formula:

@If(@Trim(Subject)=""|@Trim(Subject)="Re:";
 @If(@Prompt([YESNO];"Empty subject line";
  "This mail does not contain a subject line. Do you want to send it anyway?");
  "";
 @Do(@Command([EditGotoField];"Subject");@Return("")));
"");

Save the new formula.
In the Objects tab of the programmer's pane, click the Send and File (Action).
NOTE: If you cannot edit the Send and File (Action) in the programmer's pane, go to the Shared Code - Actions view to open the Send and File shared action instead.
In the formula window, add the preceding code to the beginning of the formula.
Save the new formula.
Save and close the form.

Figure 2. Send (Action) formula

You can repeat this for the Reply and Reply/History forms (although an empty subject line is the result from the sender in these cases). Follow the earlier instructions.

Additional comments:

This modification only prompts you when a message does not contain a subject; it does not prevent you from sending a message without one. Click Yes in the message prompt to send the message without a subject line. Click No to stop from sending the messaging. The message remains open in edit mode. Complete the subject line, and then click Send.
If you decide not to send the message, the cursor is positioned in the subject line.
Advanced users can place this code snippet further down in the formula after the code snippet for empty lists of addressees rather than the beginning of the formula.

For other Notes mail related information, see the following tips and article:

About the author

Andreas Arning works on WebSphere Process Choreographer.

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