APPLICATION DESIGN
Adding instant messaging to an application
Some Notes applications, such as mail or discussion applications, can benefit from instant message services that allow users who are online at the same time to communicate directly with each other. You can integrate IBM Lotus Instant Messaging in an application to provide this capability. For an example of how instant messaging works in an application, see the Lotus Notes 6.5 mail template. In order for users to use the instant messaging feature, they must be connected to a Lotus Instant Messaging server through their Notes location document.

You can integrate online awareness in forms or views. For example, in the Notes 6.5 mail application, you can see the online status of users listed in the From, To, and CC fields of a mail document. If a user is active, you can click a name and initiate a chat. In the Inbox folder of the Mail 6.5 template you can see the online status for mail senders who are Lotus Instant Messaging users. You can also embed a Lotus Instant Messaging Contact List in a page or form. A user opening the page or form will see their contact list.

Note This feature is not available for Web applications.

For information on enabling online awareness for Names fields, see Enabling a field for instant messaging.

For information on enabling online awareness for views, see Enabling a column for instant messaging.

For information on embedding a contact lists, see Embedding an Instant Messaging Contact List

See Also