As mentioned in previous documentation, applications developed using the DXFramework are stored within 'Web Stores', and you create these using the administration client.

Inside these Web Stores, there are different types of 'objects', 'components' , 'configurations' - whatever you wish to call them.

One thing I will quickly mention at this point, your Web Application is accessed via a web browser by simply opening your database as: http://server/path/database.nsf. You can have any type of design element open - Navigator, Form, Component. The key to which one is used is by calling that design element "Default.htm".

I list the design elements available below:

Navigator

Form

Component

Resource

There are also other 'configurations':

Database Link

Attachment Database Link

Record Locking Database Link

Project Category

Constant

I will go through the above one by one and introduce them. The introduction will be brief. Seperate help documentation will be available on each item.

Whilst this is a Web Development tool that tries to look at Domino Web Development from a true 'Web Development' angle first (rather than looking at Web Development from a Domino point of view) its roots are still Domino.

Therefore we have a 'Navigator'. A navigator is exactly what it says on the tin - it helps you to create a Navigation component in your Web Application. This navigator can contain just a single outline - or just an embedded view (or several) and a bit of HTML, a menu - whatever your requirements - simple or complex there is the framework there to get you started.

Again this is very 'Lotus Notes'. The Form is the key component when it comes to creating, viewing, editing data. Basically you assign a Notes Database and an individual form in that database to your 'Form Component'.

You then select which fields you want to use - setup any titles for your fields, help text etc. You can then embed views (or multiple) to your web document - add menus, tabbed tables etc all designed to work perfectly on a web browser - but changable via the simple 'Form Component' interface.

Should you wish, you can create multiple 'Form' elements for each actual form in your Notes database - obviously then you could display different fields, layout, application logic, colours whatever depending on the user.

The Component has always been the hardest element to explain. Its not a Form - however you can have fields which inherit from a Notes Document (although you cannot save back etc), its not a navigator - you can have navigation parts to it - menus, tabbed tables etc.

So I would say a component is a 'widget' or any other similar name. The API mainly consists of components - ie a Date Picker, Name Picker, Attachment Manager, Calendar, Dialog List, Keyword List etc etc - they all serve a purpose.

One of the biggest aim of the Project is to continually develop these components and either distribute them via the API or via third party Resource Web Stores which you can link to your Project Web Store.

This would then provide a huge supply of pre-created web components for domino - that require no development and will slot straight into your applications.

A resource can contain many things. It can be a text file which is CSS, Javascript etc - or can be an attachment for a graphic to be used in your application. Its an easy and tidy way of organising your files.

One of the benefits of the DXFramework is that it is easy to have a single Web Application that uses any number of Notes Databases and seamlessly using them together.

In order to use a Notes Database within your Project, you would simply create a Notes Database Link.

As part of the DXFramework, there is an attachment management system to make using attachments over the web simpler and more flexible/powerful. Should you wish to use this functionality within your project, then you would link to an Attachment Database that has been created from the DX administration tool.

Attachment databases can be shared across projects for simple file management or you can have one per project - whatever the requirements.

Again as part of the DXFramework is automatic record locking over the web. Should you wish to use this feature, than you need to link a Record Locking database to your project. Record Locking databases are created from the DX administrator.

The only other thing you need to do for record locking is to configure your Form by clicking on the Record Locking option.

Project Categories are there to help you organise your work. For example you may have a Contact Management application which consists of Companies, People, Job Information.

Well you then may split your project up into these 3 categories to help manage the development and assign developers to each part.

You create the categories using the Create Category option and then they are selected from within your design Elements - then obviously when viewing your project the elements are categorised accordingly.

This is a part of the Project design (remembering I use this myself for Web Development) which I find very useful. Instead of having settings or text inside of your code, you can create a 'Constant' for them instead - then you have a very easy way of managing and changing these without going into your code.

Future enhancements will be made to these to allow for Language settings - having sets of Constants made active depending on a user profile etc - the possibilities are huge.