At IamLUG and UKLUG, I did a session called "Free Your Data" that discussed various methods of importing and exporting data to/from Lotus Notes. Here is the sample database from that session:
It's got Java and LotusScript agents with examples of using CSV, ODBC, XML, JSON, OLE, and Web Services to import and export data. There is also a page with an example of using the Bluff JavaScript graphing library.
Way back in 2004, I posted an LS2J example database to demonstrate how to call Java from LotusScript using the LS2J technology that was new [at the time] in Lotus Notes 6.
I've recently had a few e-mail questions regarding that code, so after 5 years of letting that database gather dust I made some updates to the code to fix the following problems:
Made the ProgressBar and StatusBox classes explicitly public, to avoid java.lang.InternalError exceptions that occured in later versions of the Notes client when trying to access the public member variables.
Made a minor adjustment to the image thumbnail threading example in the JpgImage agent, to avoid exceptions that were thrown in Notes 7 and higher when you try to reuse a Java thread instead of recreating it.
Added the ImageResizer class and example, to use code from Chris Campbell to provide MUCH better image resizing quality than I had in the old the JpgImage class. The new ImageResizer class also uses Java ImageIO classes for support of more image file types (see the "About This Database" doc for more information).
Some part of me judges conferences based on how much sleep I get while I'm there. Less sleep == better conference, using the logic that I want to stay up late to spend time with the great people who are there but I also want to get up early to be at the conference itself. Based on that criteria, UKLUG is quite possibly the best conference I've ever been to.
And to be clear (just so that's not interpreted as some conniving back-handed compliment) even ignoring the Julian-sleep-scale, I think that UKLUG last week was an incredible show.
Warren and Kitty Elsmore -- probably the most thoughtful people on the entire planet -- headed up the organization of this very well executed event, and I can't begin to imagine how much work it was. From the opening session with Lotus GM Bob Picciano and demo-man Ron Sebastian, to the technical sessions, to the welcome reception Scottish ceilidh, to the closing session where vendors gave away everything from iPods and iPhones and Blackberries to a trip to Nice, it all ran smoothly.
I will now and forever associate "potato famine" with ordering chips (french fries) from room service at 4:00 AM.
Bill Buchan's dad was the very talented fiddle player in the Scottish ceilidh band on Thursday night. I laughed when he told me that someone asked "Which one is he?" (yes, it was obvious).
Very good to see IBM well represented at UKLUG, and I finally got to meet the mighty Darren Adams.
Rob Novak makes a good (albeit quite social) hotel roommate, especially since he ordered "the big room".
Do not attempt to stand between a group of women and a cafe called "Chocolate Soup".
I really need to find some way to get Steve McDonagh to Lotusphere.
As always when I make these sorts of lists, I feel bad that I didn't mention every single one of the many, many people I got to meet and otherwise spend time with. But, oh well.
