Shortcut to Lotus Notes Database on Outlook Custom Ribbon

Question

My work environment has recently moved from Lotus Notes to Outlook, however, we still have many Lotus Notes databases that we use.

A colleague mentioned looking at the possibility of having shortcuts to Lotus Notes databases located in a custom tab in a Ribbon in Outlook 2010.

Now, I've searched high and low for ways to do this. I've tried researching the possibility of placing Macros in this custom tab that are set to open a specific LN database (which are .nsf files).

Can this be done? Can someone please suggest a way I could do this? My experience with Macros is poor, but if someone can point me in the right direction, I will learn it.

Answer 1

In addition to kyze's answer you could use the notes- url syntax. If the notes- client is properly installed, then it will react to urls that are in the format:

notes://Servername/dbname.nsf?Open

or (if the database is in a subdirectory of the data directory

notes://Servername/subdirectory/dbname.nsf?Open

If you want to access a local database, then use

notes:///names.nsf?Open

(this example opens you private addressbook)

Answer 2

It is possible to start notes, and open a database via a shortcut.

So if you are able to launch an .exe via macros/the outlook tile, this could be achieved.

Note: this will obviously start a notes-client, opening a notes-database in the outlook client natively is not possible.

Setting a database to launch using the Notes icon properties

This method allows you to retain a Home page setting, but also to launch a particular database as startup. On the Notes command line, leave a space after the executable name and then specify the path and name of the database. A database on a server can be specified by preceding the database information by the server name followed by two exclamation marks (!!).

For example: C:\Program Files\Lotus\Notes\Notes.exe SERVERNAME!!MAIL1\DBNAME.NSF

via: ibm.com