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Thu 17 Sep 2020, 02:45 PM
 
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I'm spending the week talking about Exciton Boost's features and some comparisons with Domino Access Services. Today, I'll talk about rich text rendering to HTML. It doesn't sound sexy, and you may think it is just about looks, but data is at stake here, so pay attention.
 
  • Key Concept: Content delivered should be the same content requested,
  • Differentiator: Exciton Boost uses the Midas engine for rendering, providing the most accurate and highest fidelity available anywhere.
There are multiple rich text to HTML rendering engines in Notes/Domino, and they all have problems. By using the award winning Midas engine foir our rendering, Exciton Boost provides high fidelity HTML that matches the content and look-and-feel of the rich text in Notes. I will show two examples, both fairly common scenarios that exhibit data loss or mangling, and both of which could cause confusion on the client app. These use the Domino Access Services REST API available in Domino 11.0.1.
 
Example 1) Nested List Confusion
 
Nesting in lists in Notes is created by indentation, and people are often sloppy about how much they indent.
 
Question to ask yourself when looking at the results of each. Is point D "Legal" or "Benefits"?
 
 
Nested List Confusion - What it looks like in Notes 11.0.1 client
 
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Nested List Confusion - What it looks like after GET from Domino Access Services 11.0.1
 
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Nested List Confusion - What it looks like after GET from Exciton Boost 4.5.0
 
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Example 2) Form Elements
 
Whether through forwarding or RenderToRTItem or define a field as rendering the parent document, it has always been quite common to see "form elements" such as radio buttons and combo boxes in rich text fields. Many applications even use this as part of the workflow. So, while the look of the tables is notably different, try to ignore that and focus more on the data
 
Questions to ask yourself when looking at the results of each: What is the value next to "Product"? Is this "Chargeable?" Is a Reminder Needed?" What is the "Status"? These vital pieces of information should be discernible from the HTML generated, no matter what the appearance. 
 
 
Form Elements - What it looks like in Notes 11.0.1 client
 
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Form Elements - What it looks like after GET from Domino Access Services 11.0.1
 
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Form Elements - What it looks like after GET from Exciton Boost 4.5.0
 
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There are many more examples of data loss, corruption, obscuring, and that is even before considering the professionalism of the rendered rich text.
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==> Request a free Exciton Boost evaluation license, and we'll send you the license and a link to the software as soon as it is released. <==
 
 

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