The DP document is saved as an object in a Notes document, usually indicated by a large thumbnail icon on the first page of the DP document. Clicking on it opens the entire document in a Common Ground Viewer. Notes can act as a front end, a back end or middleware to other products as well as function as an independent application. Users comfortable with Notes may access data from other sources more easily if they can do it from within the Notes environment. Sybase Inc. The data appears to be in a Notes document, but a live link between the external data and Notes enables users to query other databases in real-time.
Notes provides the framework for viewing or editing the data as well as adding new documents.
OfficeLink for Lotus Notes by Brainstorm Technologies Inc. will transform Notes into a back-end data repository. The product enables Microsoft Word or Excel users to work in either application but to save and retrieve their documents in a Notes database without launching Notes. This approach is advantageous for people who use Notes mainly for its replication and distribution capabilities but work infrequently in the Notes environment. Data can be pulled from more than one source, and an executable program can be developed for run-time use. The import file can be saved and reused, and it will not overwrite existing duplicate files.