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	What is LotusScript? Answer LotusScript offers the following benefits to Notes users: Superset of BASIC Since LotusScript is a superset of the BASIC language, it is easy to learn, especially for Visual Basic users. You can write sophisticated scripts using conditions, branches, subroutines, while loops, and other conventions. Cross-Platform LotusScript is a multi-platform BASIC-like scripting language. Major platforms are supported, such as Windows, Macintosh, OS/2, and UNIX. Scripts developed on Windows will execute unchanged on Macintosh, OS/2,UNIX, or any other supported platform. This portability is important as desktop applications become workgroup-enabled and documents are e-mailed to or shared by users of heterogeneous machines throughout the world. Object-oriented Notes Releases 4 and beyond provide Notes Object Classes that are available to LotusScript. You can write scripts to access and manipulate these objects. The scripts are event-driven, such as by an action, clicking the object or button, opening a document, or opening a view. Included in Lotus Applications Since LotusScript is supported by all the Lotus products, these products are able to access Notes classes using a Notes-supplied LotusScript extension. Another advantage is that you only need to learn one language to become proficient in writing scripts in other Lotus products. OLE Support Notes can be the perfect container for SmartSuite documents and other OLE-enabled applications, such as Microsoft Office. You can use external OLE 2.0 automation objects by scripting them, such as 1-2-3 worksheet objects. Notes registers itself as an OLE automation server. External applications can use these objects in scripts to create and reference them. LotusScript can combine all the parts and provide the means for controlling and manipulating objects. Coexistence with Notes @Functions Lotus continues to support @Functions. LotusScript works well with them. Integrated Development Environment The LotusScript Integrated Development Environment (IDE) provides an easy-to-use interface to create, edit, and debug scripts, and to browse variables and properties of classes. This IDE allows you to write more complex scripts in Notes. LotusScript libraries LotusScript allows function and class libraries to be created in the language and reused by other applications or Lotus products via the USE statement language extension. Extendable through LSXs LotusScript allows users to create their own classes and objects, called LotusScript extensions (LSXs). No special tools or toolkits are required - it's just part of the language. Users need only learn one high-level language for developing business solutions. LotusScript classes support single inheritance, constructors/destructors, and method overriding. This functionality allows users to reap the benefits of object-oriented programming, and to rapidly prototype their own custom business objects. Attachments -none- Applies to versions 4.x; 5.x; 6.x; 7.x FAQ Provided By Notes411 Credit