This document discusses options for converting LotusScript and @Formula code to SSJS. It begins by introducing the presenter and the topic. It then covers various conversion options like using NotesAgent.run(), search and replace, and dedicated tools. It provides tips for preparing code for conversion through search and replace by refactoring code. It also introduces regular expressions as useful tools. The document then provides examples of converting code elements like Dim statements, If statements, and field handling. It discusses issues like converting data types and user interaction. Finally, it discusses resources for further information.

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The Road to Damascas –
A Conversion Experience:
LS and @Formula to SSJS
2014/03/17– Matthew Fyleman

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 Matthew Fyleman
 21 YearsasaNotes/Domino Developer
 MostlyWorking on:
 Xpagesconversions
 Product development
Who AmI?

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 Based on MyExperiences
 Converting LotusScript and @Formula to
SSJS
 Toolsthat can help – particularly regular
expressions
What isthisTalk About?

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 When should you convert existing
code?
 Conversion Options
 NotesAgent.run() with parameter doc
 Search and Replace
 Dedicated Tools
 Search and Replace
 Preparation
 Introduction to Regular Expressions
 Examplesand Demonstration
 Tipsand Traps
 Dedicated Tools
 Questions
What amI talking about?

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Never!
When should you convert existing code?

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What isthe problem?
 It isalwaysgoing to beslow
 GIGO
 You will introducenew bugs
 Re-developing will bequicker, cheaper and
you will end up with abetter result
 But if you really must ...
When should you convert existing code?

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What are your options?
 NotesAgent.run()
 Quick and Dirty
 Agent must run independently
 Only usewhen agentsareavailableand timeiscritical
 Search and Replace
 LotusScript -> JavaScript (and Java)
 Lessuseful for @Formula
 Dedicated Tools
 @Formula
Conversion Options

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 Search and Replaceismost useful for LSconversion
 Syntacticallysimilar
 Easiest if you do alittlerefactoring first
 Option Declare
 doc.field(0) -> doc.getItemValue(“ Field“ )(0)
 Camel CaseNotesObjects
 MakeSureMethod callsareconsistentlynamed
 Best to Avoid All-In-One-Go
 Function or Sub at aTime
 Variablewith onepurposein onelocation mayhaveadifferent useelsewhere
Converting LotusScript to SSJS- Preparation

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 Regular Expressionsareyour new BFF
 Sophisticated Pattern Matching
 Elementsfromsearch can becarried through to
replace
 TheSearch and Replacebuilt in to DDEcan use
Regular Expressions
 Useful outsideLSconversion (e.g. Validation)
 SeePlanet Lotus- http://planetlotus.org/profiles/ross-swick_97733
Regular Expressions

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 Tidyup first – Option Declare, removeclustering e.g.:
Dimx asInteger,y asInteger,zasInteger
 Wewant to match any variablenamein thepattern:
Dim<var name> As<Anyvalid type>
 Fairly simple:
Dim[ ]+[A-Za-z0-9_]+[ ]+As[ ]+(Integer|String|Boolean|Double|Variant)
 But how do wereplace?
 Modifythesearch:
Dim[ ]+([w]*)[ ]+As[ ]+String
 Usethisfor replace
var 1 = “ ” ;
Starting Simple– DimStatements

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 For NotesObjects, Thingsaresimpler
Dim<var name> AsNotes<rest of object name>
- Ignore... AsNew NotesSession for now
 Also, initialising in SSJS, = null isok:
var <var name>:Notes<rest of object name> = null;
 So our termsare:
 Search:
Dim[ ]+([w]*)[ ]+As[ ]+(Notes[w]*)
 Replace:
var 1:2 = null;
Starting Simple– DimStatements(2)

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 For themost part, simpleS& R(but order isimportant):
End If to }
[ ]*Then to ) {
Else[ ]+If[ ]* to } elseif (
If[ ]* to if (
 But what about:
If (x = 10) Then
 UseSearch: If[ ]+([w()[].<>" ]*)=([w()[].<> "]*)[ ]+Then
 UseReplace: if (1==2) {
 NB: Worksbut not optimal!
 Other comparison operatorsnot aproblem
A bit morecomplex – If Statements

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 Theproblem:
 Session object isglobal in ssjs: ‘session’
 In LSit iscreated:
DimsessAsNew NotesSession
 Need to find all LSsession objects, and replacewith session
 How do you get alist of session object names?
! – session objects
You need a coffee!

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 JavaString Object hasregex search and replace
String source = “Dim x As String”;
String result = source.replaceAll(“Dim[ ]+([w]*)[ ]+As[ ]+String”, “var $1 = “”;”);
 Pattern and Matcher objectsmakethiseven morepowerful
Pattern p = Pattern.compile(pattern);
Matcher m = p.matcher(this.source);
int startPos = 0;
while (m.find(startPos)) {
if (!itemList.contains(m.group(1))) {
itemList.add(m.group(1));
}
startPos = m.end() + 1;
}
Adding Java

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 Similar Issueto Session
 Need to find all document object names, and replacefield handling
methods
 Will probablyneed to handledot notation
 Arrgghh!
 How do you search for dot notation?
<doc name>.([^GetItemValue])([0-9]+)
 Still hard work!
Field Handling

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 Thereareother typesthan string!
 Alwaysreview and test converted codethoroughly
 Datehandling isapain
 Script librariescan help here– Java?
 Watch out for User interaction and particularly dialogues
Work out your strategiesin advance!
Search and Replace– Tipsand Traps

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 In somerespects@Formula -> SSJSiseasier than LS-> SSJS
 @Formula JavaScript Wrappershelp alot
 Mostly just ‘;’ to ‘,’, and converting liststo arrays
 Someconstructionsareobvious:
@SetField(“ Field” , Value);
 Goesto:
doc.replaceItemValue(“ Field” , Value);
 Or
S: @SetField([ ]*([w” ]*)[ ]*,[ ]*([w” ]*)[ ]*);
R: doc.replaceItemValue(1, 2);
 But therearesomeissues...
Converting Formula
@

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 No direct equivalent in SSJSfor *+, *= *>= etc.
when applied to Lists
 Need to plan for this
 JavaClass/Library to providedirect substitute
 Unfortunately, Javadoesnot permit operator
overloading, so hasto beaset of methods
Converting Formula – List Processing
@!

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@If(@Contains(_WFData_neu;_Key);"";
@Do(
@Set("_Sachgebiet_Zuordnung";@DbLookup("NOTES":"NOCACHE";"":_ADM$StructureDB;"Workflows";"WFArbeitsanweisung";"Sachgebietzuordn
ung"));
@If(_Sachgebiet_Zuordnung= "" | !@Contains(_Sachgebiet_Zuordnung;_Key2);@Do(
@Prompt([Ok];"Hinweis";"Inder SystemStruktur VBM wurdefür dasaktuelleSachgebiet kein Workflow definiert. DasDokument wird zumehemaligen
Kompetenzträger zurückgegeben, damit dieser ein neuesSachgebiet auswählenkann.");
@Set("_Kompetenzträger";Bearbeiter1);
@Set("_tmpintern";5)
);
@Do(
@Prompt([Ok];"Hinweis";"Inder SystemStruktur VBM wurdefür dasaktuelleSachgebiet ein neuesSachgebiet konfiguriert. DasDokument wird zum
Kompetenzträger zurückgegeben, damit dieser dasneueSachgebiet auswählenkann.");
@Set("_neues_Sachgebiet";@Left(@Right(_Sachgebiet_Zuordnung;_key2);"||"));
@Set("_Elements";@Elements(@Explode(@Left(@Left(@Right(_WFData_neu;"||Sachgebiet#");"||"); _neues_Sachgebiet)+ _neues_Sachgebiet; "$"
)));
@Set("_KompetenzträgerData";@Explode(@Left(@Right(_WFData_neu;"||Kompetenzträger#");"||"); "$"));
@Set("_Kompetenzträger";@Subset(@Subset(_KompetenzträgerData;_Elements);-1));
@Set("_tmpintern";6)
)
)
)
);
Converting Formula - @If, @Do and @While
@!!!

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 Search and Replacecan beused for @Formula ->
SSJS...
 ... but it can only takeyou so far
 Adedicated parser can go further
 Onlyreal alternativeto manual translation for complex
statements
 Timeconsuming to create
 Still not asilver bullet
Parsers

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 Espresso - http://www.ultrapico.com/Expresso.htm
 Good for learning regex, and seriousregex dev
 Free!
 PowerGREP
 Sophisticated regex filesearch
 Whereregex started (UNIXgrep)!
 Expensive
Dedicated Tools

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 We4IT– www.we4it.com
 OpenNTF– www.openntf.org
 Regex Quick Reference
http://www.night-ray.com/regex.pdf
 Loadsof websitesfor all aspectsof regex development
 Mastering Regular Expressions– JeffreyE.F. Friedl –
O’ReillyPublishing
Resourcesand Information

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Questions?

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matthew.fyleman@we4it.com