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How do you lock a document that is being edited?

Eric Koeler has written a set of functions for doing this in Notes 4.x. You can grab the code and a code sample at his web site. The Lotuscript code works by adding a lock field to the document the user wishes to edit and then immediately saving the document; when other users try to open the document, they will see that there is a lock field so they cannot edit the document.
This technique will only work if the database is on a single server (no replication). There is also a small chance for a race condition if two users manage to read a document simultaneously without the lock. Finally, if the user's system crashes while editing this locked document, the document will remain locked unless you implement some sort of emergency unlock mechanism.


Applies to Notes Versions: 4 4.5 4.6 5
Last Modified: August 4, 1997
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