Design Applications Based on Summary/Non-Summary Data Storage

Items can contain summary or non-summary data. Non-summary data is typically rich text data that is very long text, binary data, images, and so on. Summary data (which is all non-rich text data) can appear in views and folders, whereas non-summary data can not.

When certain items are created, they are designated as summary fields by default. This saves time and space, and thus improves performance, when the view indexes are compiling (because only summary items are displayed in views) and/or when the databases are replicating (because users can select to replicate only summary information to local replicas).

When items are created programmatically in a document via the New method of the backend classes NotesItem (LotusScript) or Item (Java), the IsSummary property is set to FALSE by default. This means that the contents of these items will not be displayed in views, even if the field is referenced in a view column formula. For the following types of items, the IsSummary property is set to TRUE:

• Items created with the extended class syntax or the AppendItemValue of NotesDocument (LotusScript) or Document (Java)

• Items created with the ReplaceItemValue method of the NotesDocument (LotusScript) or Document (Java), or items created with LotusScript extended syntax.

When the IsSummary property is set to TRUE, the contents of the item can be displayed in views. Regardless of the default setting, you can explicitly modify this property to appear, or not appear, in a view by modifying the IsSummary property.

For the exam, remember that rich text cannot be displayed in a view. So, the IsSummary property for rich text items (NotesRichTextItem) always defaults to FALSE and cannot be changed.

Using the formula language or simple actions to create items programmatically in a document causes the IsSummary property to default to TRUE, except for rich text items. Likewise, the IsSummary property of items created in a document through a form defaults to TRUE, with the exception of rich text items.