Ideal Field format for Vcard Export?

[Peace Freak]

I don

[SteveB]

See web page

If you use a plugin, like the Troi Files, you could create an output file in VCard format without having to change your internal structure at all. You also could create a calculation that would create multiple VCard records.

Steve

[Peace Freak]

Thanks Steve,

I will try Troi Files and see if I can get it to work for me.

However, as I am planning to update my FileMaker database and possibly make it relational to cut down on unused space, I would like to make sure I get the fields in a standardized format so that it will from then on will be easy to sync and exchange data between different systems and programs.

So, I would like to know what is the ideal format for the data, if there is such a thing? Apple

[SteveB]

I don't think there is anything such as a standardized format. While I don't know what the Apple Address Book looks like, I'd bet it doesn't resemble the Palm address book which I believe has about 15 fields.

You should, as everybody who uses a relational database should, make his solution 'relatable'. But this has little to do with synching with an external source. I have an address book that has in excess of 50 fields, which I couldn't get rid of to match the Palm address book.

You can simply translate your field names to match the field names of the end applications. It's a one-time job. The bigger issue for me is developing a synching technique, which is much more complex.

Steve

[Fenton]

vCard is a weird "standard." It's flat. But it is also flexible. It's difficult to deal with, because it can have more than one of many things, but it does not have empty "slots" when one is missing (unlike a FileMaker export to a tab or .csv file).

It was a format developed before the far more intelligent XML. Personally I wish they would use XML. But since vCard is more compact than XML, and often used on small devices, I doubt it'll happen any time soon.

Basically you're going to need help. I've seen a few downloads that do some of this. But never one that appeared to do all of it: vCard import and export, as well as synchronization with Address Book and other vCard applications.

There's a couple sharewares at VersionTracker. A recent one, vCard Manipulator ($49) (Mac & Windows) appeared to do much of what you want. An earlier FileMaker vCard Creator (donationware, $10+) did much of it, but via a vCard text export (which you'd then have to process, via AppleScript or manually to your other apps).

Neither explicitly stated that they do "synchronization" with Address Book. I found this small app which says that it does, FM2AB ($10), at: http://econtact.slade.de/en/

It uses AppleScript (so it would be Mac only) and FileMaker files. It doesn't explicitly mention vCard, so it may use pure AppleScript instead (it's actually easier to access Address Book via AppleScript than using vCard; but it may not be as fast).

There's also a vCard XSL file on FileMaker's XML page. It works, but it's somewhat basic, and would require some skill (and time) to expand; not too mention sychronization (via XSL? Yikes!).

[Fenton]

More. For a little more ($60 each), this Mac OS X (10.3.2 and up) Address Book Manipulator plug-in looks like it might be the fastest synchronization tool for Address Book:

http://www.productivecomputing.com/index.html

It has a v.7 version.

There are separate ones for OS X MS Entourage and Windows Outlook ($99 each!)

One thing I believe you'll find is that while syncronization is possible via either AppleScript or vCard, there is always a speed factor, especially with large files.

Here's another ($25) application which does synchronization:

http://www.minibuero.ch/adrexchange/index_e.html

It's not v.7 yet.

[Fenton]

Funny, I didn't notice this banner on the Entrance page. We get a 10% discount on Address Book Manipulator:

http://ads.fmforums.com/adclick.php?bann...vecomputing.com

[Peace Freak]

Thank you Steve and Fenton. I guess I will just tackle sync issue once I get my address book in order. Thanks for the many links and sync overview Fenton

As I mentioned in my initial post I kinda went overboard with the number of fields in my DB (believe it or not I have 266!). (Each contact has four separate addresses each with six telephone numbers etc. etc. and a whole lot more) A total waste of space, I know. It is going take a lot of time to get it into order. That is why I wanted to clear up the ideal field format question...

I guess I will be spending much time in the Relationships forum from now on!

Thanks again,

Damien