MPE sync

Anmeldedatum: 10.11.2014 Beiträge: 16

In the past (several years ago), I had some problems with MPE sync, including losing some entries, but otherwise MPE was very useful, but then I stopped using MPE when migrating to new Android phones, which needed lots of attention and other actions.

I intend to start using my MPE again, but fear of losing data irretrievably looms for me, now, including after reading some recent Forum posts about such problems.

Basically, there are several 'levels' to the problem: I think the 'basis' of everything here are the Android system's "My Calendar" and "Contacts" DBs, but in my phone there are 'frontend' apps for these functions ("aCalendar" and "DWContacts", which I think you're somewhat familiar with), which allow entry (and storage) of data 'beyond' the basic DBs, but I don't know how this 'extra' information is preserved (since it remains after editing the calendar & contact data.

Basically, it seems there may be 'extra data' about contacts and calendar in both 'levels', and using MPE might add a third layer, during editing and, mainly, in "Sync"? For example:

- I apply a 'display formatting' to phone #s which is easier for me in my location and usage; I suppose this stays only in "aCalendar", and isn't incorporated in Android's "My Calendar" DB - but, if I open this item in MPE for editing, and then synchronize it back to my phone, will "aCalendar" apply the formatting to the edited phone #, or perhaps just discard it as an 'error'?

- In some contact cards, I have LOTS of data in the 'Notes', which is important for me to keep there; analogously, I imagine any text over the Android limit (1000 characters?) will remain in "DWContact" and, if I edit this card in MPE and then sync it back to the phone, what will happen?

I have no problem using MPE for backup and lookup functions, but am worried about losing data in 'sync', so if this sort of problem may arise, I'll just use it for those functions only.

Moderator Anmeldedatum: 19.04.2014 Beiträge: 18148

Thank you for starting a new thread!

Regarding formatting:
Please install the latest MPE versions:
1. If you haven't already done so, install the MyPhoneExplorer 2.3
then the MPE beta version
2. Phone MPE-Client beta
I successfully tested the formatting with bold, italics, and underline; that is, the formatting was saved and restored.

Is a third program, such as Outlook, also involved in the sync?

Regarding contact notes:
MPE supports more than 30,000 characters in contact notes and doesn't truncate anything. However, it's known that all Android editors generally only support 1,000 characters. This means that no matter what you change about the contact in the phone (phone number, name, email, etc.), the note is automatically shortened to 1,000 characters.

Anmeldedatum: 10.11.2014 Beiträge: 16

Sorry if I make any mess-up with these posts; I'm not used to them and the 'correct' ways to write and reply.

I see I was not successful in explaining, perhaps partly because I don't know the correct way to describe things.

My main doubt, about which I wanted to get your experienced opinion, was:

Zitat:

Basically, it seems there may be 'extra data' about contacts and calendar in both 'levels', and using MPE might add a third layer, during editing and, mainly, in "Sync"?

What you replied to were just a few EXAMPLES which I thought might help to illustrate this doubt...

Zitat:

Regarding formatting:
I successfully tested the formatting with bold, italics, and underline; that is, the formatting was saved and restored.

When I said "formatting", I meant the 'formatting' which is applied to a phone @ for display: Let's say the # is "5511992370064", which is a cellphone in Brazil. Some like to display this as "+55(11)99237-0064", others as "55(011)9-9237-0064"; both are acceptable as 'display #', and the phone itself knows what it 'means' in terms of making a phone call, but I prefer one of these displays, and a friend may prefer another. I suppose that the Android DB just stores "5511992370064", but I can choose how it will be displayed on the Android Contacts App -- and I can choose the display I prefer when filling out the $ in "DW Contacts", which I assume passes only the relevant digits on to the Android DB -- and in this case my query was if this might be a problem for MPE sync: Would MPE use the Android Db 'format', or the 'display format' I chose?

Zitat:

Is a third program, such as Outlook, also involved in the sync?

As I tried to explain, I only use the Android DB (no Outlook, Google, etc.), but there is a 'front-end app' involved, DW Contact, and that's where I'm afraid probems might appear.

Zitat:

Regarding contact notes:
MPE supports more than 30,000 characters in contact notes and doesn't truncate anything. However, it's known that all Android editors generally only support 1,000 characters. This means that no matter what you change about the contact in the phone (phone number, name, email, etc.), the note is automatically shortened to 1,000 characters.

"It's known", but not to me until now (and I suppose, many users); but your comment shows another aspect of my ignorance: Does this mean that the 'Notes' entered on the phone should stop accepting characters after #1,000 is reached, and one could add other text to the 'Notes' entry in MPE, but that would not be passed to the Android DB, and thus would not be visible on the phone (even using a 'front-end' like DWContact)?

As I said, I (think I) only use the Android DBs for Contacts and Calendar through the 'front-end apps' DW Contact and ACalendar, and that's where I was afraid problems might appear, and was asking for your opinion.

Moderator Anmeldedatum: 19.04.2014 Beiträge: 18148

Regarding the formatting of phone numbers, I did indeed misunderstand you, sorry. The way phone numbers are displayed is indeed very complex in different countries around the world.

alexyu hat Folgendes geschrieben:

...and I can choose the display I prefer when filling out the $ in "DW Contacts"...

I also use DW Contacts, but I'm not familiar with that. Could you explain in more detail where exactly you insert the "$"?
Anyone using our program can easily see how the data is transferred and displayed by testing it beforehand.

alexyu hat Folgendes geschrieben:

Would MPE use the Android Db 'format', or the 'display format' I chose?

MPE uses the Android contact database.

alexyu hat Folgendes geschrieben:

Does this mean that the 'Notes' entered on the phone should stop accepting characters after #1,000 is reached...

You should simply test this on your phone. MyPhoneExplorer, as I already mentioned, has nothing to do with shortening contact notes.

alexyu hat Folgendes geschrieben:

As I said, I (think I) only use the Android DBs for Contacts and Calendar through the 'front-end apps' DW Contact and ACalendar, and that's where I was afraid problems might appear, and was asking for your opinion.

In my opinion, both apps (DW Contacts and aCalendar) are a good choice!

Anmeldedatum: 10.11.2014 Beiträge: 16

Zitat:

I also use DW Contacts, but I'm not familiar with that. Could you explain in more detail where exactly you insert the "$"?

Sorry, I inadvertently misled you: The '$' (no quotes) should have been a '#', but it was dark and I pressed the wrong key: I was using "#" as an abbreviation for "number", as is common. But I found that you can have a wide latitude of ways to display the phone #s (sic!), and they will still be correctly understood by the phone to make calls; the standards for this vary by country, of course (here, e.g., "0" and "00" mean LD and foreign calls, and you can insert a code for the carrier you choose for that call, or omit it). What's interesting is that, if I insert this 'formatting' in the system "Contacts" app (which also is a front-end to the DB, I think), that formatting is picked up and displayed by DWC. The standards for phone calls and WhatsApp are quite different, also, so I frequently enter the # both ways, to help in finding the correct one when in a hurry.

Zitat:

You should simply test this [the phone should stop accepting characters after #1,000 is reached] on your phone.

I saw one contact where the 'Notes' is VERY long, and started to count characters, but gave up after reaching 'around 500', and it was way before 50%, so it seems in this phone there is no 1,000-character limitation -- but that's an exception. I intend to split up such 'long' contacts, just to be safe...

Zitat:

I only use the Android DBs for Contacts and Calendar through the 'front-end apps' DW Contact and ACalendar, and that's where I was afraid problems might appear, and was asking for your opinion.

I'm glad we're both happy about aCal and DWC, but the "opinion" I was asking you about was whether the differences in formatting addded by them might make trouble in MPE sync. Since you already said that:

Zitat:

MPE uses the Android contact database

I suppose there should be no trouble there, then.

Thanks for your help!

Moderator Anmeldedatum: 19.04.2014 Beiträge: 18148

alexyu hat Folgendes geschrieben:

...but I can choose how it will be displayed on the Android Contacts App -- and I can choose the display I prefer when filling out the # in "DW Contacts"...

Please tell me what you enter in the phone field instead of " 55(11)99237-0064" / "55(011)9-9237-0064" and what should not be lost during syncing.

Anmeldedatum: 10.11.2014 Beiträge: 16

Zitat:

Please tell me what you enter in the phone field instead of "55(11)99237-0064" / "55(011)9-9237-0064" and what should not be lost during syncing.

My worry about syncing was that I enter, say, "(011)99237-0064", and Android woud transform that to "551192370064" in its DB, and when MPE compared that to "(011)99237-0064" it would think it's different; but, since you already said that "MPE uses the Android contact database", I assume that means there wouldn't be any problem in the sync.

Moderator Anmeldedatum: 19.04.2014 Beiträge: 18148

The following is also important:
- Which contact account is selected under Phone => MPE Client => Settings => contact-accounts to sync
- Contact synchronization with the Google account should be disabled. - The Google Contacts app (blue figure on a white background) should not be installed as a precaution

Under the following conditions, I just managed to have all contacts moved from my local phone account to my Google account within seconds without any prompts:
1. Synchronization with the Google account was enabled.
2. I used Google's editor via DW Contacts to create a new contact.
In my opinion, Google is also known for changing number formats according to its own preferences.

The safest way is to install our MyLocalAccount app:MyLocalAccount
After installation, the account must also be activated: Phone => Settings => Accounts => Add
Then you should move all your contacts to that one account.

Anmeldedatum: 10.11.2014 Beiträge: 16

Thanks for your proactive help!

Since I don't use my (obligatory) Google Account for contacts (it's turned off for that), I imagine this wouldn't be necessary.

I remember several years back when FJ suggested that, and I even did install the "MyLocalAccount", but it wasn't necessary for anything, back then.

In the phone MPE app, the 'calendar sync' option chosen is just "My Calendar" (the Android default, AFAIK), and all others, including my Google Account, are turned off.

BTW, I wanted to ask you: Is it still a good idea to use a 'signed' copy of V.1.0.48, and NOT the latest release, so the SMS management capabilities of MPE can still be used? That was some years back, but since then I haven't been using it...

Moderator Anmeldedatum: 19.04.2014 Beiträge: 18148

alexyu hat Folgendes geschrieben:

Since I don't use my (obligatory) Google Account for contacts (it's turned off for that), I imagine this wouldn't be necessary.

I'm not sure what you're referring to here?

alexyu hat Folgendes geschrieben:

I remember several years back when FJ suggested that, and I even did install the "MyLocalAccount", but it wasn't necessary for anything, back then.
In the phone MPE app, the 'calendar sync' option chosen is just "My Calendar" (the Android default, AFAIK), and all others, including my Google Account, are turned off.

In my opinion, that's all correct!

alexyu hat Folgendes geschrieben:

Is it still a good idea to use a 'signed' copy of V.1.0.48, and NOT the latest release, so the SMS management capabilities of MPE can still be used?

If you need to be able to delete SMS messages on your phone using MyPhoneExplorer on your PC, unfortunately, this isn't possible with the current MPE client, look => https://www.fjsoft.at/forum/viewtopic.php?t=31155.
Otherwise, it's advisable to use the latest version.

Anmeldedatum: 10.11.2014 Beiträge: 16

Zitat:

I'm not sure what you're referring to here?

I don't allow my Google account to register any data I can avoid; so, none of my contact or calendar (or location, or orders, etc.) data goes to Google, and I have no need to sync anything with it.

Currently, Samsung has a "Dual Messenger" option which I initially thought might be worth it for WhatsApp, but then decided against activating it due to possible duplication complications, and mainly because I suspect this will stop being supported sometime in the future, leaving its users stranded.

Zitat:

If you need to be able to delete SMS messages on your phone using MyPhoneExplorer on your PC, unfortunately, this isn't possible with the current MPE client, look => https://www.fjsoft.at/forum/viewtopic.php?t=31155.
Otherwise, it's advisable to use the latest version.

Thanks for clearing this up: I remebered that, after that Version (1.0.4 Cool

, some SMS functionality of MPE had been cut off, but not WHICH one, so I made a 're-signed' version which is still on my phones. Since I don't need to delete SMS messages on the phone using the PC, I'll now delete that version and install the latest one. Thanks!

Moderator Anmeldedatum: 19.04.2014 Beiträge: 18148

alexyu hat Folgendes geschrieben:

...after that Version (1.0.4Cool, some SMS functionality of MPE had been cut off...

Since this old version doesn't support MMS, I suspect that these were MMS's messages that were no longer being displayed?!

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