Folders/groups(UIQ)<->MPE<->Address books (Thund

[sboom]

In UIO mobiles it's possible to group contacts either through folders or groups; in Thunderbird with different address books.

If we use synchronization I understand that MPE doesn't keep/ take track of any of them: it synchronizes ALL the contacts on the phone with ONE address book.

Any trick/work around to avoid this and leverage the functionality that both UIQ and TB offer ?

If there aren't any do you plan a future release with this enhancement ?

[FJ]

Its not possible to read/write the contactfolders from the phone

[sboom]

My apologies. I Knew, reading the forum, that (unfortunately) both folders and groups are not shown outside the phone. I was wondering if there is a workaround.

I was "hoping" that MPE would synchronize only the "active" folder on the phone. In such a case I would have created a dummy user for each folder but:
1) MPE sync ALL the contacts in the phone
2) every user is linked to the IMEI, that means that every user must be real and not virtual/dummy.

Do you have any idea/suggestion ?

[FJ]

You could set exceptions in Menu-File-Settings-Sync-Advanced-Exceptions

Maybe it helps you to solve the problem

[sboom]

I haven't thought about that, thanks. If I find something that could be of general interest I'll report back on the forum

[sboom]

It is almost possible to map folders in a UIQ phone with several address books in Thunderbird (I believe everything applies also for groups but I haven't tested it).

Could you please clarify how MPE acts in point 6) ?

Here it is the solution I've found so far:

1) select in MPE (File->Options->Sync->Contact Advanced) the address books that you want to synchronise
2) MPE must be seen as a sort of bridge; we'll find in there all together every contact we have (not grouped in folders or anything else)
3) folders in the phone AND address books in TB must be already populated before starting the first sync
4) contacts modified either in any TB address book or in any UIQ folder will be correctly synchronised
5) contacts created in any TB address book will be created in the "unfilled" folder in the phone with the synchronization; it will be easy to move them in the appropriate folder after the sync
6) contacts created in any UIQ folder will be created in XXXXXXXXXX address book in TB with the synchronization

[FJ]

If MPE adds new contacts in TB then always the first selected addressbook will be selected for this action

[sboom]

If I've well understood MPE takes the first selected address book in the list shown in the window File->Options->Sync Contacts Advanced.

Unfortunately the address books appear in a random order (not even how they are listed in the file PREFS.JS in the Thunderbird profile's directory); is then difficult/impossible to create a "ad hoc" address book to use as a target for the new contacts added by MPE in the synchronization (which name should I give to the address book to have it at the top of the list ?).

Would it be possible for you to list the address books in alphabetical order?

Any other suggestion to reach the goal?

[FJ]

I don't think that alphabetical order has sense. It would be better to list them by usage - the standard-phonebook should be stand as first option. I will talk to my addon-developer about this.

[sboom]

Thanks for your prompt reply but, based on what you answered, I see that I've not been good to explain myself. Let me try to be more synthetic and clear and I thank you in advance for your attention:

- MPE COULD support very well the synchronization among several folders on the phone with several address books on Thunderbird
- MPE is already well synchronising modified contacts existing both on the phone AND in Thunderbird
- all the contacts present in TB but not in the phone and therefore created by the synchronization in the phone are stored in the "UNFILLED" folder that could act as a warehouse
- all the contacts present in the phone but not in TB and therefore created by the synchronization in TB should be stored in a SPECIFIC address book in TB in order to act as a warehouse and mirror the behavior of the previous point.
- you're telling me that those contacts are added in the first TB's address book selected in MPE to be synchronised

- then the MPE user should exactly know the criteria MPE uses to rank the address books and MUST BE ABLE TO MANAGE those criteria.

If you order the address books by usage is difficult/impossible for the user to devote a particular address book to be the warehouse for the new contacts. If the address books are i.e. in alphabetical order a user can create an address book with name "0----" knowing that it will be on top of the list and thus it will be used to store the new contacts.



PS1 could you please tell me which are the current criteria used by MPE to order the address books ?

PS2 I hope that is clear that my intention is to cooperate to add a feature that could be of general interest, I don't want to bother you and I have clear in my mind that we must anyhow thank you for a product that is free !!!

[FJ]

If i have time for it maybe i'll add a "Standard-Folder" selection like for the calendar-sync.

MPE lists the folders in the way it gets them from the addon. The standard-folder is moved to top. I don't know in which criteria the folders are currently enumerated - i'm not the Addon-developer. The User "NP" does this job. I think 99% of the users sync only one addressbookfolder with the phone so its not really a critical thing

[sboom]

OK, loud & clear, thanks

[NP]

I'll look into it. The addressbook code is very old - I think currently the address books are enumerated in the internal order of thunderbird (which is probably the order in which they were created).

PS: The addressbook code will be reworked soon anyway, because Thunderbird 3 will change the addressbook API drastically...