[Bitpim-devel] vcard export question

[Peter Dufault]

My main method of hooking up to my cell phone is to just export vcards
from Apple address book and (now that vcard import works great in
bitpim) just import the vcards into bitpim.

That means I use bitpim regularly but don't test all that many features.

If Roger has the time to start importing the Apple address book "photo"
vcard item as a wallpaper, I'll be testing wallpapers on a regular
basis.

Here's my question about cell-phone specific items such as ring tones:
It seems that there are hooks into address book that I don't know
anything about yet that I can use to extend it. If bitpim started
exporting vcards, how would items such as ringtones be exported into a
vcard? I don't think there is a "ringtone" in the vcard spec, but I
think there are arbitrary extensions. Can bitpim use a vcard extension
that I can try to figure out how to hook into address book so that
ringtones could be supported, and so will be better tested?

That will help with test coverage,

Peter

Peter Dufault
HD Associates, Inc.

[Roger Binns]

Post by Peter Dufault
If Roger has the time to start importing the Apple address book "photo"
vcard item as a wallpaper, I'll be testing wallpapers on a regular
basis.

I had intended to do it for this build but won't have the time.

Post by Peter Dufault
If bitpim started exporting vcards,

That is a when, not an "if". I have been working on it sporadically
over the last two weeks and hope to get a significant chunk done this
weekend. (For some reason, us former colonial overlords don't really
see what there is to celebrate over the weekend :-).

Post by Peter Dufault
how would items such as ringtones be exported into a
vcard? I don't think there is a "ringtone" in the vcard spec, but I
think there are arbitrary extensions.

vCard is open in that you can add arbitrary fields, preferably using
X- as a prefix. Since those fields are not specified, they won't
be interoperable.

I want to make it possible to export your BitPim phonebook to vCard
and then read it back in without any information loss. I then expect
to add some other "profiles" such as Apple. (Apple use the wrong
field name for categories for example).

Roger

[Peter Dufault]

Post by Roger Binns

Post by Peter Dufault
If Roger has the time to start importing the Apple address book "photo"
vcard item as a wallpaper, I'll be testing wallpapers on a regular
basis.

I had intended to do it for this build but won't have the time.

Post by Peter Dufault
If bitpim started exporting vcards,

That is a when, not an "if".

If we spoke German I'd have used "Wenn" and not "als" to imply more of
a "When and if", but since I'm not doing any work I didn't want to
specify what will be added to bitpim.

Post by Roger Binns
I have been working on it sporadically
over the last two weeks and hope to get a significant chunk done this
weekend. (For some reason, us former colonial overlords don't really
see what there is to celebrate over the weekend :-).

Post by Peter Dufault
how would items such as ringtones be exported into a
vcard? I don't think there is a "ringtone" in the vcard spec, but I
think there are arbitrary extensions.

vCard is open in that you can add arbitrary fields, preferably using
X- as a prefix. Since those fields are not specified, they won't
be interoperable.
I want to make it possible to export your BitPim phonebook to vCard
and then read it back in without any information loss. I then expect
to add some other "profiles" such as Apple. (Apple use the wrong
field name for categories for example).

So I should try to figure out if (not when) I can add something like
"X-ringtone" to address book in anticipation of something like that
being done by bitpim in it's vcard export for ringtones, correct?

Peter

Peter Dufault
HD Associates, Inc.

[Roger Binns]

Post by Peter Dufault
So I should try to figure out if (not when) I can add something like
"X-ringtone" to address book in anticipation of something like that
being done by bitpim in it's vcard export for ringtones, correct?

My preference for syncing is to use the official APIs and mechanisms
provided by the tool. I don't know how the Apple internals work
but if what you suggest is the way I'd be happy.

Note that I am expecting to have specific targets for the vCard
export anyway so there is no issue generating something specific.
The other issues to consider are things like how to add speeddial
information for a phone entry.

Roger