Importing to AddressBook

hi, Iv'e tried to import from diverse formats to addressbook:
VSV: numbers, excel, open Office.. hand coded from 4D...
tab-return: numbers, excel open office, hand coded from 4D...
I wasn't able too import from many of those files !!

Hello:
This article describes the formats that may be imported into address book and also the procedures to accomplish importing:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=AddressBook/4.1/en/9152.html
Barry

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Broken AppleScript for tab delimited importing into AddressBook

I have a tab delimited file that is not quite ready to import into AddressBook - it needs some massaging first (field merging, context sensitive edits etc.). A book (OS X Missing Manual) referred me to some AppleScripts used by AddressBook which are located in:
/Library/Scripts/Address Book Scripts/Address Importers
So I modified the "Tab Delimited Text File.scpt" file contained in there to accommodate all of the field merging etc. that I needed to do, but when I run the script it doesn't do anything. In fact, ALL of the scripts in that place just bring up a dialog box describing their capabilities, and then just quit. The book says these scripts work great... Would some kind soul please let me know how to run these scripts so I can point them to a tab delimited text file and do the import. Note that I'm able to figure out how to do my local changes in the AppleScript code, but I'm a total novice in AppleScript itself (but I can program well in other languages). I figure that because none of the scripts in that directory run, the error isn't mine (yet).
Thanks,
Mick

Sorry for the late reply - I had already figured out that the scripts were subroutines, but also thought they might run solo (they didn't). Another surprise was that the parent routine (/Library/Scripts/Mail Scripts/Import Addresses.scpt) was hard coded to call the children scripts in the Mail directory instead of the Address Book directory. I'm not clear if that's a bug on Apple's side...
Anyway, I got it all working. The import procedure was excruciating slow - it took well over an hour! The next time I get an update of the database to import I'm coding something up in awk instead of an AppleScript.
Thanks again for your help.

HT201342 i have a 10.6.8 mac os x system in a intel processor computer. how can I addressbook contacts to icloud. I tried exporting my import my addressbook and failed, then exportind a vcard from all contacts and failed and finale only one vcadr and fai

i have a 10.6.8 mac os x system in a intel processor computer. how can I addressbook contacts to icloud. I tried exporting my import my addressbook and failed, then exportind a vcard from all contacts and failed and finale only one vcadr and failed. Something might i doing wrong

I just had the same problem, I've updated to 10.6.8 yesterday, and since then the browsing are very slow, no matter what broswer I am using, the upload download speed are still the same. But browsing just take forever, It takes for example google.com 30 seconds to load. I have Extream high speed internet connection, 3 other computers, and the only one is having this problem is the Mac after the update.
Something in this update screwed my browsing capabitilties, I tried downloading Crome browser, same issue.
I hope there is a way beside TimeMachine to revert the latest update. I don't want to reformat as I am sure as soon as I am going to do the update it will cause the same problem.
Model Name:    iMac
Model Identifier:    iMac11,3
Processor Name:    Intel Core i7
Processor Speed:    2.93 GHz
Number Of Processors:    1
Total Number Of Cores:    4
L2 Cache (per core):    256 KB
L3 Cache:    8 MB
Memory:    12 GB
Processor Interconnect Speed:    4.8 GT/s
Boot ROM Version:    IM112.0057.B00

"Last Import" in Addressbook

Has there been a solution to "Last Import" in Addressbook?
The Last Import Group keeps filling and, it seems, cannot be cleared. Manually moving 100's of cards to various groups I've created is very time consuming and not very 'Apple' at all.
I'm using OS 10.6.8

I've upgraded to Lion 10.7.3 to facilitate iCloud syncing to other devices.
I set up iCloud & made it the default Addressbook. All now syncs beautifully between iCloud, iPhone & Macbook. I followed Winston Churchill's instructions & created a tidy Addressbook now with Groups as I want them. Many thanks Winston.
It has been a little time consuming. Though, in the end I have what I want without too much hair-pulling frustration.
In time I will delete all other Addressbook Groups & entries from past Exchange Systems & rely solely on iCloud to do it's thing. Very satisfied with the outcome.
Thank you Community

Definition of LDIF for import to AddressBook

I'm trying to find a comprehensive definition of the file format that AddressBook expects when importing from LDIF files. I can find lots of half-definitions and with those and a bit of trial and error I can get stuff like Name, Address, some phone numbers, an email address, imported okay. What I can get to is, for example, having multiple email addresses, multiple addresses, birthday, anniversary date etc. etc.
If you're curious why I'm not just converting directly using (say) O2M from little machines, its because I have for many years maintained my large contacts list in an external database which (a) allows me to have proper relationships between people, addresses, companies etc. and (b) allows me to export that data to the various PIMs, Address Books, PDAs, Mobile Phones as and when these change. I'd appreciate any help.
Thanks in advance

Here is the technical specification for LDIF:
http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2849.txt

Is there an easy way to import an addressbook file into addressbook server?

Hi,
I have a fairly complex addressbook with around 4000 contacts and many groups.
What is the best way to import this in address book server?
If I drag the users and then the groups I end up with many duplicates.
Tks very much

Hello, I am also working with a fairly complex addressbook with around 4000 contacts and many groups; I'm migrating from (old) Outlook 2003 and have made some progress but am not finished. I exported my contacts to (very old) Excel 2000 and cleaned up the info there. Then I opened the spreadsheet with Open Office and saved it in CSV format. Then I imported/mapped that CSV file into Apple contacts successfully; however, I have to fix some long entries in the Notes field that were cut off, and I still have to figure out how to do Groups (was Categories in Outlook). Due to limitations of Outlook 2003, fixing the cut-off Notes field entries will be manual/tedious; however, I'm hoping to figure out, or hear of, a smart way to do Groups. Regards, -Michael

Addressbook.data import from Tiger to Mountain Lion

Hello.
I have a backup of an addressbook.data file and other Contact related files that I am trying to import back into Contacts. The original files are from OS Tiger and I am wanting to import them into Contacts on OS Mountain Lion.
I do not have a working copy of Tiger on my iMac any more so cannot export them in the correct way.
I need to try and find a way of converting/importing the addressbook.data or other file to get at the information I need.
Any help anyone can give is greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

Basically you need to find a DVD reader that will work, since the only legitimate way to install Snow Leopard is with its DVD.
That can be another Mac, with which you could use FireWire Disk Mode to install Snow Leopard on your MacBook.
You do not need to upgrade to Lion first. You may upgrade from Snow Leopard directly to Mountain Lion.

Manually Reset AddressBook Last Import list

I don't understand why Apple has not fixed this silly bug after so long, probably because there is not enough complaints about it, but here is a solution for those who needs to migrate multiple address books for users who are migrating to Mac.
This is for removing multiple addresses from the last import list, to remove a single address it has been reported that saving the address entry after any change will remove it from the Last Import list.
All address data in AddressBook 5 seems to be stored in a sqlite datafile in
~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/AddressBook-v22.abcddb
The instructions provided here works for AddressBook 5.02, I don't know about other versions.
Remember to make a backup copy for the address book data file before proceeding with the following!!!
To remove addresses from the last import list, get a sqlite GUI for example SQLite Manager add on for firefox.
Open the AddressBook datafile and run this sql statement
update ZABCDRECORD set ZDISPLAYFLAGS = NULL where ZDISPLAYFLAGS = 128
the addresses will now be removed from the Last Import list.
Now you can reset the Last Import list after adding multiple last imported addresses into a group and move on to the next group of addresses to import.
If only the AddressBook Last Import can work as it should!

Last Import of addressbook... mine is not clearing like many others I've seen and I'm migrating into addressbook and want to bring in groups from my nudc... here is what I did to get my groups in...
1. clean up addressbook- got rid of any ungrouped entries
2. import my vcf group... now in addressbook it's mixed with junk not clearing from "last import" so I can't just move them to the new group...
3. BUT all these last imported are in the smart "no group"... so I select all from that smart group and drag into the new group and voila.
4. I ignore the last import group... I don't want to mess w/sql file cleanups etc...
I never noticed a problem w/last import not clearing before... pain in the butt an needs fixing by apple.

Address Book: Importing Multi-Line Fields

A common and often unavoidable import format for Mac Address Book is Comma Separated Value files (.csv). Address Book cannot import CSV files that have multi-line fields, such as might be included in Notes, because it cannot tolerate embedded newline characters (a.k.a., carriage returns, line breaks). (See http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=AddressBook/4.0/en/ad808.html. The CSV spec (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma-separated_values) addresses this need by requiring that fields which contain newlines be enclosed in quotes, but Address Book doesn't adhere to this part of the standard.)
Here's a way to import CSV files and have multi-line fields preserved:
Using an editor, replace +every embedded+ newline character in the CSV file with "\n". Take care to not alter the newline characters that end each record. Import the resulting file into Address Book using the CSV option. Selecting the 'Last Import' group, export those specific records using the vCard option. Then delete those records. Then import the vCards previously exported. Presto!
Apparently, although Address Book is blind to "\n" when importing CSV files, and exporting vCard fields, it interprets this character sequence as newline when importing vCards.

Hi Adam,
Thanks, but the problem is not importing to AddressBook, it is exporting. I did discover from another that I can export very easily to a Numbers spreedsheet. It is exceptionally simple. But it will not export custom fields. Someone said that is because of a vcard standard. My custom fields are just "name" fields that I have labeled differently. But Numbers does not support the name (it only takes the name of the card).
Christine

Importing text file databases into address book

I have a large csv formatted (all that easily allowed by my exporting database) that I want to import into addressbook. By the instructions this should work and so I diligently configured the "Text file import" screen to align the fields as they should be imported - and the sample entries shown in that window look and are configured exactly as they should be. However, when I click on the OK button in the "Text file import" window, I could not tell if it was importing one item or the thousands. But when I look at the address book it indicates that it imported all thousands of contacts. THE PROBLEM is that in the address book (which was previously essentially empty) the only items listed under "Names" is "No Name" (a huge number of them) and each one has NO other fields filled in. So it appears that nothing is importing despite that the Text file import screen shows everything set up correctly. Thoughts/help?

My problem is the same as Roderick. Text File Import reads my file and shows me the data that it will import. I dilligently assign all of the appropriate columns and press "OK"...Nothing happens. Any ideas?

Address Book, importing text tab file, custom fields not there

Searched thru all past posts. Found some that are close but not what I am trying to do.
Open Address Book, go into Preferences, select Template and under the Names field (friend, assistant, father, etc) I add a custom field called "Keyword".
I also add two more custom fields in the Phone area called "Work 3" and "Work 4". There are other custom fields I need but I want to keep this short.
Quit Address Book then relaunch. Add a new contact and the new custom fields, Keyword, Work 3 and Work 4 are there. All good so far.
I have a Now Contact file with about 800 contacts in it. I export all fields as a Text file, Tab delimited. No problems there. With Address Book launched, select Import, pick the text file, leave Text Encoding on Automatic and click Open.
The window that shows the fields for Address Book and fields for the text file side by side opens. This is where you match up the correct fields for importing. If I go to one of the fields from the text file that I created a custom field for, click under the Address Book heading on the Do not import, scroll thru the Apple choices of fields, none of the custom fields show up. Only the original Apple ones are there. Why does Apple let you create them in the Template area but not have them available for importing?
That is my problem.
Adding new contacts as I get them, is fine. Importing 800 contacts with these custom fields is not possible.
I could map them to go to the Notes field along with actual notes but that is inelegant. The custom fields are there, why can't we use them to their full potential.
This appears to be a bug to me. Let me know what you think.

Hi Adam,
Thanks, but the problem is not importing to AddressBook, it is exporting. I did discover from another that I can export very easily to a Numbers spreedsheet. It is exceptionally simple. But it will not export custom fields. Someone said that is because of a vcard standard. My custom fields are just "name" fields that I have labeled differently. But Numbers does not support the name (it only takes the name of the card).
Christine

Pages sorts merged documents by FIRST name?

I drop a bunch of names & addresses from Address Book onto a Pages merge document. The address data is sorted by last name.
Pages creates a new merge document, but now everything is sorted by FIRST name. Kinda makes mailouts a bit a of pain when other documents are sorted by LAST name.
Hopefully I am missing a simple control somewhere?

If I remember well, this question was asked and responded some days ago.
We have no interaction with the way Pages grabs the datas from the AddressBook.
If you want to apply your own sort,
(1) import your addressBook addresses in Numbers
(2) sort the Numbers table
(3) merge from Numbers.
Yvan KOENIG (from FRANCE jeudi 2 avril 2009 21:55:11)

This is a strange contact list problem, and nothing seems to help!

iPod will only update via iTunes. I know this because iSync tells me so. HOWEVER, somehow the iTunes/iPod/Contact preference is unchecked. When I try to check it, I get a message stating that I have no contacts. Untrue!!!
So, today I re-installed iTunes, exported and re-imported my addressbook contacts. I reset my iPod. Still, iTunes tells me I have no contacts. So I open Addressbook and create a "test" contact. Still doesn't work. My iPod is useless for using for contacts and calendar.
I'm going crazy here! I'm a PC convert, and the inner workings of the folders and hidden places still scares me, but if anyone here has any idea of something I could try, I'd be so appreciative. I'll even send cookies. (the kind you can eat. With your mouth. And enjoy.) Please! Please?
I have a picture of the error message if it would help.
Kittie

Assuming the external device is correctly formatted, have you tried simply dragging the files over to the external?

How export yahoo address book to mac mail?

how export yahoo address book to mac mail address book?
thx

This is really a question better asked to Yahoo support but...
Go to the Addresses tab of Yahoo and click on the 'Import/Export' link
Click the Export Now button for vCard Single File, then when it downloads double click it to import into AddressBook.

Switch from Entourage to Apple mail

I have imported my Entourage emails and Addressbook into Apple mail. Some new emails are coming into Entourage and some into Apple Mail and some into both. How do I control this so they stop coming into Entourage and come only into Apple?
Thanks.
Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Thanks for your reply.
If I have imported my addressbook and emails from Entourage into Apple mail, is that the same thing has backing up my Entourage data as you suggested? Or is there something else I'm not aware of that should be backed up. All I have ever used Entourage for is email and addressbook. Entourage has also been automatically backing up up on iDisk.
Thanks again.
You're going to need to stop Entourage from getting
email from that account.
Open Entourage.
Go to the Entourage menu.
You can then select and delete the account.
Note: You should consider backing up your Entourage
data just in case you change your mind.
Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Importing to AddressBook

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