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3. Using the program

3.1 Can I specify a default database to load on startup?

Just give the pathname of the database file to load on startup on the command line, e.g. pi-address /path/to/AddressDB.pdb. (Thanks to Jon Lasser for suggesting this.)

Create an alias like alias pi-address="pi-address /path/to/AddressDB.pdb" if you want to load the program the default database any time you start the program.

Another possibility is to specify the default database in the configuration file with an entry like:

DefaultDB = /path/to/AddressDB.pdb

3.2 Can I reread the currently loaded database?

As of V0.3.2 there is a menu entry File / Reread database which rereads the currently loaded database. This is useful if you make regular backups of your PalmPilot data using e.g. pilot-xfer and want to easily update the database inside pi-address.

3.3 Where does pi-address look for the database files?

If you try to open a database file using File / Open pi-address will start searching in the following directories (in the shown order):

Of course you can change directories at your will in the file selection dialog.

3.4 How can I import existing data?

Importing records is done by selecting File / Import / Import as CSV. Select a file in the file selection dialog. The records in this file will be merged into the currently opened database, if any. The imported records will be assigned to the category which currently is selected.

The format of a CSV-file is the same like the one of pilot-addresses from the pilot-link package. To see an example create a new database (File / New), add a new record and specify a unique entry for every field. Export this database as a CSV-file (selecting File / Export / Export as CSV) and look at the file with your favorite text editor.

If you currently maintain your address records with another program, export the records from this program as a text file, write a small converter with your favorite scripting language which converts this text file to CSV format. Import the converted file into pi-address, that's it.

3.5 How can I import data from Alan Harder's Pilot Manager?

Alan Harder provided diff's which make it possible to read existing CSV-files of his famous PilotManager! I included these patches in V0.3.0.

You can select the pathname to the actual PilotManager data file using the usual file selection dialog. Preselected is the default pathname of PilotManager to the data file ($HOME/.csvAddr).

PilotManager uses a separate file for the application info of the Address Database of the PalmPilot. The default value ($HOME/.pilotmgr/SyncAB/pilot.appinfo) is used by pi-address without any user intervention.

You can specify a different pathname in the configuration file with an entry like:

PilotManagerAppInfo = /absolute/path/name

This handling can be changed in a future version. If you use this feature, please tell me what you think of it and how it can be improved.

3.6 How can I export existing data?

Currently pi-address supports two different export formats:

The first is the same like the one of pilot-addresses from the pilot-link package. Select File / Export / Export as CSV... and choose an appropriate filename.

The second is the format used by Netscapeīs Communicator Address Book (LDIF=LDAP Data Interchange Format). Select File / Export / Export as LDIF... and choose a filename. You can import this file to your Netscape Address Book. Beware: The Communicator 4.5 Release Notes states, that LDIF-files which contain 8-bit data (like e.g. German-Umlaut characters) must have .4ld as filename extension!

Which phone labels are to be used as LDIF attribute values can be configured in the configuration file with the following entries:

# Variables for LDIF export function:
#
# which phone label (1-5) to be used as attribute value
# (0 means not used)
#
# LDIFtelephonenumber = 1
#
# LDIFhomephone = 2
#
# LDIFfacsimiletelephonenumber = 3
#
# LDIFmail = 5
#
# LDIFpagerphone = 0
#
# LDIFcellphone = 0

This allows the mapping of every phone label (p1 -p5) to all 6 supported LDIF attribute names. A number of 0 means that this attribute is not be used and will not be exported. The above settings show the default values.

In selecting one of the two export methods all currently displayed (selected through the chosen category) records will be exported.

3.7 How can I clone an existing record?

As of V0.2.12 there is a Clone button to clone an existing address record. This is useful if you have many records which contain quite a few identical record fields (e.g. company contact records).

To use it select the record which you want to clone, press the Clone button (or use right mouse click and select Clone) then edit the record in the normal edit dialog. If you finish editing the record with OK this record will be inserted into the database.

3.8 How can I specify the device used for the Pilot?

The default device name for communication with the Palm Pilot is /dev/pilot. If you have a symbolic link to the actual device used, you are done.

You can specify a different device name in the configuration file with an entry like:

DeviceName = /dev/name

3.9 How can I delete all records of a specific category?

Select the category in the combobox and press right mouse button. A popup menu appears with an entry named Delete addresses. If you select this entry you will be asked for confirmation and if you answer yes all records belonging to this category will be deleted.

You can find the same functionality in the menuitem "Record / Delete Addresses..." (on some systems the right mouse button seems not to work :-( ).

3.10 How can I edit the categories?

As of V0.3.3 there is pushbutton to the right of the category combobox labeled "Edit cat.". Press this button if you wish to edit your categories. A dialog will pop up which lets you add, delete, or change the categories.

If you delete a category all records which are assigned to this category will be moved to category Unfiled.

3.11 How can I disable all functions which access the Pilot?

As of V0.2.8 you can disable all functions which access the Pilot using the following entry in the configuration file:

DisablePilotFunctions = 1

This will disable the correspending menu items and toolbar buttons for accessing the Pilot. The describing text for the used device in the statusbar will be changed to disabled.

3.12 How can I disable the confirmation messages of some operations?

As of V0.3.3 you can disable the confirmation messages for certain dangerous operations using the follwing entry in the configuration file:

ConfirmOperations = 0

3.13 What to do if the program hangs after trying to access the Pilot?

Some users reported problems if they try to access the Pilot. The reason for this is not known up to know. As a workaround there is a new configuration variable as of V0.3.2 which disables the test for accessing the device before actually using it. This should help in most cases.

CheckDevice = 0

This entry will disable the access test.

3.14 Can I change the configuration file at runtime?

As of V0.2.1 there is a new entry in the menubar File / Reread configuration file. If selected, the user configuration file will be reread and evaluated, changing the corresponding values in the program.

3.15 Why are the button W in the toolbar and the menu entry "Pilot / Write to Pilot" sometimes disabled?

Both the button W in the toolbar and the menu entry Pilot / Write to Pilot will be enabled after the entered data records are saved to a file.

3.16 Can I change the fonts used in the various windows?

As of V0.2.2 the user can configure the fonts used in the various windows through variables in the configuration file. The following variables are recognized:

ListFont

Font used for listing of all records in left window (Default: fixed).

RecordFont

Font used for display of a single record in right window (Default: Helvetica).

EditFont

Font used for displaying fields in edit dialog (Default: fixed).

The main purpose of this is to provide the user a possibility to display address databases with non ISO8859-1 character sets. There is still a lot of work to do for this, but itīs a beginning.

3.17 Printing

Can I print my records?

Yes, as of V0.1.2 there is rudimentary support for printing address records.

Just select the category for which you want to print the records and choose File / Print from the menu bar. This will print all records selected through the category using a default value for formatting each record.

As of V0.1.3 there is also a toolbar button for printing the selected address records. Pressing this button activates the same function like choosing File / Print from the menubar.

You can modify the way the records are printed in changing the following values in the program's configuration file (see Section Where to put the configuration files for more information on configuration files):

PrintingFontName

The font to use for printing (Default: Helvetica, valid font names: Helvetica, Times, Courier)

PrintingPointSize

The point size for printing (Default: 8)

PrintingFormat

Which fields to print (Default: %l %f %p1 %p2 %p3 %c1, see the following explanations for the encoding)

PrintTo

Where to print to (Default: Printer, valid entries: Printer, File)

PrintFileName

The default print filename if printing to a file (Default: pi-address.ps)

How is the encoding for the field names for printing?

The key PrintingFormat in the configuration file defines which fields will be printed for each record. The encoding of the fields follows:

Beginning with V0.1.3 the user can specify an optional width for each column (e.g. %20l).

When specified it is used to calculate the width of the column by multiplying the specified width (= no. of characters to print for this column) by the no. of pixels of the widest character for the font in use. So there is always enough room to print width characters though in most cases there can be printed one or two characters more as specified.

If no width is specified a default value of 20 will be used.

Restrictions and known bugs on printing

Expect these restrictions to be solved in future versions.

Can I print to a file?

If you want to print to a file instead directly to a printer, choose File / Print from the menu bar and make the corresponding entries. You only have to set the Combobox Print to: to file, a default filename pi-address.ps in the current directory will be used if none is given in the setup dialog.

You can specify the default destination for printing in your configuration file. Set the following if you want your default to be printing to a file:

PrintTo = File

You can change the default printing filename from pi-address.ps by setting:

PrintFileName = /path/to/file-name

3.18 Can I execute a user defined application?

As of V0.3.2 there is a new menu item "Records / Exec. User Progr. #1" (the same functionality is also accessible through the right mouse button popup menu). This executes a user defined external program which can be configured in the configuration file:

UserApplication1 = /path/to/external/program param1 param2 ...

If this variable is not defined (which is the default), the menu item will be disabled.

You can reference any record field using the same syntax as in PrintingFormat. E.g. if you want to start your mail program use a configuration like:

UserApplication1 = mail-prog %p3

Change %p3 to the phone entry which corresponds in your AddressDB with the email address.

Another possible use is writing a script using your favorite script language which dials a telephone number through an attached modem, so you only have to select the record, select "Records / Exec. User Progr. #1", let the script dial the number and pickup the handset.

As of V0.3.3 the name of the menu item is configurable with an entry like:

ApplicationName1 = Invoke Mailer...

If there is additonal need for more user defined applications, I will extend this functionality in a future version. Please let me know if you find this useful.

3.19 Why are there sometimes mixed languages in the menus/dialogs?

People using a german version of the Palm Pilot OS will see mixed german/english text entries in some menus/dialogs. This is because the label names for the record fields are stored in the database file. If you open such a database file, the corresponding field names (e.g. Category, Last name, etc.) will be updated and will be shown in the language the database was created with.


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