Syncing Contacts with a Filemaker DB
thierry
Is it possible to sync in/out between a Filemaker DB and Entourage Address
book? Is there any type of solution in this manner?
MacOs9.1, FM5.5v2, Entourage 9.01
Thanks!
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Thierry
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thi...@NOSPAM8p-design.com wrote on 10/31/02 1:33 PM:
> Hi,
> Is it possible to sync in/out between a Filemaker DB and Entourage Address
> book? Is there any type of solution in this manner?
>
> MacOs9.1, FM5.5v2, Entourage 9.01
>
> Thanks!
Both applications offer import/export, so the solution is built-in.
I do this currently using just E2001 and FM5. I have created a few scripts
in FileMaker (using AppleScript) to automate the process, but here is all
that it entails is:
1. Just perform a standard Export Contacts from Entourage
2. in your FM database, choose to import records from a file.
3. if you want to "synch" the records, then you want to overwrite any
incoming data (from E) that matched the FM data, so make that choice in the
FM import dialog (**)
4. now, once you've got them into FM, to create a routine for getting them
back in to Entourage, just do the export from FM
5. go to Entourage and do the import; the good thing is, once you do this,
then both applications can remember your "import order". The import
mappings folder in Microsoft User Data will hold the named import order file
you create.
My system works just fine, because I don't have to synch often.
It would be relatively easy to create a totally automated applescript
mini-app to do all of this.
For an example of communicating with AppleScript between E and FM, you
should see the very good and useful FileMaker Email archive script that is
available.
Also, it is very easy to get duplicate contacts in E if you are not careful,
and you don't want to delete all contacts before re-importing because all
your links (to messages, tasks, notes) will be lost if you do.
** I use the Email field as my key, presuming that that is unique, except
for very few occassions where I may want two records for a family who uses
the same email...this affects only 2 of my records, out of about 2500.
You need to establish a key field to use the FM overwrite/update matching
records option. (you might have to press option while clicking the little
--> icon in the two lists, turning it into <=>
I am sure that there are probably some scripters here who can give you some
ways to automate this.
Synching is, as you know, a whole other beast than just being able to import
your contacts in both directions.
Unless both applications get a lot of modifications all day or something, I
would really wonder why you would need to "synch" things (if you mean that
in the strictest sense).
But, you know your needs more than me, of course. I was just offering that
"synching" sounds so appealing, when actually often just being able to keep
things mostly the same and update infrequently is just as useful.
HTH,
Gary
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