Import Contacts Info from other Sources
In the Tools menu, you will find commands of importing from MS Outlook, Outlook Express (WAB file), Euroda, CSV/Excel, Netscape/Mozilla/Thunderbird, vCard and XML. For any of the import methods, you will have an option of dropping them into categories after importing.
Most existing address book programs do not have concept of separating people and organizations and linking them. After importing these contacts, you may convert selected people which should be organizations to organizations. And you may convert selected organizations to people if mistakes were made.
In addition, you may refer to the mappings to importing.
Import from MS Outlook
The details of an imported contact will be grouped into maximum 3 sections: Private, Work and Other. Only data fields with data in MS Outlook's contact address book will be imported. The section names are customizable through the Options window. When importing from MS Outlook, you have an option of letting Open Contacts import categories of each contact. The categories will be created at the first level of the category tree.
Notes:
MS Outlook 2003 or above will ask you a question before Open Contacts could talk to the address book of Outlook. Please allow access for at least 1 minute.
If MS Outlook 2002 or above is incorporated with MS Exchange Server, some of the Email addresses of internal recipients could be of Exchange type. In this case, Open Contacts may ask you to input a domain name of Email addresses of your company.
Import from CSV
In Open Contacts, data fields are grouped in sections, therefore, You need to define the mapping between CSV data columns and Open Contacts data fields. The mapping will be saved in an XML file. If you have Excel files, please save them as CSV files before proceeding.
Step 1: Analyze the CSV file
You can use either a text editor or MS Excel to view the CSV file.
If you use a text editor, the file might look like the following example exported from Mozilla Firefox.
If you use MS Excel, the file might look like the following screenshot.
Step 2: Define the mapping between columns of the CSV file and Fields of Open Contacts
Run command [Main menu -> Tools -> Import -> CSV -> Add CSV Import Template], you will get the following window.
In this example, column 3 will be mapped to field "Display Name", column 1 to "Givenname", and column 24 to "Title" etc. After pressing OK you may map columns into fields of sections.
In this window, you will add sections and fields as you can do in the edit window of a contact. The difference is, that you input the numbers of columns in the CSV file. To remove/ignore a field/section, you may simply clear the field/section name. You may then press OK to save the settings into an XML file.
Step 3: Import from the CSV with predefined mapping
Run command [Main menu -> Tools -> Import -> CSV -> From CSV], you will get the following screen.
Firstly load the XML file with predefined mapping, then load the CSV file, then do the import.
If you find something wrong, or want to re-import the CSV file, you can undo last imported contacts.
Hints:
Open Contacts comes with an import template for CSV files exported from Netscape, Mozilla or Thunderbird, stored in folder "ImportExamples" under the program folder.
Import from vCard
You may select multiple vCard files of a folder to import. Please be aware that info of mailing labels of a vCard will not be imported.
Import from MS Outlook Express
You may import from the default address book of Outlook Express or from a WAB file.
Import from Eudora
During importing each book of Eudora's address book, you will have an option to create new category, and then you can apply categories to imported contacts right away. Or, you may let Open Contacts create a category for each book automatically with the book name.
Import from Netscape/Mozilla/Thunderbird
Before importing, please open Address Book of Netscape/Mozilla/Thunderbird and export contacts into a CSV file.
Then you run the Import wizard to load the CSV file and then import.
Import from XML
After getting an XML file exported from another address book database of Open Contacts, you may import the XML file to add contact info into your address book.
If the contacts in the XML file were exported from the Company list of Open Contacts, they will be imported as organizations.
If a contact in the XML file exists in your database (identified by Name), Open Contacts will prompt you a list of options of further processing: Update, Change name, Skip and Stop.
If you choose "Update", the Title field and the single-line fields will be updated or added, and the name fields and the notes fields will keep their contents unchanged.