VCard & Generic Fields

[Elon Close]

The below comments are simply that, comments on my introductory use  
of Panorama and the Wizard to import vCard data. That the ability  
exists is really nice. It enables me to print Apple Mail address  
information formatted in a way that is, for me, readable. I have in  
the past selected groups, exported them, opened the text file and  
with a lot of work re-formatted the information. So Panorama’s vCard  
ability is refreshing. But I do believe it is a work in progress. The  
below suggestions and comments could appear in the Handbook which is  
easier to update than source code and easily downloadable. I am sure  
there are many more pressing items on the to do list then these minor  
items.

Generic Fields window
Panorama>Menu>Wizard>Preferences opens the Generic Fields window.
The Handbook instructions on how to use it are ok. But the
Method #2. ••••• You can drag database fields into this box, •••
does not seem to be the case, notice the plural on fields.

I drag First into the box. Then type in +” “+ with the insertion  
point after the second +, I drag in the field Last. The original First 
+” “+ is replaced by Last. For me it is necessary to type in the  
information, no dragging of fields, after the first field dragged in.

Also, and this is really minor but can be confusing, there is no OK  
or any note to that effect that the associations are set just by  
closing the Generic Fields window.

VCard Wizard window
The Handbook says on P 242
“You’ll find this wizard in the Utilities submenu of the Wizard menu.”

For me using 5.5 it is in the Panora>menu>wizard>Inport-Export of the  
Wizard menu.

This Window can display information that can be misleading.

Example: Launch a new DB. Open the VCard Wizard window and the  
message is displayed that there are no Generic Fields, which is  
correct. Close the VCard window, open the Generic Fields Wizard  
window and connect up the fields as per the instructions. Close this  
window, save the corrected DB, open the VCard window and it still  
says no Generic Fields. This is rather misleading. The Generic Fields  
are there, just empty waiting to have data put into them by importing  
vCard information, like from the Address book.

It may be there and I missed it, but to updatethe VCard window, like  
when going to the next record, it is necessary to make the VCard  
window the active window. Panorama is so good about tracking open,  
but not active windows, that this requirement is not at first noticed.

There may be good reasons for this behavior, but a note in the  
Handbook to this effect would be a little more than just nice.  
Especially since there is no OK or any note to the effect that simply  
closing the Generic Field Wizard window sets the connections. One can  
open/close set/reset the DB fields for a long time thinking that  
there are no Generic Fields, when actually there are Generic Fields,  
but with no data in them.

The example in the Handbook is the Apple Mail program. This is nice,  
since that is what I was interested in. However, a comment in that  
example noting that to export the Notes from Mail it is necessary to  
check the box Address Book>Preferences>vCard> Export Notes in vCard.  
I agree that RTFAppleManual is applicable, but when this non-checked  
item is coupled with the fact that maybe the info is there but not  
imported, it takes a bit of time and patience to sort it all out. I  
thought that Panorama was not picking up the Apple information, until  
I selected a Mail Group, did a Save As and opened that text file in a  
word processing program to see that Mail had not exported that  
information.

And finally: The VCard does not seem to display all the information,  
or at least has not for me. But if one examines the DB Fields the  
information is imported. Now this may be some confusion on my part,  
but looking in the DB fields is really the first place to go to  
determine if the vCard information has been imported correctly.

It is very nice to have the vCard ability and the comments above are  
really minor. But when setting up this ability for the first time  
what they point out can lead to a fair amount of confusion and a fair  
amount of time spent to unravel that confusion.

Regards,
Elon Close
erclose at dakotacom.net
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