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Thread ID: 65278	2006-01-12 22:50:00	Address Book Wish List	Perry (4966)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
420588	2006-01-12 22:50:00	For many years, I've been using an aged MS-DOS contacts database program called Locofile . I still use it because I can't find a replacement . Probably because there seems to be a zillion to choose from . The vendors descriptions are – usually – generous, but not always helpful . The main problem I've encountered is that presumptions are made by the s/ware author . Not always unreasonable, but presumptions, nonetheless . After installing and de- installing more programs than I can count, I'm now going to start by asking questions, describing what I want . My primary purpose is to print a list on A5 paper, to put in my diary . I never discard records: I put the word 'redundant' in one field . The little mail merge document that I wrote years ago tests that field for that value and if true, skips to the next record . Now, when I look at the alphabet soup that is that mail merge, I doubt I could do it again, now . It was too long ago . I remember that one advantage of a mail merge was that I could use formatting (e . g . bold), use different field names when printing, and skip empty fields, etc . Back to my wish list . . . Here's what I think an ideal address book program would do . 1) It would start with a blank page 2) It would ask the new user questions 3) And, in doing so, it would nicely advise that the user's replies would be placed on the screen in sequence, but the sequence (field position in the record) can, like everything else, be changed, if the need occurs . Questions like . . . (a) What name do you want to give to this field (b) Do you want that name shown on screen Y/N (c) How big a field do you need for this item? (In characters – don't worry, you can enlarge or shrink it later) (d) Do you need to search this field to find a particular record (e) Do you want this field in a special position (f) Etc . , etc Am I dreaming? Can software be like this? Is there any such thing around? To me it seems like a fairly simple, flat file database . One that allows me to not have certain things that American (and other) s/ware writers seem to think everyone else in the world should have in their address book . Maybe I'm just getting too old and cranky . . . . .	Perry (4966)
420589	2006-01-13 01:36:00	Access?	pctek (84)
420590	2006-01-13 02:30:00	As above, using MS Access and Word you can create a mail merge nice and easily. Why re-invent the wheel.	superuser (7693)
420591	2006-01-13 02:51:00	As above, using MS Access and Word you can create a mail merge nice and easily. Why re-invent the wheel. Agreed. However, I was hoping for a third party program that might also be available in Linux, which is where I'm slowly heading. Now that the point's been made, I must check if the Open Office suite includes a database. I'm ignorant of Access in all but the name. Thanks for the comments.	Perry (4966)
420592	2006-01-13 03:05:00	Sure does: www.openoffice.org	superuser (7693)
420593	2008-01-20 02:30:00	Anyone got any updates on this question? After another search around the web, only one program popped up indicating user-defined fields: AZZ Cardfile. Has anyone tried that program?	Perry (4966)
420594	2008-01-20 05:54:00	Outlook.	Greg (193)
420595	2008-01-20 05:58:00	My outlook 2003 allows me to change what fields I want displayed and I can print it off, also can you not just do a shrink to fit when you print and select A5 paper.	gary67 (56)
420596	2008-01-20 06:09:00	Outlook? Part of my problem is that my mailmerge doc has some conditional instructions in it that skips redundant records. It also 'loses' empty fields and puts titles and formatting at the beginning in the finished WP document. E.g. Home Tel: 8-87654312 Home Fax: 8-87312654 Work Tel: 7-31287654 Any field that's empty doesn't appear and neither does the title. And similar stuff like that.	Perry (4966)
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