csv to Netscape Address Conversion

This page will convert a Database/Spreadsheet Tab-Ascii file to the equivalent Netscape address book file.

Instructions

Note: Read all instructions before doing anything.

Tab delinieated ascii or csv

The input file is a tab or comma separated ascii file, which can be produced by a spreadsheet, database, and perhaps some mail programs. It contains a number of columns. Only the first is necessary. all other columns are optional, but must be there, even if empty, if a column to the right is being used.

Spry

Spry users, ignore all the instructions below, just point the Browse button to the "spry.als" file in the Spry directory and start the process.

Juno

Juno users. Use your ".nv" file as input.

Unix mail/.mailrc

.mailrc conversions. If you know what.mailrc is, you don't neet detailed instructions. Just be sure to ftp the file as ascii.

Compuserve

Compuserve recently made available a download address book add-on that enables the user to do a number of things with their address book files, including EXPORT them. Use GO:UKHF and look in the essentials for Win 3.1 file library for ABM_INST.exe . When the export option is chosen, the resulting dialogue box allows you to chose different delimiting options, including any keyboard characters or tabs. Use the tab option, and then use a spreadsheet to re-arrange the columns To help Compuserve users, addresses in the Compuserve format are converted to the correct Internet format.

Donald Lessau has posted AddressBook 1.0 -- Win95 32-bit FREEware, (c) 1998 by Donald Lessau
AddressBook 1.0 is a small tool that converts your Compuserve address book into your Eudora address book.
from Eudora you can convert it to other formats using this site.
download here (sweet 11 KB): http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/xbeat/Download/AddressBook.zip
More ware here http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/xbeat/ware.htm

Tab ascii examples

Two Examples:

Using only column 1
nobody@nobody.com
Using Columns 1 and 4
nobody@nobody.com<tab><tab>nobody

The columns are described below. Only the first one is mandatory.

E-mail address.
Name 1 Usually first name or full name.
Name 2 Usually last name or leave blank
Alias A unique alias, if it is not unique, it will be made unique. If it is left blank, a unique alias will be produced from the name portion of the e-mail address (the part to the left of the "@" sign).
Comment

In the following columns, as many as needed, put the names of any mailing lists (address list, distribution lists, etc.) that you want this address to be included in.

You can look at a sample input file to clarify the above instructions.

A note on mailing lists: Mailing lists can contain other lists. For example the list "extended family" may contain the lists "parents", "grandparents", "siblings", "aunts/uncles", etc. This input does not give you the opportunity to do this, you will have to do it after importing into Netscape. You will automatically get a list with the alias "everybody" which has in it (as you guessed) everybody on the file.

Using the Browse button below, select the tab-separated ascii file you have produced.

Because the Netscape Address book's rules on what is allowable are restrictive certain entries may not be able to be translated into equivalent Netscape entries. They will be lost and you will have to re-enter them by hand. To get a list of what items will be lost, press the Start Process button, with the Show Problem Entries button selected. If the output from this shows that some items that will be lost, save or print the output so you can re-enter them later.

Next select the Process Addresses button and press the Start Process button.

Netscape 1-3

This output is your Netscape address book. Windows users save it in your Netscape folder's Navigator folder as "address.htm". If you do not have a Netscape folder, use the Find File function of Windows Explorer to find the file "netscape.exe". Put "address.htm" into the same folder as "netscape.exe". Before saving it, you may want to re-name the existing file to save it as a safety measure.

Mac users save it as "AddressBook.html" in System Folder:Preferences:Netscape : Before saving it, you may want to re-name the existing file to save it as a safety measure.

You must quit Netscape and re-start it to have the new address list take effect.

Netscape 4 and beyond

Save the file as "address.htm" in some convenient temporary place. Use the Communicator menu to go to the Address Book. Then use the file menu, Import addresses, import the file.

My computer is a Windows Macintosh UNIX computer

The input format is Tab Ascii Comma Separated (.csv) Spry Compuserve Unix .mailrc

Juno Your Full Name

Processing Mode

Show problem Entries Process Addresses

Processing Mode
Show problem Entries	Process Addresses

Select file "alias.txt" here:

Start Process!

Technical Notes

If you want a sample Pine addressbook file to test this script on, click here, and save the file as "address.txt"

To avoid overburdening the server, we have limited the file to 120k bytes and 1200 lines

InterGuru Home Page

How to Contact InterGuru

Telephone: 301-593-4152

Fax: 301-593-2541

E-Mail: jhd at interguru.com ( change the ' at ' to '@' before sending )

Postal Mail: 1501 Dublin Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20902