Database Info

Contacts

Please tell me how I can arrange all contacts consistently on my O2 XDA ll; for some reason new contacts appear either with the surname first or sometimes with the Christian name first.
Thanks!

A possible workaround:
I correct them in Outlook. Haven't found a way to do it right with the XDA.
Regards,
Mark

(On XDA itself) Where you input the name of the person within Contacts, type in their full name and then tap the arrow next to this field.
You will see that the second part of the name has been placed into the surname field. If you cut this back up to the first name field and behind the first name, the first name will now appear first within contacts.
Hope this helps

Contacts "File AS field"

I used to modify my Contacts "File As" field (First Name First) from my outlook in my Pc.. So,
Is there any program that let me change the "File As" filed from the pocket pc itself
thanks in advance

See bottom of this page:
http://discussion.brighthand.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=79834
V

Dear Vijay,
Can we file two mobile nos for a single contact? assume that all other fields viz home1.2, Work1.2 etc are already occupied

hdubli - if all available number fields are full, then not easily. If you need that many telephone numbers, you could write a custom plugin or app that would store a string of telephone numbers in a text string with a seperator, eg:
+44 7870 XXX | +359 12345 | +69 546
etc. Then, save that text string in a relatively unused number or text field (eg Home Fax?) in Pocket Outlook, and have your custom plugin present an interface to choose which number from the string to dial/select, eg dial second number in the list. Your app would then parse out the second number from the list.
That would work and be relatively operating system consistent. But, it would have to be a custom written app.
V

Thanks for the reply,
Is it possible that I store the Phone nos with the sepertors as informed above and dial from contacts? You know any app else can u make such app...I am not good in coding as u are..

hdubli - I've never seen an app that can do it, and a custom plugin would have to be written to dial from contacts in this way.
I could possibly write it, but it would take time I don't have right now - do you really have that many phone numbers to store per contact?
If you've hit the limit (9 phone numbers per contact I think), try saving the contact twice, eg
Vijay (1) with 9 contact numbers
Vijay (2) with another 9 contact numbers = 18
It's not perfect, but it's easier for me :wink:
V

That's right...Just tell me can we add a custom field in the Outlook so that when we sync it adds that field in our device...

So this important 'FileAs' omission has been a problem for about 2.5 years, yet MS still haven't had the time to fix it? I am impressed

Yup, fileas is a pain in the ass, as with many of the problems with Windows Mobile and Smartphone: however, I guess we basically have to live with the problems. I lose count of how many bugs have never been fixed.
Oh, hdubli sorry for the slow response. As far as I know, we can't add custom Pocket Outlook fields.
V

It's so a shame that more 4 years have passed and there's no solution for this yet that I had to ressurrect this old, old thread.
Now in WM 6.1 there's still no default setting for 'File as' contacts. Plus I also have to complain about how WM phones display area codes.
It annoys me a lot because all these default settings seem to be made for U.S., but in most other places we choose to remember the first name and not the family name of our friends, and also 3-digit area codes don't apply.

This will fix them all at once... found it floating around

finally
works great!! (may need restart)
install
programs >> contact fix
set it as you like
done
BIG thanks (searched for a way to resolve this problem, weeks)
www.emil-studio.com

elerouxx said:
...
It annoys me a lot because all these default settings seem to be made for U.S., but in most other places we choose to remember the first name and not the family name of our friends, and also 3-digit area codes don't apply.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The |last name, first name| filing was probably used for business purposes. You would have many contacts that are not necessarily your friends and you would look them up by last name.
Would be nice to change it...

contacts and dialling

Hi,
i have all my contact numbers saved as they are locally ie. in the uk 07xxxxx i've recently went to egypt on holiday and found that i could not dial the numbers directly even though i changed my time zone to "visiting Egypt" under settings ( for some odd reason i assumed that my ppc would be smart enough and change the dialing code automatically) I have to change the number and add +44 to every number i dial. is there a better way of storing and dialing numbers other than going through my contacts adding country codes
thanks in advance

I think Paul from Modaco once wrote an app to update all contacts thuswise automatically; however, I haven't seen the program for a few years, you could try asking him for a copy if you get stuck.
V

recipient names in SMS and email !?!

I have a small problem with the touch pro..
in my contacts i have several contacts with the same first name but different last names.
in my TyTnII, when writing an SMS or email, in the to: space i used to write the first two characters of the first name, space then one or two of the last name then i usually get the required contact.
in teh Touch pro, it's different, i write the two letters from the first name, it doesn't show all the contacts with the same first name.
when i put space it chooses the name displayed, it doesn't give me the chance to enter the second name.
this is really irritating me.
do you have a solution for this?

You know that you can use the arrows on either side of the one it finds first so you can scroll through the rest, right?
Not quite what you're wanting, but you didn't mention it, so, just in case!

this is exactly what I'm doing, but it doesn't show all the contacts...
that's why i have to find a way to enter the second name.

start typing with th last name, not the first.
this works for me

hmmm...
starting by second name was OK for some names, but it does no good when there's a contact who's first name is the same like another contact's second name.... (seems complex now)
it directly chooses the first one!!
i guess if someone has the CAB file for the messaging software same as TyTnII, it would be the ultimate solution for me.
can anyone help please?

Maybe I'm naive and unknowledgable on this, but wouldn't something like this be something to put forward to HTC support? They most likely will not solve it for you right away, but at least they would have a record of this being an issue and might rethink the software and give the user an option between which selection method is used.

If you tap on the "To:" it brings up the contacts app and you can browse for and select your intended recipient from there.
Hope that helps

I accidentally discovered a solution!!
after writing the first couple of letters of the first name, then CTRL+SPACE, then the first letters of the last name....
CTLR was the trick... as SPACE alone would choose the first displayed name.
thanks all for helping.

I have contacts with the same format as yours. I usually type the first two or three letters of the first name, then use the down arrow on the QWERTY. I haven't tried the virtual keyboard yet, but sure the D-pad would work in the same fashion.
FYI for those with similiar issues. It does only reflect one name at a time, but does let you scroll the contact list.

Contacts in text messaging apps

For most of my contacts, when I go to compose a new message and begin typing their name, their name shows up multiple times on the list.
I have gone into settings and only chosen "My Contacts" in gmail to show, which has each of my friends listed only ONCE, but some may have multiple numbers under their name (such as phone & google voice number). If their GV number shows up alongside their actual number it's not a problem, since it's only very few of my friends and sometimes I actually want to send a message to their GV instead of their phone.
The problem is that for contacts that I just have listed once in My Contacts, which most have only one number attached to their name, they'll show up twice and sometimes three or four times in the list.
For example:
- I have John Doe in My Contacts under gmail, and his number is +1-555-666-5555.
- I type "John" in the contact part of my text, and the following shows:
John - (+15556665555)
John Doe - (+15556665555)
John Doe - (+1-555-666-5555)
The name and number are obviously changed, but wtf.. why does it show up in various forms if I only actually have the last one in gmail?

i think it might be syncing off any linked accounts you have? such as Facebook maybe. you can go into the [John Doe] contact wherever u see multiple of the same #'s and you'll prob see the number show there multiple times too, reason is because some people have their # listed on their FB account and thats prob syncing into ur address book too. and their FB default name might be the other name showing, as opposed to like the nickname or w/e you'd use for them on your address book.

Thanks for the help, but that's not the issue. I made sure to go into Display Options and uncheck everything but "My Contacts" under Google. The problem still persists.
I know it's not a rom issue, because the same thing happened to me as soon as I got the phone.
Also, in the example I used (the name and number were changed, obviously), the friend I was looking at only had one number listed in the contacts list on gmail, yet it still shows a few variations on my phone.
Not really a big issue, just a nuisance.