Netscape Address Book Sync for Palm Pilot User Guide
Netscape Address Book Sync allows you to transfer data between Netscape address books and your Palm Compatible Platform device.
For information on HotSync setup, consult your palm organizer Handbook.

 
Getting Started
 


Getting Started

Requirements

  • Netscape Communicator 4.5.
  • Any Palm Compatible Platform device (e.g. Pilot, PalmPilot, Palm III, WorkPad).

  • Palm Desktop 2.0 or greater installed on your PC. If you have an older version, get the upgrade from the Palm web site (www.palm.com).
Installing Netscape Address Book Sync
  1. If you already have data in your Palm Desktop, you should perform a HotSync before installing the Netscape Address Book Sync.  This will insure that all your current address book information will be synchronized with the Netscape Address Book.
  2. To run the Netscape Address Book Sync Installer:
    • Click the Start button to bring up the Start menu
    • Select the Programs option
    • >From the Programs menu choose Netscape Communicator
    • >From the Netscape Communicator menu select Palm Tools
    • >From the Palm Tools menu select Address Book Palm Sync Install and follow the instructions on the screen
  3. If the HotSync Manager is running, the Netscape Address Book Pilot Conduit Installer will prompt you to restart the HotSync Manager.  To restart press the Restart HotSync Manager button.
  4. You have successfully installed the Netscape Address Book Sync tool.  This installation replaces the Palm Desktop Address Book sync with Netscape Address Book Sync.  Know when you sync using the Palm HotSync Manager your Palm Connected Organizer will sync directly with your Netscape Address Book.  You can revert to using the Palm Desktop Address Book sync at any time by following the Uninstall Netscape Address Book instructions below.
Uninstalling Netscape Address Book Sync
  1. If you have existing data in your Netscape Address Book that has not been synchronized you should perform a HotSync before uninstalling the Netscape Address Book.  This will update your Palm Connected Organizer with the latest Netscape Address Book information before you disable the Netscape Address Book Sync.
  2. To uninstall the Netscape Address Book Sync:
    • Click the Start button to bring up the Start menu
    • Select the Programs option
    • >From the Programs menu choose Netscape Communicator
    • >From the Netscape Communicator menu select Palm Tools
    • >From the Palm Tools menu select Address Book Palm Sync Install
    • Select the Uninstall button from within the Netscape Address Book Pilot Conduit Installer dialog box
  3. If the HotSync Manager is running, the Netscape Address Book Pilot Conduit Installer will prompt you to restart the HotSync Manager.  To restart press the Restart HotSync Manager button.
  4. You have successfully uninstalled the Netscape Address Book Sync tool.  Your previous Palm Address Book sync has been enabled.  If at anytime in the future you would like to enable your Netscape Address Book refer to the installation instructions above.




Advanced Features
  • Configuring Netscape Address Book Sync
  • Preparing Netscape address books for Sync
  • Synchronizing your palm organizer for the first time
  • Limitations
  • Synchronizing with different Netscape User Profiles
  •  


    Advanced Features

    Configuring Netscape Address Book Sync

    You can use the "Customize..." feature of the HotSync manager to configure the Netscape Address Book Sync to synchronize, copy the Netscape Address Books to the Palm organizer, or do nothing.  By default, the Netscape Address Book Sync is set to synchronize data between your Palm organizer and Netscape address books.  It is also possible to manually configure Netscape Address Book Sync to ignore specific Netscape address books.  This is done by editing the nabcnd32.cfg file.  This file can be found in the same directory as netscape.exe and is in the format of a standard Windows .ini file.  To exclude specific address books from being synchronized with the Palm organizer, edit the [SyncExclude] section and add a line for each address book you wish to exclude.  For instance, to exclude the address books "Top Secret" and "Old Addresses" the nabcnd32.cfg file should contain:
    [SyncExclude]
    1=Top Secret
    2=Old Addresses

    By default, Netscape Address Book Sync attempts to synchronize all Netscape address books.

    Preparing Netscape address books for Sync

    Personal address books do not need any preparation.  To synchronize LDAP directories you must make sure you have configured them for "Offline" access.  To do this, select the directory you want to sychronize, display the properties for that directory, select the Offline Settings tab, and check "Select this Directory for download".
     

    Synchronizing your palm organizer for the first time
     
    Limitations
    Synchronizing with Different Netscape User Profiles

    Once you have successfully synchronized using a specific User Profile, there are 2 choices for synchronization when you change to a different User Profile.  You will be given a choice during sync to decide which type of synchronization you desire.  You may choose to synchronize with the new profile and merge all of the Pilot records with the Netscape address books in the new profile - this employs the same logic as Synchronizing your palm organizer for the first time.  If you have existing records in your new profile, this may cause duplicate records which you will have to manually delete.  The second choice is to copy the new profile to the Pilot.  This will ERASE ALL records from the Pilot device and copy the address books from the new user profile to the Pilot.
     


    Troubleshooting

    HotSync Problems
     

    I cannot get my palm organizer to HotSync with the Netscape Address Book.
    The HotSync keeps timing out.
    It is possible for HotSync to time out while waiting for Communicator to launch.  If this is occurring, make sure Communicator is running before synchronization.
    The HoySync is taking too long.
    You can cut down the time it takes by doing the following:


    Record Problems

    Some palm organizer Records do not appear in Netscape after synchronizing.

    Some Netscape Records do not appear in the palm organizer after synchronizing.
    What happens to a record that has been modified in both Netscape and the palm organizer when I perform a HotSync?
    When a HotSync is done and the Custom menu setting for Netscape Address Book Sync is Synchronize the files, you will notice that the record has been duplicated (for more information about the duplication, open the HotSync Log). Simply delete the unwanted record (either on your palm organizer or in Netscape) and HotSync again.
    I filed a record in different category on my organizer and it got re-filed in it's original category when I synchronized.
     
    Netscape Address Book Sync does not support this change.  You must move the record in Netscape and perform a HotSync to change its category.
    I created an Unfiled record on my organizer and I can't find it.
     
    The Unfiled category is not supported by Netscape Address Book Sync.  All records in the Unfiled category will be moved to Netscape's default address book, usually the Personal Address Book, and filed in the corresponding category.
     
    I keep getting multiple copies of my records.
    Changes I made to a record in my palm organizer were not transferred to Netscape.
    Some palm organizer record fields appear in a different order after synchronizing.
    The order of the phone fields on the Pilot will be reset during sync.  On the Pilot, there are 5 phone fields and you can choose the label for each field from the popup menu.  When you synchronize, the order of these fields is reset according the current field mapping.  For instance, if you set the first phone field to be "Home" and the second to be "Work", after synchronization the order will be "Work", then "Home".
    Fields that contain multiple lines get changed when I synchronize.
     
    All Netscape fields with the exception of the Notes and Address fields cannot contain multiple lines.  When synchronizing, field values on the organizer that contain multiple lines will be changed to single line entries with each line separated by ", ".


    Other Problems
     
    How do I delete Netscape Address Book Sync?
    Run NSABPPIN.exe and select Uninstall.

    Addendum - Field Mapping
     
    This section describes the conversions that occur when transferring data between the Netscape Address Book(s) and your palm organizer's Address Book. Apart from the special conversion rules that apply to specific fields, some general rules apply:
    Categories
    Address records are filed in Categories on the Pilot, in Netscape, records are stored in Address Books.  Netscape Address Book Sync matches categories and address books.  After a successful synchronization, each category on the Pilot will have a corresponding address book in Netscape.  Pilot categories can onlt be 15 characters long so Netscape Address Book names are truncated on the Pilot.  Following is a description of what happens to categories and address books during synchronization.
    Netscape Address Book action
    Pilot category action
    Synchronization
    New address book created
    n/a
    New Pilot category created IF there is an available category.  The Pilot can only contain 15 categories.  If the maximum has been reached then this address book will not be synchronized.
    Address book deleted
    category not changed, 
    category renamed, or 
    category deleted
    All of the records from this address book will be deleted and if the category still exists it will be deleted as well - even if it was renamed.
    n/a
    New category created
    A new address book with the same name as the category will be created in Netscape.  All new records filed in the category will be created in the new address book.
    n/a
    Category renamed
    The category will be renamed to match the address book it corresponds to.
    n/a
    Category deleted
    The category will get re-created and all appropriate records re-filed into the category.

    Fields

     
    Netscape field
    Pilot field
    Notes
    First name
    First name
     
    Last name
    Last name
     
    Display name
     
    There is no Pilot field for Display name.  The Pilot can be configured to list records by Last name, First name or Company, Last name 
    Email Address
    E-mail
     
    Nickname
     
    Not synchronized
    Title
    Title
     
    Organization
    Company
     
    Department There is no corresponding Pilot field for Department. 
    Notes Note Multiple lines are allowed in this field.
    Address Address Multiple lines are allowed in this field.
    City City
    State State
    Zip Zip Code
    Country Country
    Work phone Work
    Home phone Home
    Fax Fax
    Pager Only 5 phone fields are available on the Pilot.  Work, Home, Fax, Email, and Mobile are synchronized.
    Cellular Mobile
    Prefers to receive rich text (HTML) mail Not synchronized.
    Conferencing No Conference fields or settings are available on the Pilot.



    Table of Contents  |  Installing and Operating | Troubleshooting | Addendum - Field Mapping