Write Access to AddressBooks

Database Access

Document - ID	Specification Owner	Last Change	Status
	Wind li	04／4／30	init
Conforms to	
Applies to	Mozab Driver
Task ID(s)	I20388
Category	feature

Abstract

The registration of database files is necessary for the applications to allow the creation of e.g. mail merge documents or database ranges in spreadsheets where databases are used. Therefore a new dialog, where the user can administrate the already existing database names or create new ones, is needed.

i-Team Members (The specification owner is part of the i-Team)

	Name	E-mail Address
User Experience	Christian Jansen (CJ)	cj@openoffice.org
Development	Wind Li(wind)	windly@openoffice.org
Quality Assurance	Marc Neumann (MSC)	msc@openoffice.org
Documentation	Uwe Fischer (UFI)	ufi@openoffice.org

Approved for Implementation

	Approved by	Date
User Experience	Christian Jansen (CJ)	
Development	Wind Li(wind)	
Quality Assurance	Marc Neumann (MSC)	04／4／28
Documentation	Uwe Fischer (UFI)	04／4／19
		04／4／28
String Review		

Document Change History

Rev. Level	Change	Initials	Date
0.1	Initial version	wind	04／4／14
0.2	Take Franks' advice add some examples for Mozilla AB access mode switch	wind	04／4／19
0.3	Status update	wind	04／4／30

Contents

Glossary	1

1	Motivation	1

2	User Scenarios	1

3	Goals	1

4	Requirements and Dependencies	1

4.1	Requirements	1

4.2	Technical Dependencies	1

5	Competitive Analyses	1

6	Detailed Specification	1

6.1	How users can edit the AddressBooks	1

6.2	Which AddressBook is writable	2

7	References	3

Glossary

Term	Description

Motivation

Add update capabilities for the Address Book Datasource.

User Scenarios

Customer Need access to different external address books: Mozilla/Netscape, Outlook Express with read and write access.

Goals

We will implement update capabilities for the Address Book access.

This includes Mozilla/Netscape as well as Outlook/Express address data.

Requirements and Dependencies

Requirements

n/a

Technical Dependencies

n/a

Competitive Analyses

n/a

Detailed Specification

How users can edit the AddressBooks

Since we implement AddressBook component as a SDBC driver, users can access address data as they access any other datasource . Such as this:

Illustration 1Access Outlook Express Address Book In Writer

Which AddressBook is writable

1.Mozilla address book is not threadsafe . If two applications changing the Mozilla AddressBooks at the same time, there has a chance to destroy the AddressBooks. So Mozilla AddressBook is not always writable. It's writable when Mozilla is not running and the AddressBook is not changed outside of our process. If Mozilla is running or Mozilla AddressBooks are changed by other applicaions since we loaded them, the Mozilla AddressBooks will be openned in readonly mode.

Illustration 2Mozilla AddressBooks Are Opened In Readonly Mode while Mozilla is Running

Here are some possible scenarios.

Case1:

1.Mozilla is running

2.OOo started

The access to the Mozilla AddressBook is readonly.

3.Mozilla stopped

You can access Mozilla AB in write mode now.

Case2:

1.Started OOo

2.Access Mozilla AddressBooks within OOo

The access to the Mozilla AddressBook is writable.

3.Mozilla Started

The access to the Mozilla AB becomes readonly. If you have made some changes to the addresses and had not committed them then the driver will not allow you commit them, until you

3.1Close Mozilla and do't make any change to the same directory

If unfortunately you had

3.2 Changed the same addresses in Mozilla and closed Mozilla

Sorry. The uncommitted changes you made in OOo will be lost. We can't commit them for you or we'll destroy the address book.

Case3:

1.Access Mozilla AB in OOo

2.Change Mozilla AB in other applicaions(Such as another version OOo/SO)

3.Switch back to first OOo

The access to the Mozilla AB becomes readonly.

2.Outlook/Outlook Express AddressBooks are always opened in write mode even when they are included in a Mozilla profile.

Illustration 3Open OutlookExpress AddressBook From Mozilla Profile	3.LDAP AddressBooks are always opened in read-only mode.

References

1.Enabling Outlook and Outlook Express through the Preferences File

2.Enable Outlook and Outlook Express from the UI

Write Access to AddressBooks

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http://dba.openoffice.org/specifications/Write_Access_To_AddressBooks.sxw

2004-04-15T13:39:54