546094 - Export LDAP contacts to LDIF/CSV does not work

Status: UNCONFIRMED

(Thunderbird :: Address Book, defect)

Description

[Dmitry]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-GB; rv:1.9.1.3) Gecko/20090824 Firefox/3.5.3
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.1.5) Gecko/20091127 Shredder/3.0.1pre

When I try to export search entries from LDAP directory, the empty file is created. If this functionality is not supported to work, the corresponding menu items should be disabled. Otherwise export function should produce some result, which may be:
a) Export all records from contact list
b) Export only selected records from contact list, if there is a selection
... or ask user if all/selected only entries should be exported

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Create LDAP address book. Make a search by some filter [OK, some entries where found]
2. Select Tools->Export->select CSV or LDIF and confirm the dialog
Actual Results:  
Empty TXT or LDIFF file was created

Expected Results:  
A file containing all matched entries in address book window.

Comment 1

[Alexander J]

Dirty TEMPORARY fix: 
Copy LDAP search result to Personal address book (or any temporary local book) by selecting needed LDAP contacts then press and hold Control and drag selected contacts to a local address book form which make export as usually.

Comment 2

[Dmitry]

I confirm the problem for TB 17. The method suggested by Alexander J does not work well, as TB only copies display name and email (all other fields are lost).
The only reasonable way is to export LDAP entries using e.g. ldapsearch as .ldif and then import into TB address book.

Comment 3

[doxland]

Similar related problem using TB 38.0.2 on Ubuntu 14.04
 When I go Address-book/Tools/export/
The .ldif file created is zero bytes.
Send it and it's still zero bytes.
Import of no value.

Comment 4

[Chuck]

(In reply to doxland from comment #3)
> Similar related problem using TB 38.0.2 on Ubuntu 14.04
>  When I go Address-book/Tools/export/
> The .ldif file created is zero bytes.
> Send it and it's still zero bytes.
> Import of no value.

I confirm this same problem (trying to export a LIDF file), as having been recently introduced, likely around release 38.0.0?

I use this export feature to sync two TB environments (work / home) so that I have a consistent
view of my contacts (Addressbook) in two locations.

This is high impact for me; I have been using this syncing method for years and now, all of a sudden,
it's broken.

Someone please pick up the Bug Ticket and fix this issue!

Comment 5

[Chuck]

I have found a solution to this problem (I am using 38.4.0).

I believe that the code was changed to *NOT* select your "Personal Address Book", by default and hence when you select "Export", nothing is selected so nothing is copied to the output file.

If you highlight your "Personal Address Book" *BEFORE* you select "Export", I believe that the file is then created from that data and has a > 0 byte length!

Makes sense once you know the solution, but this 'operational change' was a recent introduction in some recent code upgrade. I had been using this to sync two TB environments, for years and then it just stopped working. Now, it should work again!

Credit to: http://its.isber.ucsb.edu/guides/how-import-and-export-your-address-book-thunderbird

Chuck.

Comment 6

[Dmitry]

@Chuck: I think that your workaround is not relevant, as you do export the data from addressbook which is stored locally in .MAB file. The issue is however about remote directories, i.e. those associated with remote LADP server. Thus "selecting your 'Personal Address Book'" is not relevant, as it clears the list of searched/found LDAP entries (which are subject for export in my case).

Comment 7

[Chuck]

@Dmitry: I think you are correct, my additions to this case were not very clear. Your problems deal with LDAP exporting and my issue was with LDIF exporting. At the time my problem showed up and I came to Bugzilla to look, this was the closest case that suggested problems with Addressbook export function introduced in by a release level change. I think my issue and your bug report were related to the same, code change that re-worked the Addressbook Export function.

Thanks for the correction. Hope this helps.