271570 - Unique ID for all address cards across all address books

Status: VERIFIED DUPLICATE of bug 444093

(SeaMonkey :: MailNews: Address Book & Contacts, enhancement)

Description

[Robert Accettura [:raccettura]]

There's no true way to get a unique ID for an address card.  There's no real
accurate way to derive one.  There's no required fields, and nothing that must
be unique.  I can have multiple cards with the same email for example.  Or even
same name.

I propose to create/expose a unique ID for each card.  One that is created when
the card is created, and it carries throughout it's life (never changes).  This
is very useful for things such as syncing.

Comment 1

[Robert Accettura [:raccettura]]

This is also a blocker from me implementing a true, and fast iPod Sync for
Thunderbird's Addressbook.

Comment 2

[OstGote!]

Looks like a dupe of Bug 45946.

Comment 3

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

ostgote in comment #2:
> Looks like a dupe of Bug 45946.

The last few comments in bug 45946 seem to be converging to this bug, but I don't think they are the same yet.  It depends I think on the implementation.  bug 45946 started with two issues/assumptions :
1. don't allow a duplicate *within an address book*
2. the criteria of what is a duplicate is based on the data in the card

Conversely, this bug is about uniquely identifying each card 
1. *across all address books*
2. probably NOT using anything in the data to define that identifier - given Robert's reasoning.

Robert?  is that your thinking?  And did lack of a unique id affect your implementation of mozpod?  what about ldap? (if ldap can be synced)

Scott, might this help some data not syncing right in palmsync?  (I haven't checked yet if a unique id would help)

Comment 4

[Robert Accettura [:raccettura]]

It's a drag, but hackable.  Ideally each would have some sort of GUID/UUID.

Currently I'm prefixing moz- for mozpod purposes to have a unique namespace.  Then use lastname and firstname to tell who is who.  If no name, then use email, etc. etc.

That works pretty good unless someone changes their name and you update your AB for example.  There are workarounds for this as well (unimplemented) such as to match multiple things such as phone #, last name, email, addr, so that if only one thing changed... just update.  Otherwise assume it's a new card.

That's pretty messy, so I just decided to wipe existing entries and copy the new ones over.  For most users it's fine.  If you have a ton of addresses, this obviously slows you down as your iPod catches up.  Copying over only the ones that changed since the last sync, or don't exist on the iPod would be faster.

Two way sync is worse.  Not sure what the iPhone has in store.  Or if mozPod will support it (and how).  I don't have any idea how it implements things.

Comment 6

[Steffen Stein]

I'm really looking for a feature in Thunderbird that warns me before creating duplicates in any address book, such as 

"A contact with the same name/email/phone/.. already exists"

And preferrably offers me options such as 

- Yes, create dupe
- no, Please update any information in the existing contact with what I'm currently trying to insert

I think a unique ID could be a start