[Evolution-hackers] Using the vcf addressbook backend

[Chris Toshok <toshok ximian com>]

evolution-data-server has support for another file-based addressbook
backend, although it's not immediately accessible from evolution.  It
stores vcards in a flat text file, so getting at them from outside
evolution is much easier than in the file:// backend.

You'll need HEAD evolution-data-server as of about 10 minutes ago (I
just mailed a patch fixing some issues in the vcf backend.)

Getting evolution to be able to deal with the backend is easy.  It
requires running test-source-list, which you'll find in evolution-data-
server/libedataserver.  All you need to do is add a new source group to
the addressbook source list and evolution will do the right thing:

$ ./test-source-list --key=/apps/evolution/addressbook/sources --add-group="VCF Books" --set-base-uri="vcf:///home/toshok/.evolution/addressbook/local"

You'll want to change that "/home/toshok" to whatever your home
directory is.

That'll add the source group to the source selector for the addressbook.
Then you just select "VCF Books" from the "Add Addressbook" druid and
it'll create a vcf addressbook for you.

This isn't strictly supported inside evolution (and so there aren't nice
things like being able to convert an existing file:// addressbook to a
vcf:// addressbook, for instance).  Even so, it's available from e-d-s
and therefore available from other applications, so I'd like to know
about and fix any problems people find with it.

Chris