8.3. Importing

You can import appointments, tasks, and contact data created in other applications into the groupware.

8.3.1. What data can be imported?

The following data is supported:

  • iCal

  • vCard

  • CSV

iCal data allows the standardized exchange of calendar data like appointments and tasks. The typical name extension of an iCal file is .ics.

vCard data allows the standardized exchange of contact data in the form of an electronic business card. The typical name extension of a vCard file is .vcf.

CSV data allows the exchange of text data in the form of a table. You can import contact data from a CSV file. The typical name extension is .csv.

8.3.2. Importing appointments and tasks in iCal format

8.3.2.1. Which iCal objects are imported?

A description of all iCal objects can be found in the document RFC2445.

The following table shows which iCal objects are imported in the groupware and which are not. The information in the columns "Appointments" and "Tasks" have the following meaning:

  • "X" means the object is imported. The object value is set in RFC2445.

  • A number like "255" means the object is imported. The number indicates the maximum number of characters.

  • The entry "unlimited" means the object is imported. There is no limit for the maximum number of characters.

  • The entry "-" means the object is not imported.

CategoryiCal objectAppointmentsTasks
Calendar PropertiesCALSCALE--
 METHOD--
 PRODIDXX
 VERSIONXX
Calendar ComponentsVALARMXX
 VEVENTXX
 VFREEBUSY--
 VJOURNAL--
 VTIMEZONEXX
 VTODOXX
Component PropertiesATTACH--
 ATTENDEEXX
 CATEGORIESXX
 CLASSXX
 COMMENT--
 COMPLETED-X
 CONTACT--
 CREATEDXX
 DESCRIPTIONUnlimitedUnlimited
 DTENDXX
 DTSTAMPXX
 DTSTARTXX
 DUEXX
 DURATIONXX
 EXDATEX-
 EXRULE--
 FREEBUSY--
 GEO--
 LAST-MODIFIED--
 LOCATION255-
 ORGANIZER--
 PERCENT-COMPLETE-X
 PRIORITY-X
 RDATE--
 RECURRENCE-ID--
 RELATED-TO--
 REPEAT--
 REQUEST-STATUS--
 RESOURCESX-
 RRULEXX
 SEQUENCE--
 STATUS-X
 SUMMARY255255
 TRANSP-X
 TRIGGERXX
 TZIDXX
 TZNAMEXX
 TZOFFSETFROMXX
 TZOFFSETTOXX
 TZURLXX
 UIDXX
 URL--
Property ParametersCUTYPEXX
 DELEGATED-FROM--
 DELEGATED-TO--
 DIR--
 ENCODINGXX
 FMTTYPE--
 FBTYPE--
 LANGUAGE--
 MEMBER--
 PARTSTAT--
 RANGE--
 RELATED--
 RELTYPE--
 ROLE--
 RSVP--
 SENT-BY--
 TZIDXX
 VALUEXX

8.3.2.2. Which iCal object properties are not supported?

The groupware supports appointments in the form "The last Sunday of a month".

The groupware does not support appointments with days counted from the end of the month ("The second last Sunday of a month", for example). If an appointments includes such information the appointment is not imported.

The groupware does not support alarm repetition. Example: "Remind me four times". If an appointment contains such information the information is ignored.

8.3.2.3. Accomplishing an iCal import

Note: Make sure the file that is to be imported contains correct iCal data.

Note: You can not import iCal data that you exported from within the groupware under your username.

How to import appointments or tasks in the iCal format:
  1. Click the Configuration icon in the title bar .

  2. Click on Import below Configuration in the folder tree. The available options for the import are displayed in the overview window.

  3. Select the iCal file type. Specify the data to be imported:

    • If you want to import appointments select Appointments in the drop-down field.

    • If you want to import tasks select Tasks in the drop-down field.

  4. Click on Folder. Select the target folder for the import.

  5. Click on Browse. Select the file to be imported. Close the file selection dialog window.

  6. In order to complete the data import click on the panel entry Import.

Result: The appointments or tasks are imported into the target folder.

Tip: You can also import appointments or tasks by right-clicking on a calendar or task folder and selecting Import from the Extended submenu.

8.3.3. Importing contacts in the vCard format

Note: Make sure the file that is to be imported contains correct vCard data.

Note: For each contact only one private address and one business address will be imported. If the imported vCard file contains additional private and business addresses, those addresses are being ignored when importing.

How to import contacts in the vCard format:
  1. Click the Configuration icon in the title bar .

  2. Click on Import below the entry Configuration in the folder tree. The settings available for the import are displayed in the overview window.

  3. Select the file type vCard.

  4. Click on Folder. Select the target folder for the import.

  5. Click on Browse. Select the file to be imported. Close the file selection dialog window.

  6. In order to complete the data import click on the panel entry Import.

Result: The contacts are imported into the target folder.

Tip: You can also import contacts by right-clicking on a contact folder and selecting Import from the Extended submenu.

8.3.4. Importing contacts in the CSV format

The following CSV files are supported:

  • Standard CSV files with comma separated values

  • CSV files from Microsoft Outlook

8.3.4.1. What is the structure of a standard CSV file?

A standard CSV file contains contacts in the form of a table. The table has the following structure:

  • The first row contains the headers i.e., the names of the data fields.

  • Each of the following rows contains the data fields for a contact in the individual columns.

  • The data fields are comma separated.

  • The end of the line is indicated by a line wrap.

A CSV file can, for example, be created with spread sheet software or a text editor. When doing so you have to consider the following details.

  • If there are umlauts in the data fields of the CSV file, they have to be utf-8 encoded.

  • The first row of the CSV file has to contain at least one of the column titles mentioned below.

  • The column titles are case sensitive.

  • The columns can be in any order. The imported data will be assigned to the data fields in the Groupware.

  • The data fields are separated with commas.

  • If there are invalid formats in a data field the respective contact will be skipped. The data fields have to have the following format:

    • All E-Mail fields have to contain the "@" character.

    • The file can have an empty data field.

  • If a data field exceeds the number of maximum allowed characters, all characters that exceed the maximum allowed number are removed. The table below shows the maximum allowed number of characters for each data field.

The first row of the CSV file has to contain one or more of the following column headers:

Display nameSur nameGiven nameMiddle name
SuffixTitleStreet homePostal code home
City homeState homeCountry homeMartial status
Number of childrenProfessionNicknameSpouse name
NoteCompanyDepartmentPosition
Room numberStreet businessPostal code businessCity business
State businessCountry businessNumber of employeeSales volume
Tax idCommercial registerBranchesManager's name
Assistant's nameStreet otherPostal code otherCity other
State otherCountry otherTelephone business 1Telephone business 2
FAX businessTelephone carTelephone companyTelephone home 1
Telephone home 2FAX homeCellular telephone 1Cellular telephone 2
Telephone otherFAX otherTelephone pagerTelephone telex
Telephone TTY/TDDInstantmessenger 1Instantmessenger 2Telephone IP
Email 1Email 2Email 3URL
CategoriesDynamic Field 1Dynamic Field 2Dynamic Field 3
Dynamic Field 4Dynamic Field 5Dynamic Field 6Dynamic Field 7
Dynamic Field 8Dynamic Field 9Dynamic Field 10Dynamic Field 11
Dynamic Field 12Dynamic Field 13Dynamic Field 14Dynamic Field 15
Dynamic Field 16Dynamic Field 17Dynamic Field 18Dynamic Field 19
Dynamic Field 20privateBirthdayAniversario

8.3.4.2. How is the data mapping done for a standard CSV file?

During the import the data fields of the CSV file will be assigned to certain data fields in the Groupware. The following table shows the contact fields in the Groupware and the fields they are assigned to. The table also shows the maximum number of characters allowed for the data field.

Campos de datos de la ventana de diálogo de contactoCampos de datos CSV
GeneralCampo de datosCaracteres máx.
NegociosTratamiento64Tratamiento
 Nombre128Given name
 Segundo nombre128Segundo nombre
 Apellido128Sur name
 Sufijo64Sufijo
 Nombre mostrado64Nombre mostrado
 Compañía512Compañía
 Calle256Street business
 CP64Postal code business
 Ciudad128City business
 País64Country business
 Estado64State business
 Departamento128Departamento
 Puesto128Puesto
 Número de despacho64Número de despacho
 ID de empleado64Number of employee
 Teléfono64Telephone business
 Teléfono 2128Telephone business 2
 Fax64FAX business
 Teléfono (empresa)64Telephone company
 Móvil64Cellular telephone 1
 URL128URL
 E-Mail256Email 1
 MI64Instantmessenger 1
 Etiquetas1024Categories
 Tipo private
PrivadoProfesión64Profesión
 Fecha de nacimiento Birthday
 Calle256Street home
 CP64Postal code home
 Ciudad64City home
 Estado64State home
 País64Country home
 Apodo64Apodo
 Teléfono64Telephone home 1
 Teléfono 264Telephone home 2
 Fax64FAX home
 Móvil64Cellular telephone 2
 Teléfono IP64Telephone IP
 E-Mail256Email 2
 Estado civil64Martial status
 Aniversario Aniversario
 MI64Instantmessenger 2
 Buscapersonas64Telephone pager
 Comentarios5680Note
AdicionalCalle (otro)256Street other
 CP (otro)64Postal code other
 Ciudad (otro)64City other
 Provincia (otro)64State other
 País (otro)64Country other
 Teléfono (otro)64Telephone other
 Fax (otro)64FAX other
 E-Mail (otro)256Email 3
 Teléfono (coche)64Telephone car
 DTS64Telephone TTY/TDD
 Volumen de ventas64Sales volume
 ID fiscal128Tax id
 Registro comercial64Commercial register
 Sucursales64Sucursales
 Gerente64Manager's name
 Ayudante64Assistant's name
 Telex64Telephone telex
 Nombre del cónyuge64Spouse name
 Hijos64Number of children
 Opcional 1 .. 2064Dynamic Field 1 .. 20

8.3.4.3. How to create an MS Outlook CSV file?

To create a CSV file in MS Outlook that can be imported to the Groupware proceed as follows:
  1. Select the menu item File|Import/Export.

  2. In the dialog window Import/Export Wizard choose the entry Export to file. Click on Next.

  3. Choose the entry Comma separated values (Windows). Click Next.

  4. Select the contact folder to be exported. Click Next.

  5. Set the name and location for the output file. Click Next.

  6. To complete the export process click on Finish. Note: Leave the check box Export contacts from ... activated. Do not click on Assign fields. Leave the default assignment unchanged.

Result: The new CSV file contains all data fields for the exported contacts.

8.3.4.4. Which data fields from an MS Outlook CSV file are imported?

The following data fields are imported in the Groupware:

AniversarioNombre del ayudanteBirthday
Ciudad (profesional)País (profesional)Fax (profesional)
Teléfono (profesional)Teléfono (profesional) 2Código Postal (profesional)
Provincia (profesional)Calle (profesional)Teléfono del coche
CategoriesHijosCompany
Teléfono principal de la empresaDepartmentDirección de E-mail 2
Dirección de E-mail 3Dirección de E-mailNombre
Ciudad (domicilio)País (domicilio)Fax (domicilio)
Teléfono (domicilio)Teléfono (domicilio) 2Código postal (domicilio)
Provincia (domicilio)Calle (domicilio)Apellido
Nombre del gerenteSegundo nombreMóvil
NotasNúmero de ID en la organizaciónCiudad (otro)
País (otro)Fax (otro)Teléfono (otro)
Código postal (otro)Provincia (otro)Calle (otro)
BuscapersonasProfessionSensibilidad
CónyugeSuffixTélex
TitleTeléfono del DTSPágina web

8.3.4.5. How is the data mapping done for an MS Outlook CSV file?

When importing, the data fields of the MS Outlook CSV file will be assigned to certain data fields in the Groupware. The following table shows the assignment by listing the data fields that are displayed when editing a contact in the Groupware. The table also shows the maximum number of characters for each data field.

Campos de datos de la ventana de diálogo ContactosCampo de datos CSV de MS Outlook
PestañaCampo de datosCaracteres máx.
GeneralTratamiento64Tratamiento
 Nombre128Nombre
 Segundo nombre128Segundo nombre
 Apellido128Apellido
 Sufijo64Sufijo
 Compañía512Compañía
 Calle256Calle (profesional)
 CP64Código postal (profesional)
 Ciudad128Ciudad (profesional)
 País64País (profesional)
 Estado64Estado (profesional)
 Departamento128Departamento
 Teléfono64Teléfono (profesional)
 Teléfono2128Teléfono (profesional) 2
 Fax64Fax (profesional)
 Teléfono (empresa)64Teléfono (compañía)
 Móvil64Móvil
 URL128Página web
 Email256Dirección de E-mail
 Etiquetas1024Categories
 Tipo Sensibilidad
PrivadoProfesión64Profesión
 Fecha de nacimiento Birthday
 Calle256Calle (domicilio)
 CP64Código postal (domicilio)
 Ciudad64Ciudad (domicilio)
 Estado64Estado (domicilio)
 País64País (domicilio)
 Teléfono64Teléfono (domicilio)
 Teléfono264Teléfono (domicilio) 2
 Fax64Fax (domicilio)
 Email256Dirección de E-mail 2
 Aniversario Aniversario
 Buscapersonas64Buscapersonas
 Comentario5680Notas
AdicionalCalle (otro)256Calle (otro)
 CP (otro)64Código postal (otro)
 Ciudad (otro)64Ciudad (otro)
 Provincia (otro)64Estado (otro)
 País (otro)64País (otro)
 Teléfono (otro)64Teléfono (otro)
 Fax (otro)64Fax (otro)
 E-Mail (otro)64Dirección de E-mail 3
 Teléfono (coche)64Teléfono del coche
 DTS64Teléfono del DTS
 Registro comercial64Número de ID en la organización
 Gerente64Nombre del gerente
 Ayudante64Nombre del ayudante
 Telex64Telex
 Nombre del cónyuge64Cónyuge
 Hijos64Hijos

8.3.4.6. Importing a CSV file

Warning: If the data field for an import file exceeds the maximum number of allowed characters or contains invalid data the respective contact will be skipped during the import.

Note: Make sure to use valid import files. Please find some hints on valid import files in 8.3.4.1: What is the structure of a standard CSV file? and 8.3.4.3: How to create an MS Outlook CSV file?. .

Note: When importing an already existing contact, the contact's data is overwritten with the data from the imported file.

To import contacts from a default CSV file or an MS Outlook file proceed as follows:
  1. Click the Options icon in the title bar .

  2. Click on Import below Configuration in the folder tree. The import settings are displayed in the overview window.

  3. Select CSV as file type.

  4. Select the CSV file format:

    • If the file contains data in the default CSV format select Comma separated.

    • If the file contains data in the MS Outlook CSV format, select Outlook file.

    • Click on Folder. Select the folder for the import.

  5. Click on Browse. Select the file to be imported. Close the file selection dialog.

  6. To execute the data import click on the panel entry Import.

Result: The contacts are imported into the target folder.

Tip: You can also import contacts by right-clicking on a contact folder and selecting Import from the Extended submenu.