Aug 27, 2008

Google Contacts 0.3.40


Google Contacts 0.3.40 is now available for download. In this version, you can undo deletion of contacts. Since the addon is untable yet, it may delete contacts in Google by a bug. You may delete them by mistake, too. You can recover the deleted contacts/groups by using this new functionality.

You can invoke the function from a drop down menu of the Reload button in the address book window (see the image). The Reload button is not added by default settings. Customize the toolbar and add the icon if you have not added it yet.

There are a few limitaions:
  • only Google entries deleted from the address book window can be recovered
  • a mail list can be recovered but email addresses which are stored in it are not restored
  • only entries deleted in the session will be restored; i.e, all cache are purged when you finish Thunderbird
Please let me hear your comments about the new features in v0.3.30 and v0.3.40!

Aug 24, 2008

Google Contacts 0.3.30

I've uploaded Google Contacts 0.3.30. It includes the following new features:
  1. Progress meters appear while synchronizing contacts
  2. Confirm deletion when synchronizing offline changes
The 1. is added to notify a user of the end of synchronization. Synchronizations may take some time ; it depends on conditions of your network, amout of data, load of Google, etc. If you edit address books while the addon synchronizes, it may fail. So, don't modify address books while the progress bars appear in the status bars of main (messenger) window and address book window.

The 2. feature is disabled by default. You can enable it by the option dialog. When the addon apply offline changes, it deletes some items. It judges them based on the last updated dates of them. However, the judgement is very difficult and it is impossible to do perfectly. In order to avoid wrong deletions, it asks a user items to be deleted by a popup. Uncheck items you don't want to delete.

Aug 23, 2008

Gmail IMAP Account Setup 1.4.60 and Priority Switcher 0.5.10

Gmail IMAP Account Setup 1.4.60 and Priority Switcher 0.5.10 are now available for download.

Gmail IMAP Account Setup 1.4.60 newly includes ca-AD and hu-HU locales. It supports 18 languages now! Thanks translators and BabelZilla staffs!

Priority Switcher 0.5.10 is a locale update for 0.5.00.

Aug 19, 2008

Google Contacts FAQ is updated

I've updated FAQ for Google Contacts. It includes 4 new tips.
Please refer to them if you are in trouble.
I hope they'll help you.

Aug 12, 2008

Google Contacts 0.3.20

Google Contacts 0.3.20 is now available for download. It fixes the following serious problem. Please update if you use 0.3 series.
  • Fixed: all contacts in Gmail will be removed when you reload contacts
It does not happen if you have ever reloaded contacts by 0.2.90 or 0.2.100.
Anyway, please don't use 0.3.00 and 0.3.10 anymore.

Aug 8, 2008

Tag Toolbar 0.7.60

Tag Toolbar 0.7.60 is now available for download. It fixes the following problem:
  • Fixed: Cannot tag a composed message when "Place replies in the folder of the message being repiled to" is checked in a "Copies & Folders" option

Aug 6, 2008

Makeshift download page

The download pages are down now. Please download the latest addons from the following links.
Please note the links are temporaly and will be removed after the server is recovered.

[Updated 8/8]
The server is now available. The following links will not be updated and will be useless. Please download addons from my homepage.


Maximize Message Pane
Get before Send
Check and Send
Priority Switcher
Gmail IMAP Account Setup
Tag Toolbar
Google Contacts
The server has been down 3 times since I move the download pages to where. And this down is the longest. I'm searching more stable server for the pages. Please recommend if you know servers which fulfill the following requrements:
  • 30MB or more spaces
  • Google AdSense is allowed
  • Free or cost a few dollers for month
  • Ruby, especially eruby or ERB is available
  • Both English and Japanese pages are allowed
  • XPI files can be uploaded
Thanks for your patience.

Server down

The server at which the download pages locate is down now. Please wait it is recovered or download addons from AMO.

Thanks for your patience.

Aug 2, 2008

Google Contacts FAQ

This post shows frequently asked questions and answers. Please read them before you ask me.

I've tried some features including Google's Contacts Data API, Thunderbird's address book API, E4X/XMLHttpRequest of JavaScript. They are all new for me. So, it may invoke some problems. Indeed, some bugs have been found and Google Contacts has been updated frequently. Please check the blog regularly and use the latest version. If you find bugs, please let me know error messages in the Config Editor and methods how to reproduce them.

1. It does not retrieve all contacts in Gmail.
It retrieve only about 25 contacts by default. If you have more contacts, set the maximum number of the contacts in the Google Contacts' option dialog. This limitation will be removed in v0.6.34.

2. It does not synchronize at all.
At first, verify there is at least one account checked in the Accounts Window from the options. Then authorize your accounts before you synchronize Thunderbird and Google It is done by clicking Reload button. If uncheck the "Load contacts at startup" option, you have to reload contacts manually before you modify address books.

3. It does not add contacts.
Duplicated email addresses are not allowed in Gmail. Confirm the address you want to add is unique.

4. What's the difference in the Interactive and Batch mode?
The interactive mode publish changes you did in Thunderbird to Gmail immediately . On the other hand, the batch mode does not publish them immediately. The changes are sumitted to Gmail only when you click the Reload button. I recommend you to use the interactive mode for daily use. Use the batch mode when you changes many cards and mail lists at once or you manage them offline.

5. Some groups are not mapped if several accounts are synchronized.
Thunderbird does not allow duplicated mail lists even if they are in different address books. So, if there are groups whose name is the same in accounts, only one of them is mapped and the others are ignored. It is due to a limitation of Thunderbird's database and I can do nothing about it.

6. Do I have to install your IMAP addon, Gmail IMAP Account Setup, too?
No. Gmail IMAP Account Setup is not needed for Google Contacts.

7. What fields are synchronized?
Only fields exist in both Thunderbird and Gmail. Fields only exist in Thunderbird are stored in Google's database so you can share them among Thunderbirds but you cannot see them in Gmail. See here following for the mapping.

8. No contact is retrieved after I deleted the address books created by the addon.
When you delete address books, the accounts to which the address books are bound are set not to synchronize anymore. If you want to synchronize them again, open the addon's option and check the accounts in the "Accounts" section. They will come back after you restart Thunderbird.

9. Where is the Reload button?
It is not added to a toolbar automatically. It exists in the toolbar palette of the both main (messenger) and address book windows. Please add it manually.

10. It sometimes fails to retrieve contacts.
A synchronization takes some times because it sends requests to Google and waits for replies. The time depends on the amount of data, your network conditions and load of Google. Please wait for a few minutes after it started to synchronize.

11. How can I reset it to the initial settings?
You cannot initialize it only by removing and reinstalling the addon. Please reset it as follows:
  1. Delete address books created by the addon
  2. Open the Config Editor
  3. Type gmcont in the filter
  4. You will see preferences starts with gmcont; Clear all of them by right-clicking a pref and choose "Reset"
  5. Restart Thunderbird

12. Does Google Contacts supports Shredder/Thunderbird3 beta?
It does not support Shredder and Thunderbird3 beta so far. And it will not work even if you install it by modifying install.rdf since APIs for address books are changed in Thunderbird3. I plan to start to implement when Thunderbird3 beta2 is released.
Test builds for Thunderbird3 Beta are available now. Please see the Thunderbird3 Compatibility Testing Thread and try the latest builds.

Now v0.6 or later support Thunderbird3.

13. Does Google Contacts supports Google Apps?
Yes, it does. But it cannot detect your Google Apps accounts automatically, not as it finds POP/IMAP Gmail accounts. So, after you install the addon, open the addon's option dialog and add your Google Apps accounts to the account section manually.


14. Why is a password needed to download Google Contacts?
Google Contacts is placed in the sandbox system in AMO, where experiment addons are stored. You have to sign up AMO account and login to download them. In order to push them into a public space, they have to be reviewed by AMO editors and be approved. I nominated for the review and am waiting for the approval. However, the review takes many times since many addons are waiting for the review.

Google Contacts becomes a public add-on. You can download it without an AMO account.


15. I cannot receive a update notification for Google Contacts.
As I wrote in the question 14, it stored in the sandox of AMO. You will get the notification after it is pushed to a public. Please wait until it is approved.

Aug 1, 2008

Google Contacts 0.2.100 and 0.3.10

Google Contacts 0.2.100 and 0.3.10 are now available for download. It fixes one bug.
  • Fixed: Synchronization will fail when a value of a card or a mail list inludes "/"
I've update the both v0.2 and v0.3 serieses since v0.3 is unstable yet.

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