Programmatically Import Contacts into a Public Folder - HOW?

[Guest]

We are trying to find a way that we can programmatically (via a script or
batch file) import a CSV file into an Exchange Public Folder. The CSV file
will be a list of contacts exported from a DB2 database on a regular basis
(say every 4 hours or whatever we decide). The contacts list will need to be
imported into a Public Folder that will be shared out to a specific group.

Importing the contacts into AD and putting them in the GAL was my first
thought. But we don't want the 7500 contacts to be displayed in the GAL. I
know you can create separate lists from the Address Lists, but still doesn't
filter the contacts out of the main GAL, unless I am wrong, but I am pretty
certain about that. You can select the contacts to not appear in the GAL,
but then the contacts wouldn't be displayed in the created Address List
either.

I have read over some of the articles related to using custom forms to
accomplish this and that may be an option. The problem I am having is
finding a way to script the process, instead of manual intervention. When we
use the import function that works fine, and would work great if we only had
to do this once a week, but because the data is changed in the database, and
my task is to get this into a Contacts List that people can search and send
e-mails to, I need to try and figure this out.

Maybe there is another way? I am open to suggestions.

Thanks for any hep you can provide

 

[Karl Timmermans]

If your sole objective is to import your contacts into a public folder on a
scheduled basis and update existing contact info from the source CSV file,
then you may find our product ContactGenie DataPorter of interest. Can
accomplish this simply by creating a template for the import process and
running it automatically using any task scheduler. As long as one or more
fields exist that can uniquely identify contacts between the contact folder
and source data file - then <updating> contacts is not a problem. Custom
forms/fields are also fully supported.

A summary of product features can be found at:
http://www.contactgenie.com/cg20features.htm

Karl
_____________________________________________________________
ContactGenie - Importer 1.3 / DataPorter 2.0 / Exporter
"Power contact importers/exporters for MS Outlook '2000/2003"
http://www.contactgenie.com

 

[Guest]

Thanks Karl, I have seen that product from the other discussion groups, which
I am not interested in purchasing something at this time.

Not to say your product won't solve our problem, as I am sure it would; I
can't belive that there is not some other way to accomplish this task without
purchasing something.

Maybe .NET or CDO?

 

[Karl Timmermans]

Dave,

If you find a free "generic" import/export (data migration) solution that
doesn't require writing your own code and deals with custom data - please
post your findings. Have no doubt that many people would be interested (not
the least of whom would be us and I do mean that sincerely). We've had some
major Microsoft certified partners come to us after asking Microsoft the
same thing and looking for a "zero-cost" or "dirt cheap" solution for more
then 6 months on behalf of their customers with no success.

Admittedly, in a perfect world, writing a custom solution is really a very
simple, quick, and straight-forward process which is not at all difficult to
do if the environment is completely controlled, everything is known in
advance (data access, data source, field names (in and out), data types &
formats, etc), exceptions to any rule don't occur, you don't care about
things like "security prompts" or performance, and especially if you also
don't have to deal with any Outlook/Exch "anomalies/undocumented features".
There are lots of source code samples for this kind of scenario (both online
and in book form) which can have virtually anyone with minimal programming
knowledge up and running in a matter of hours.

As a recent multi-national customer wrote to us "...................You can
not believe how many different ways there are to store data."

Karl

_____________________________________________________________
ContactGenie - Importer 1.3 / DataPorter 2.0 / Exporter
"Power contact importers/exporters for MS Outlook '2000/2003"
http://www.contactgenie.com