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Outlook Synchronisation

Outlook Synchronisation

Description

With this module the contacts in a folder of Outlook can be synchronised with any contacts in ClassiX®. The basic procedure is the following: First a connection between a contact in Outlook and a contact in ClassiX® must be established. Then the contact data (business address, private address, ...) is assigned to the desired fields in Outlook. This assignment can be made individually for each contact and will be used later for all synchronisation processes. As soon as there is a connection between the contacts, they can be synchronised at any time.

Functionality

Main window

The entire synchronisation is controlled and also started from this window. The most important part of the window is the list in which all contacts to be synchronised are displayed. Above this, it is shown which folder is currently selected in Outlook. Here, the default Outlook contact folder is selected by default. The button "Select" opens a dialogue with which a contact folder of Outlook can be selected. The small button next to it is used to update the list if something has changed in the Outlook folder. After selecting an Outlook folder, all contacts contained in it are loaded into the list. A symbol in front of each entry indicates what will happen in case of synchronisation with this contact. The table below provides an overview of the possible states. In principle, there are four different states. Firstly: a contact exists in ClassiX® as well as in Outlook and has already been connected. Then the contact data is simply written to ClassiX® or Outlook depending on the setting (see Options).
Second: If a contact from the current Outlook folder has not yet been connected or does not exist in ClassiX® at all, then this contact has to be connected (if necessary a new person has to be created, see Connections).
Thirdly: If a contact from ClassiX® is added to the list, the module assumes that it does not exist in the selected Outlook folder. During synchronisation a new contact is then automatically created and connected in Outlook (but the contact data must be connected manually, see Connections).
Fourthly, a conflict has arisen in the determination of the status. This is for example the case if a contact from ClassiX® has been added to the list, which is already connected to an Outlook contact from another folder. This contact can then be reconnected by closing the old connection.
This results in the following boundary condition for the synchronisation: Only folders can be synchronised. To start a synchronisation process, no contact may have the state "Conflict" or "Not available in ClassiX®".
The assignment between Outlook contacts and ClassiX® contacts is user-dependent. This means that each ClassiX® user can define his own assignments, which are then saved. Since the contact data in ClassiX® are not user specific, conflicts may occur. For example, two different users could connect the same contact from ClassiX® with another contact from Outlook. If one of the users synchronises, the ClassiX® contact might contain data that the other user did not want to synchronise.

Contact states
Symbol Description
write_ol.png This contact is updated in Outlook.
write_cx.png This contact is updated in ClassiX®.
new_ol.png This contact is recreated in Outlook.
new_cx.png This contact does not exist in ClassiX® and has to be connected/created.
exclamation_red.png This contact causes a conflict, e.g. it does not belong to the currently selected folder
Menu
Menu item Description
Contact -
Remove Remove entry from the list.
: Edit Edit the person of the selected list entry.
: Edit link Open the connection window for the selected contact.
Automatically link Automatically link the selected contact.
Folder -
Select Select Outlook contact folder
: Update Reread folder contents
Tools -
Options Call up the option window
: Synchronisation protocol
context menu
Menu item Description
Remove Remove entry from the list.
Edit Edit the person of the selected list entry.
Edit link Open the connection window for the selected contact.
Automatically link Automatically link the selected contact.
Toolbar
Symbol Description
CX_PERSON.png Select a person and add them to the list.
CX_CORPORATION.png Select a company and add it to the list.
open.png Edit the selected list entry.
delete.png Remove entry from the list.
delete_all.png Remove all entries from the list
ol_link.png Open the connection window for the selected contact.
ol_auto.png Automatically connect all contacts in the list.
ol_link_fields.png Automatically connect Outlook fields for all contacts.
options.png Open the option window.
sync.png Synchronise all contacts.
Fields
Field Description
Outlook folder Path to the selected Outlook contacts folder for synchronisation
List Listing of individual contacts for synchronisation
Buttons
button Description
Dial Select Outlook contact folder

reload.png

Reread folder contents
Close The window is closed.

Connection window

In this window you can assign an Outlook contact to a ClassiX® contact, select the contact data (telephone numbers, addresses...) to be synchronised and assign them to the fields of the Outlook contact. The ClassiX® contact and its data (name, first name ...) are displayed on the left side of the window. Below this is a list containing all contact data found in ClassiX®. If nothing is shown on the left, it is a contact that exists in Outlook but has not yet been connected to ClassiX®. In this case the corresponding information is displayed as soon as a connection has been established.
On the right side you can see all fields from Outlook that are synchronised. By Drag&Drop the individual contact data can now be dragged into the fields and thus be assigned. The exact assignment is left to each user, e.g. it is also possible to assign fax numbers to the telephone fields. The type is only checked for the addresses. If a contact information does not yet exist in ClassiX®, a button new_link.png with which it can be newly created for the assigned ClassiX® contact. If a field is already connected, a button delete_small.png which can be used to undo the assignment.
Connecting to a ClassiX® contact is also done by drag & drop. Any contact object can be dragged to the left side to establish a connection. You can also use the button "Select person" or "Select company" to select a corresponding contact object.
If you want to create a new contact in ClassiX®, you can do so by using the buttons "Create person" or "Create company". Then a new contact object will be created and connected.
With the button "Disconnect" (in the toolbar or on the top right of the Outlook contact) the connection between ClassiX® and Outlook is disconnected again.
The button "Cancel individual assignments" cancels all assignments of the Outlook fields. This happens automatically when the person assignment is disconnected. With the button "Automatically assign Outlook fields" all fields can be automatically connected with the corresponding contact data from ClassiX®.
All changes to the contact or field assignments are only accepted after clicking on "OK" and can also be cancelled with the "Cancel" button.

Toolbar
Symbol Description
CX_PERSON_open.png Select a person to connect.
CX_PERSON_new.png Create a new person to connect.
CX_CORPORATION_open.png Select company to connect.
CX_CORPORATION_new.png Create a new company to connect.
ol_unlink.png Disconnect the connection between the contacts.
ol_link_fields.png Automatically assign contact information.
ol_unlink_fields.png Remove all connections between contact information and Outlook fields.

Fields
Field Description
ClassiX Contact -
: Surname Last name of the person
: Title Title of the person
First name First name of the person
: Date of birth Date of birth of the person
: Company Company name
: contact information Listing of the contact data found in ClassiX
Outlook Contact -
: Surname Last name of the person
: Title Title of the person
: Date of birth Date of birth of the person
First name First name of the person
: Company Company name
: business/private address -
: : Street Street address
: : POSTCODE Postcode
: : Place Place
: : Country Country
Telephone -
: : Business Business phone number
: : Mobile Mobile phone number
: : Private Private phone number
: Internet -
: : E-mail 1 e-mail address
: : E-mail 2 e-mail address
: : Website Website address
fax -
: : Business Business fax number
: : Private Private fax number
Buttons
button Description
new_link.png Create new contact information in ClassiX®.
delete_small.png Remove the association between the contact information and the Outlook field.
OK Changes are accepted and the window is closed.
Close The window is closed without saving changes. If you want to save the changes, you must press the "OK" button.

Option window

Some settings for the synchronisation process can be made here. The first option is the master selection, which determines from where to where the contact data is written. If "ClassiX" is selected here, all contact data is always written from ClassiX® to Outlook. If "Outlook" is selected, it is the other way round. If the option "By date" is selected, the date of the last change on the respective page is compared with the date of the other page and the older contact is overwritten with the information from the newer one.
Below this you will find the display options. If "Current folder" is selected here, only contacts from the current Outlook folder are displayed. However, if "All Folders" is selected, all contacts connected to Outlook from any Outlook folder are displayed. The check box indicates whether contacts marked as "Private" in Outlook should also be displayed. Only then these contacts can be connected and synchronised with ClassiX® contacts. Otherwise the private contacts from Outlook are completely ignored. Already connected contacts are always displayed, regardless of whether they are marked as "Private" or not. In order to remove these contacts from display, the connection must first be disconnected in ClassiX®.
The last option on the left side is to define which information should be transferred from Outlook to ClassiX®. So it might not be desirable to change the data of the respective company for each Outlook contact in ClassiX®. Just activate the checkbox for the information that should be transferred.
In the upper right corner you can control the behaviour when automatically connecting an Outlook contact with a ClassiX® contact. The first option controls the basic procedure, whether to try to find an already existing contact in ClassiX® or whether to create a new contact in general. The second option applies in case no contact was found during the search. In this case one can be created automatically or nothing can be done, so that a manual assignment is possible or necessary.
The last option on the right side controls what should happen when a company from ClassiX® is added. Either only the company can be selected, only the employees of the company or both.
The options are saved user-specifically so that each user can configure Outlook synchronization according to their preferences.

Fields
Field Description
Master -
: ClassiX All contact data are always written from ClassiX® to Outlook.
: Outlook All contact data is always written from Outlook to ClassiX®.
date The date of the last change on the respective page is compared with the date of the other page and then the older contact is overwritten with the information from the newer one.
Display -
: Current folder Only contacts from the current Outlook folder are displayed.
: All folders All contacts connected to Outlook from any Outlook folder are displayed.
: Show private contacts Specifies whether to display contacts that are marked as "Private" in Outlook. Only then these contacts can be connected and synchronised with ClassiX® contacts. Otherwise the private contacts from Outlook are completely ignored.
Already connected contacts are always displayed whether or not they are marked as "Private". In order for these contacts not to be displayed any more, the connection in ClassiX® must first be cancelled.
What is written after ClassiX? Determines which information should be transferred from Outlook to ClassiX®.
Under certain circumstances it is not desired that for each Outlook contact the data of the respective company is changed in ClassiX®. Just activate the checkbox for the information to be transferred.
Connecting by car -
: Search contact An attempt should be made to find an already existing contact in ClassiX®.
: Create contact The contact is to be generally reestablished.
: Create contact In case no contact was found during the search, one can also be created automatically or simply nothing can be done, so that a manual assignment is possible or necessary.
Adding a company The last option on the right side controls what should happen when a company from ClassiX® is added. Either only the company can be selected, only the employees of the company or both.
The options are saved user-specifically so that each user can configure Outlook synchronization according to their preferences.
Buttons
button Description
OK Settings are applied.
Close The window is closed.

Related topics

Technical Documentation

Outlook synchronization module

Module name

olsync.mod

Classes

-

Security

In addition to restricting access rights via the class and its data fields, the module can be restricted in its use via some of the received messages.

Received messages

Message Parameters Function Security
OUTLOOK_SYNC None The Outlook synchronization window opens.

Sent messages

Message Parameters Function Receiver module
EDIT_PERSON The person to the selected contact To edit the person of the selected contact. People Editing Module
SELECT_PERSON None Selection of a person. Person selection module
EDIT_LEGAL_PERSON The company to the selected contact To edit the company of the selected contact. Company Editing Module
SELECT_LEGAL_PERSON None Selection of a company. Company selection module

Operational business