NAME

       $HOME/.abook/abookrc - configuration file for abook address book program

DESCRIPTION

       This manual page documents briefly the abookrc file.
       abookrc  is  the  (optional)  configuration  file  for  use with the abook(1) address book
       program.

       abookrc is stored in a  user's  $HOME/.abook  directory.  It  follows  a  format  of  “set
       option=value”.   The following information lists each of these options and the values they
       may take.

       If a variable is not set in abookrc , a sensible default, as listed with  the  description
       below, will be used.

       Comments in abookrc are on lines beginning with '#'.

COMMANDS

       set option = value

       field identifier = human_readable_name [ , type ]
              Defines  a  new  custom  field.  type  can be one of 'string' (default) , 'emails',
              'list', or 'date'.

       view view name = field1 [ , field2, ... ]
              Defines a view/tab, with fieldN being the identifier of a field declared  with  the
              field command, or the identifier of a standard field.

              Standard fields:
                   name, email,
                   address, address2, city, state, zip, country,
                   phone, workphone, fax, mobile,
                   nick, url, notes, anniversary

              Note:  if  you don't define any view, abook will use a default display based on the
              above standard fields.

VARIABLES

       autosave=[true|false]
              Defines whether the addressbook is automatically saved on exit. Default is true.

       preserve_fields=[all|standard|none]
              Specifies how fields not declared with the field command nor in a  view  should  be
              preserved while loading an abook database.

              all    preserve any completely unknown field.

              standard
                     only preserve the standard fields (see a list in the
                       description of the view command) and the legacy
                       'custom[1-5]' fields.

              none   discards any unknown field.

              Default is standard.

       index_format=format_string
              Defines the way entries are displayed in the main list. This is a string containing
              field names enclosed between braces, with an optional width limit  specified  by  a
              number  (right  alignment  if  negative)  after  the field name and a colon, and an
              arbitrary number of alternative fields (first with  non  empty  content  is  to  be
              displayed) separated by vertical bars. For instance:

              {name:22}
                     displays the name field with a maximal width of 22 characters.

              {phone:-13|workphone|mobile}
                     displays  (right aligned within a width of 13 characters), either the phone,
                     workphone or mobile field, whichever being the first to be non-empty.

              Default is " {name:22} {email:40} {phone:12|workphone|mobile}"

       show_all_emails=[true|false]
              Defines whether all email addresses for a contact are shown in the main list  view.
              Default is true.

       emailpos
       extra_column
       extra_alternative
       extrapos
              Obsoleted by index_format.

       mutt_return_all_emails=[true|false]
              Defines  whether  to  return  all email addresses matching the search criteria to a
              mutt query. Default is true.

       print_command=command
              Defines the command to used when printing the addressbook. Default is "lpr".

       www_command=command
              Defines the command used to start the web browser to view a contact's URL.  Default
              is "lynx".

       address_style=[eu|uk|us]
              Defines  the  style  of  address  formatting  to  be  used when exporting as text /
              printing the database (European, UK, or USA). Default is European ("eu").

       use_ascii_only=[true|false]
              This option allows you to force Abook use only ASCII  characters.  This  option  is
              useful if your terminal doesn't support non-ASCII characters. Default is false.

       add_email_prevent_duplicates=[true|false]
              Defines whether to avoid adding addresses already in data. Default is false.

       sort_field=field
              Defines  the  field  to  be  used by the "sort by field" command. Default is "nick"
              (Nickname/Alias).

       show_cursor=[true|false]
              Defines if the cursor is visible in main display. Default is false.

SAMPLE CONFIGURATION FILE

       # sample abook configuration file
       #

       # Declare a few custom fields
       field pager = Pager
       field address_lines = Address, list
       field birthday = Birthday, date

       # Define how fields should be displayed in tabs
       view CONTACT = name, email
       view ADDRESS = address_lines, city, state, zip, country
       view PHONE = phone, workphone, pager, mobile, fax
       view OTHER = url, birthday

       # Preserve any unknown field while loading an abook database
       set preserve_fields=all

       # Automatically save database on exit
       set autosave=true

       # Format of entries lines in list
       set index_format=" {name:22} {email:40} {phone:12|workphone|mobile}"

       # Show all email addresses in list
       set show_all_emails=true

       # Command used to start mutt
       set mutt_command=mutt

       # Return all email addresses to a mutt query
       set mutt_return_all_emails=true

       # Command used to print
       set print_command=lpr

       # Command used to start the web browser
       set www_command=lynx

       # Address style [eu|us|uk]
       set address_style=eu

       # Use ASCII characters only
       set use_ascii_only=false

       # Prevent double entry
       set add_email_prevent_duplicates=false

       # Field to be used with "sort by field" command
       set sort_field=nick

       # Show cursor in main display
       set show_cursor=false

SEE ALSO

       abook(1).

AUTHORS

       This manual page was written by Alan Ford <alan@whirlnet.co.uk>  and  expanded  by  Cedric
       Duval <cedricduval@free.fr>.

       abook was written by Jaakko Heinonen <jheinonen@users.sourceforge.net>

                                           Oct 25, 2005                                ABOOKRC(5)