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)