[ Date Index ] [ Thread Index ] [ <= Previous by date / thread ] [ Next by date / thread => ]
On Thu, Apr 1, 2010 at 1:49 PM, Gordon Henderson <gordon+dcglug@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > On Thu, 1 Apr 2010, Roland Tarver wrote: > >> Hello all :-) >> >> Can anyone recommend a command line only address book. I want >> something fairly simple and efficient for storing basic contact >> information. All standard stuff like: name, postal address, phone >> numbers, emails, urls, notes etc. The total number of contacts will >> never exceed 500 and is just for a single user (me). > > This is the sort of classic thing that *nix was very good at way back.. and > it still is, but but it did require a lot of experience/learning.. > > So, for example, the basic colon-separated file: > > Gordon Henderson:Drogon Towers:TQ11:01364 698 > 123:gordon@xxxxxxxxxx:http\://www.drogon.net/ > > lines and lines like this can be indexed, sorted, searched, printed and so > on with a few simple command-line tools - grep, sort, cut, mayby even awk... > and a few shell-scripts to put them together - and, if you need to, it's > still plain-text and human readable (and editbale with vim) for when the > tools you use fail... > > Kids of today wouldn't believe a word of it though :) > > and for a few 100, or 1000 records you really don't need a fancy SQL-like > back-end database at all. > > And heres a bit of trivia for you - every address in the UK can be (has to > be!) fitted into these fields: > > Premises (60 characters max) > Thoroughfare (55 characters) > Locality (30 characters) > Postcode (10 characters) > > That's the database definition for the address information as required by > the emergency handling authority - it's what they have when you make a 999 > call! > > Gordon > Hi Gordon, Thanks for the reply. :-) > but it did require a lot of experience/learning Well, I have got to learn it sometime. Might as well make a start. hehe! > a few simple command-line tools - grep, sort, cut, mayby even awk... ok - that's cool. > Kids of today wouldn't believe a word of it though haha! > a bit of trivia for you How do you know all this stuff!? haha! Good trivia though! the next time I cant find an address, due to lack of information, I'll know why! haha. As a compromise I think I will use this abook utility for now. It seems close to what I wanted. But, I think I will "tinker" with a few of the commands/formats you mention - just for fun and see what I can come up with. If nothing else, I'll learn something! haha! Thanks again. Best wishes Roly :-D -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/linux_adm/list-faq.html