The contacts component uses KAddressBook. Configure it with SettingsConfigure KAddressBook. To search for a particular contact, use the search
bar. With Filter, select to display only
contacts in a certain category. Right-click a contact to open a
menu in which to select from a variety of options, such as sending
the contact information in an e-mail.
Figure 4-3 The Kontact Address Book
4.3.1 Adding Contacts
To add a contact with the name and e-mail address from an
e-mail, right-click the address in the mail component and select
Open in Address Book. To add a new contact
without using an e-mail, select FileNew Contact in the address component. Both methods open a
dialog in which to enter information about the contact.
In the General tab, enter basic contact
information, such as name, e-mail addresses, and telephone
numbers. Categories can be used to sort addresses.
Details contains more specific information,
such as birthday and spouse's name.
If your contact uses an instant messenger, you can add
these identities in IM Addresses. If you do
this and have Kopete or another KDE chat program running at the
same time as Kontact, view status information about these
identities in Kontact. In Crypto Settings,
enter the contact's encryption data, such as public key.
Misc has additional information, such as a
photograph and the location of the user's Free/Busy information.
Use Custom Fields to add your own information
to the contact or address book.
Contacts can also be imported in a variety of formats. Use FileImport and select the desired format. Then select the
file to import.
4.3.2 Making a Distribution List
If you frequently send e-mail messages to the same group of
people, a distribution list enables you to store multiple e-mail
addresses as a single contact item so that you do not need to
enter each name individually in every e-mail you send to that
group. First, click SettingsShow Extension BarDistribution List Editor. In the new section that appears, click
New List. Enter a name for the list then
click OK. Add contacts to the list by
dragging them from the address list and dropping them in the
distribution list window. Use this list like you would an
individual contact when creating an e-mail.
4.3.3 Adding Address Books
IMPORTANT: Groupware Address Books
The best way to add groupware resources is with
the Groupware Wizard, a separate tool. To use it, close
Kontact then run groupwarewizard in a
command line or from the Office group of the KDE menu. Select
the server type, such as SLOX, GroupWise, or Exchange, from
the list offered then enter the address and authentication
data. The wizard then adds the available resources to Kontact.
Kontact can access multiple address books, such as shared
ones offered by Novell GroupWise or an LDAP server. Select SettingsShow Extension BarAddress Books to view the current address books. Press
Add to add one then select the type and
enter the required information.
The check boxes in front of the books show the activation
status of each address book. To prevent the display of a book
without deleting it, uncheck it. Remove
deletes the selected book from the list.
