Address Book and Events Reminder

• Download AddressBook_EventsRemainder_Demo - 220.47 KB
• Download AddressBook_EventsRemainder_Source - 292.09 KB

Introduction

This is a simple but useful utility developed using C# which runs under Microsoft .NET Framework v2.0 or higher. This tool helps in maintaining your contact information's such as Name, Address, E-mail, Phone, etc,.. This also maintains the Event Remainders like Birthday and Anniversary and remined you before the date of the event at system startup.

This application is created for multi user. It uses unique credentials from the users and display their relevant data when requested. It also contains the facility for data backup in XML format or Encrypted format even with password protection. This backup can be created using the schemas which exists as default or the one created by you. Schema refers to the set of instruction about the user details to be transferred using Backup Utility. Even though this application uses MS Access Database to store contacts it cannot be directly viewed by using MS Access as it is in encrypted format.

Using the Demo

To use the Demo Application open "COB.2.0.exe" from the demo link above.

First time Login:

As this program requires user credentials to login, and the credentials dose not exist for the first time it will ask to create a new user. To create new user click on Yes button at the displayed dialog box. When you click the Yes button the below form will be displayed to create new Account.

In the above form the grid displays the users list and their account type weather Administrator or Limited User.

Administrator: This type of account has full rights over the application like creating, editing, removing users. It can also change the password of other users (However cannot view users contact details.). Their must be at least one user with administrative rights.

Limited User: This type of user cannot access user account. But can change their own password using the option provided.

The below panel contains four buttons which is to Add, Edit, and Remove the user. And the fourth one is to close the form.

Add New User: Click on the add button (First Button) to add new user. The below form will be displayed.

In the above form type the Name of the user, type of the account and the password. Then check the check box provided which is used to allow the user to login.  When editing the account this form also displays the details about the user like when he had created the account, when the account has been last modified and the when the user had been logged in at last. Click Add User button to add the user. Then the user will be added to the list as shown in the form below.

Follow the previous steps and add users as much as you wand. Then click the Close button (fourth button) to save the changes and then the Login form will be visible as shown below.

In the Login form type any of the User Name and the Password to login. Once you login you can view only the contact's added by you. The contacts added by the users cannot be viewed by any body else without the password. Now you are logged in to update contact lists. Below is the form for contacts.

Above form displays the list of contacts added by you. To use the form follow,

Add New Contact: Click Options --> New Contact (Shortcut: Press Ctrl + N) and then type in all the details in different categories separated in tabs such as Name, Home, Business, Personal, and other. This form looks similar to Windows Address Book - New Contact. Type all the details about the contact and click on the Save button to save the contact. Continue adding all the contacts. The above form will be populated with the contacts as and when ever you add. If not click on the View --> Refresh to populate the list.

Edit Existing Contact: Select the contact you need to edit and click Options --> Edit Contact (Shortcut: Press Ctrl + O) and the same form to add contact will be displayed. Here update what ever you need to and then click Save button to update the contact.

Delete Contact: Select the contact you want to delete and then click Options --> Delete Contact (Shortcut: Press Delete). It will confirm weather to delete or not select your choice so that the action will be performed.

Searching for Contact: An efficient searching of contact is provided as a functionality to help in searching with different criteria. So search for a contact in your huge list click Options --> Find People so that the below form will be displayed.

In the above form type the one or some of the fields to search for and click Find now. Select the check box below to display all the contacts with matching criteria of any one.

Data Backup: View the Backup Data section provided below.

Adding Reminders: To add Reminders click View --> Reminders. Description omitted here as it is simple to use and due to huge in size. Reminded at windows login. This functionality is common to all users in the list and will not be hided for other users.

Change Password: To change the password of current user click Tools --> Change Password and type in the old password and new password. To change the password of other users click Tools --> User Account and do the same thing as did at the first step. Only Administrator account can change the password of other users.

Changing Settings: To change the settings click Tools --> Settings. The form below will be displayed.

In the above window select the MS Access database file and type the password to connect to the file. Click Test Connection to test weather the connection could be opened. The check boxes provided is to run the application automatically when a user logins to windows. This functionality is used for Events Remainding. Click on the save button to save the changes.

Backup Contacts:

This is a functionality to backup entire or selective contacts from the list of your contacts. Click on Options --> Transfer Data so that below form will be displayed.

In the above form select the details required using the below guide lines.

Backup Contacts:

Create Backup: To create a new backup select the Backup Mode as Export Data which enables Save As button. Click the Save As button and select the type of backup weather as XML (Details Visible) or COB Backup (Encrypted, Password Protected). Then Select the schema, to select which details of the contact can be added to the backup. To know more about schema read the Edit Schema section provided below.

If you had decided to create a COB Backup then the Username and Password fields will be enabled. Type in the required Username and Password and click the Set button. Then select all the contacts from the list which had to be added to the backup. Now you have done, finally click on the Transfer button to create a backup file.

Restore Data from Backup: To restore the backup select the Backup Mode as Import Data which enables Open button. Click the open button and select from which type of backup to restore data and then select the file. If you had selected COB Backup file as source file and if it is password protected type in the user name and password and click the Set Button. If your User Name and Password is correct the contacts in the backup will be visible in the grid. Select all the contacts which you had to restore and then click the transfer button. Now you have done. Your data are restored.

Note: The schema used to create backup must exist when restoring the backup. If the schema has been deleted then their is no way to restore the backup currently. But may find way if required.

Using Schemas

Schemas are used when you need to backup only particular details of the contact. You can create, edit and delete your own schemas using the functionality provided for the convenience. However you cannot edit or delete the schema created by other users or the default schema already in the list. To add or edit schema click on the Edit button near the schema name on the Backup Wizard displayed above. So that the below form will be visible.

The above form is the schema editor.

Add New Schema: If you want to create new schema from the drop down list of Schema Name select < Create New Schema > so that Save button will be enabled. Then type the schema name in the second schema name box. The list shown in the left side is the total details which can be entered by the user. Just select the details you want to add to the backup and click the -> button to add it to the list at the right side which is the list of details to be added. I think I need not explain other four buttons which is usual in most of the applications. Finally click on the save button to save the schema. Now you can select your schema from the list of the schemas in Backup Wizard.

Edit Existing Schema: To edit the schema select the schema from the list which you had to edit so that Edit button will be enabled. Make the necessary changes and click Save button. Note, Editing the schema makes the backup created using the schema unusable (However you may change the name of the schema).

Delete Schema: Select the schema from the list and click Remove button so that the schema will be removed. Note, Removing the schema makes the backup created using the schema unusable.

Using Source Code

You can download the source code from the link provided above and the description of the codes are given as comments where ever necessary. For any query feel free to contact me at shridhar_tl@ymail.com.

Points of Interest

This application maintains separate list of data for each user so that your contacts cannot be accessed by other user.

You may create a backup of your contacts in two different ways one as xml file and another as COB Backup file. Using COB Backup file your details are encrypted and is password protected.

While backup you can select which contacts to be added to the backup.

You can use schemas to add only relevant details of the contact to your backup. These schemas can be edited or deleted only by the user who created it.

When a user is removed from the User Account, it is suggested to take a complete COB Backup (with current login User Name and Password). So that the data's can be restored on knowing the login User Name and Password to any other existing account or new account.

Bug Reporting

In case of any bugs, suggestions to improve the project, feel free to contact me at "shridhar_tl@ymail.com". If you had reported any bugs the application will be updated as soon as possible.

History

So far no updates.