Personal Address File
by
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ADDRFILE is a 32-bit program, so you should be able to run it on any 32 or 64-bit version of Windows, including Vista and Windows 7. ADDRFILE has been tested and seen to work without problems on newer versions of Windows; it can open *.CRD files, *.TXT files, and native *.CSV files without problem under Windows 7. Since, ADDRFILE is a simple utility; there is no plan to release a 64-bit version of it. Instead, you should upgrade to NOTEFILE (i.e., next version of ADDRFILE) now!

ADDRFILE uses the old Windows Help system which is not directly supported on Windows versions later than XP. When you try to get help about ADDRFILE, probably you will be directed to the following page: Error opening Help in Windows-based programs: Feature not included or Help not supported. Please read the instructions on this page carefully and download and install the file (WinHlp32.exe) relevant to your Windows version. After that, you should be able to get help about ADDRFILE, either using the help menu or by pressing F1 key while in ADDRFILE.

ADDRFILE was written using a Windows development environment and it uses some Windows-specific libraries. So, it is practically impossible to port ADDRFILE to Linux without a complete re-write and there is no plan for this. I have tested and run ADDRFILE under Linux using the Windows Emulation layer (WINE) provided on most Linux versions. With some minor visual defects (e.g. the Status Bar is not displayed), I expect ADDRFILE to run properly under WINE. However, since it runs over a compatibility layer, it is much slower. You can easily test and make your own judgment. Just copy the ADDRFILE.EXE file to a Linux machine or download it from this page (and provided the WINE package is installed on your machine) run the exe file.

For a native Linux version, please, upgrade to NOTEFILE (i.e., next version of ADDRFILE) now!

Since an address file is stored in CSV format, you can easily edit a file created by ADDRFILE or import it into other programs, like Microsoft Excel (provided that you save your address file uncompressed and unencrypted). That way you can do some operations not supported by ADDRFILE. For example:

To merge two address files

Use a DOS command like:
C:\ADDRFILE> COPY file1.csv+file2.csv merge.csv
which merges the files FILE1.CSV and FILE2.CSV into a single file called MERGE.CSV. When the MERGE.CSV file is opened by ADDRFILE, you will get a warning for any cards having the same index.

To split an address file into two files

Use any text editor (like NOTEPAD) to open the address file. The editor must be capable of dealing with very long lines. Each card will be displayed as a single line. Use your editor’s Cut and Paste commands to move some cards (i.e., whole lines) to another CSV file.

To recover a deleted card from a backup file

Each time you save your address file, the previous version of your address file is saved with the same name, but with a BAK extension. If you delete a card from your file and then save your file, you may open the backup file with a text editor and Copy the line containing the deleted card, and Paste it into your address file.

The automatic save feature of ADDRFILE is for periodically storing a copy of the address file being edited to a temporary file in CSV format. Note that, if the CSV file has a password, then the temporary file will be stored in encrypted form also. The autosave file is saved in the same directory and with the same name of the CSV file, but the extension is $$$ instead of CSV. In case your computer crashes while ADDRFILE is running, the autosave file will probably contain more recent data than your CSV file. You can recover the data saved by the automatic save feature when you try to open the original file. When you open a file, ADDRFILE checks to see if there is a file with the same name, but with $$$ extension. If it is so, you are given the option to open that file instead:

There is an autosave file with the same name. Do you want to open that file instead?

If you want to keep the contents of this (autosave) file, you must save it immediately over the original or a new file. Please note that, you will get the same message when you accidentally try to run a second copy of ADDRFILE and try to open a file which is already open on the other copy of ADDRFILE. For more information, please refer to the Help file (the File Setup... and Open... command).

You may open multiple instances of the Personal Address File program. Be careful not to open the same address file multiple times, since this may cause some (un)predictable results.

There is no reason why you can’t use ADDRFILE from a CD, floppy, or USB (mobile) disk. You can store ADDRFILE.EXE, your data file, or both on a removable medium. But, note that if you store your data file on a slow or read-only removable medium, you may wish to disable the automatic save feature of ADDRFILE. To do this go to File | Setup... and set Auto save every 0 minutes.

Personal Address File uses a proprietary encryption algorithm. There is a low probability of being targeted by attackers. The password you enter in the File Setup dialog box is used for both encrypting and decrypting the file. If you forget the password of a file, the only way to recover it is by trial and error. This can be automated, i.e., every possible character combination may be tried until the correct password is found, but the author of this program has no intention to develop such a program and make it public. For this reason, try not to forget the file password. For maximum security choose long and complex passwords.

For people who cannot remember their passwords, the following can be suggested:

1. Passwords are case sensitive; be sure to type lower and upper case letters correctly.
2. A password can only be changed from the File | Setup dialog box. If you recently changed your password from here, you may have typed it wrong in the first place. Please consider reverting to backup copies (including any .BAK file).
3. If you haven’t changed your password recently, but cannot remember it because of amnesia or something else, take a break. A few days later you will remember it, because it is coded somewhere deep inside your memory.

Personal Address File does not automatically execute any code in the CSV or TXT file, so it is not possible to create and spread viruses with Personal Address File documents. However, the manual command execution may be a security risk. So you are advised to disable this option if you are not planning to use it. This can be done by using the Setup... command from the File menu.

ADDRFILE data is stored in Comma Separated Values files (files with CSV extension). The files with BAK extension are for backup purposes (in case you might want to revert to the previously saved version). It is enough to archive only the CSV files. However, just for having two versions (the current one and the previously saved one) you can back up also the BAK files. The ADDRFILE.EXE executable and the associated help files can always be downloaded from its Web page.

When you open a normal TXT file, ADDRFILE uses the first character in the first line as the Card Separator Character (for more detailed information see File | Setup... command), so that subsequent lines starting with this character are put in different cards. For an example, look at the README.TXT file coming with the ADDRFILE.ZIP file; it uses [ as the Card Separator Character.

Note that there is no Modify Card command in ADDRFILE; the card you modified (including its index line) is updated automatically when you switch to another card. So, if you want to modify the index line of a card (and as a result, its position in the Address Index List) just select the card you want to modify and change the first line in the Address Information Area; then, to update the Address Index List, switch to another card or click at the same card in the Address Index List.

Before version 1.21: You have to delete them from the Windows Registry. Close any instances of ADDRFILE running. Run REGEDIT and go to the key \HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\FedSoft\AddrFile. Then delete any of the four keys File1, File2, File3, or File4 having the values you do not want. Restart ADDRFILE and check the File menu. The usual Registry editing warnings apply; if you delete something important from the Windows Registry by mistake, you may make your Windows unusable!

In version 1.21 and above: From the File menu just select Clear Recent. All file names will be removed from the File menu.

There is no limit on the CSV file itself. However, a 32 KByte limit per card is imposed to prevent some problems.

There is no functional difference in the software. However, a freely obtained licence is only for personal usage and the registration code you get is valid only for the current PC. If you change your PC or your operating system, you will need to register again. Otherwise you will get the This program is not licensed! warning. A permanent licence, on the other hand, is tied to your name and not to your PC. You can use the same code even if you change PCs or operating systems. You can also get a licence for more than one user by applying for a site licence.

When you register your copy of ADDRFILE by getting a free licence, the message displayed on the Help | Registration... window is something like this: Licensed to Your Name. When you purchase a permanent licence and enter the code to the program, the message changes to this: Licensed permanently to Your Name.

Cannot save in CRD format!

ADDRFILE cannot save files with CRD extension. You can either save the file in CSV or TXT format. Use the File | Save As... command.

Current card too long.

To prevent some problems a limit of 32 KBytes per card is imposed. ADDRFILE will not allow you to have a card with more than 32768 characters. (Note that end of lines count as two characters.)

Format error on key # number!
Internal error ...!
Unable to read card count!
Unable to read data for key # number!
Unable to read data length for key # number!
Unable to read key # number!

The CRD file you are trying to open has a format error. Please send this file to me for further investigation.

Header not recognized!

The CRD file you are trying to open has not a recognizable header. ADDRFILE can only read Windows CARDFILE files having either the MGC or RRG magic header. Please send this file to me for further investigation.

Please, select/verify your Font Script in File | Setup... before using this command!

Look at the end of File | Setup... help topic.

Port open canceled!

You canceled the Open Mobile Phone’s Port dialog box.

Problem in saving alternate file.

If you give a name for the alternate save file name in the File | Setup... dialog box, then a second copy of your data file will be created each time you save your address file. However, if the alternate path you specified is not available during save you will get this error message. Also, you will get the same error message if both your primary and the alternate file name refer to the same location.

Too many command-line parameters!

ADDRFILE can accept at most one command-line parameter. This is the name of the data file to be opened. If you tried to run ADDRFILE from command line, please be sure to give at most one parameter. If you tried to run ADDRFILE from a Windows shortcut, check the Target field in the shortcut definition.

Unable to read header!

The CRD file you are trying to open is too short. Probably it is not of Windows CARDFILE format.

Unknown extension: .ext.

ADDRFILE can only open files having extension CSV, CRD, and TXT. It will refuse to open a file with another extension. You may rename the file to one of the above extensions and try to open it.

Wrong Password!

The data file you are trying to open has a password, but you failed to specify the correct password. Note that passwords are case sensitive.

ADDRFILE currently uses Courier New 10pt for printing. This is hard coded in the program. I will consider making this more flexible in the future.

It is true that there is no such facility in ADDRFILE right now. But you can use the following method:

1. Save your data file as an unencrypted and uncompressed CSV file.
2. Open the CSV file in Microsoft Excel or any other spreadsheet application that can read CSV files.
3. Delete the first row of the spreadsheet (it is used by ADDRFILE to keep setup information).
4. Delete all but the first column of the spreadsheet.
5. Format and print the document.

Presently you cannot do these from within ADDRFILE. However you can do the following:

1. Start ADDRFILE program and open your file.
2. Select File | Setup...
3. Click on the Set To Form Feed to set the Card Separator to Form Feed.
4. Click OK.
5. Select File | Save As...
6. Select Text File (*.TXT) from Save as type.
7. Give a name (and a path) in File name.
8. Click Save to save your address file as a text file.
9. Start Microsoft Word or any other word processor.
10. Select File | Open and open the newly created text file.
11. Select the whole file and change the font to whatever you like.
12. Print the file. An empty page may be printed in the beginning of the printout. If you want to avoid this, go to the first character of the file (use Ctrl+Home) and press Delete to delete the initial Form Feed character.

Before version 1.22: This is a known problem. It occurs only if you save your file while the window is maximized. Click on the Restore button so that the button on the left of × (Close button) becomes a square, and then move and resize the window as you wish. Do some modifications in your data, so that ADDRFILE will allow you to save your file. Do File | Save to save the new settings. Close ADDRFILE and then reopen it. Now try again to maximize and restore. It should work. To avoid this problem, do not save your file while the ADDRFILE window is maximized. ADDRFILE will save these co-ordinates as its normal window size, so that when you later try to restore the window it will still occupy the whole screen.

In version 1.22 and above: The window state and the restored window co-ordinates will be saved in your CSV file, so that this problem will not occur.

Apart from the default window co-ordinates, ADDRFILE stores the specific window co-ordinates for each CSV file in the CSV file itself. However these are not updated unless you make changes in the data and you save the CSV file. To solve this problem do this:

1. Open ADDRFILE and your CSV file;
2. Position the window as you like;
3. Modify some data, so that ADDRFILE will allow you to save your file;
4. Do File | Save to save the co-ordinates in your CSV file;
5. Close ADDRFILE;
6. Re-open ADDRFILE and your CSV file (to do this in one step, create a shortcut as described in the README.TXT file);
7. The window position will be the same as the one you changed in step 2.

If you have problems with the above procedure try this:

1. Create a copy of your data file;
2. Open your copy with NOTEPAD;
3. Delete the following string from the first line:
   WindowState=...,ClientHeight=...,ClientWidth=...,Top=...,Left=...,
4. Save your copy;
5. Try to open this copy

If this does not solve the problem, or ADDRFILE opens with a very small window, you will have to delete the whole [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\FedSoft\AddrFile] tree from your Windows Registry.

The index window can only be resized by putting the mouse pointer between the index and the information area window and dragging the mouse left or right. The window sizes are stored in your data file. If you open a new data file (using File | New), the window will start with default values. The only way to resize the window would be to close ADDRFILE and edit your data file (.CSV file) with a text editor like NOTEPAD. Look for the CardWidth= value on the first line of your data file. Decrease the value after the = sign (it is in number of pixels).

This may be a temporary problem. Please go to your favorite search engine and search for fedon kadifeli addrfile -site:kadifeli.com. You should be able to find several backup pages. If you wish, you can contact me to report the problem.

Please, be careful about sites that distribute malware!