gContactSync version 0.2.8 has been released. I realized that I have been forgetting to make a quick blog post about each release, so here’s a basic summary of recent versions.
The best way to stay up-to-date on new versions is probably through Twitter: gcontactsync
Supported Applications
- Thunderbird 2
- Thunderbird 3 (all versions, including beta 4 and 3.0pre)
- Thunderbird 3.1a1pre
- Seamonkey 2 (all versions, including beta 2 and 2.0pre)
Version 0.2.8
- Fixes ‘broken’ usernames that were able to get an authentication token but failed when trying to get contacts or groups. (usernames only without a domain or with spaces at the beginning or end)
- Fixed the install.rdf file for Seamonkey
Version 0.2.7
- Bug fix for renewing expired authentication tokens
Version 0.2.6
- Updated the Portuguese translation
- Mailing Lists (groups) in Thunderbird now use their translated names
- The log moved to the main profile directory
Version 0.2.5
- Adds the following new languages:
- Portuguese (devezas on BabelZilla)
- Russian (Glk63)
- Spanish (with help from Guillermo Klew from VisualBeta.es)
Version 0.2.4
- Fixed a bug with adding or renaming groups
- Minor updates to the Italian translation (thanks ZaZy)
Version 0.3 Update
This deserves its own blog post, but here is a basic summary. I don’t have a tentative release date yet since this is just a hobby, not a job. 
The main delay is described here. College (a full 18 credits) and my job (programming) don’t exactly leave me with much free time, either.
Features
- Support for Google’s new API
- Support for downloading contact photos*
- Synchronized birthday field**
- ‘Relation’ fields (Mother, Father, Coworker, etc.
- More phone number types
Potential Features
- The individual address fields may be synchronized instead of using the new address fields
- Support for adding, updating, and removing contact photos
*I (among others) worked on contact photos for the Address Book in Thunderbird 3 beta 4/Seamonkey 2.0 Beta 2. gContactSync 0.3 and up will download photos in all supported applications, but you’ll have to use TB 3 or SM 2 to see them.
**I worked on a birthday field for the address book in Thunderbird 3/Seamonkey 2. If you use TB 2 the values are synchronized but not displayed. Google also added a birthday field after the changes were made in Thunderbird.
1 Comment
CeeGee · November 25, 2009 at 10:10 PM
First of all thanks for all the work you put into this!
I’m currently using TB3rc1 and am still looking for a good way to sync Thunderbird with Google and my phone (Nokia 5800 Xpress Music).
I have already tried out your addon (v.0.2.10) with Thunderbird 2 a couple of weeks ago, but experienced some problems: Thunderbird froze completely and I really didn’t like the way it added those “fake” email addresses to the contacts. I understand this is only a workaround for a Thunderbird problem with mailing lists (btw: will this bug be fixed in the future?), but I still find it kind of annoying..
I have a suggestion concerning that problem: could you make the adding of those addresses optional? I have seen that in the “Google Contacts”-Addon, the developer is doing just this: you can choose if you want to add the pseudo addresses by ticking a box in the preferences. Contacts without an email address that are part of a group in Google are simply left out of the corresponding mailing list in TB.
Hope you’ll consider this – and anyway, I’m really looking forward to the next version of this addon! 🙂