How do I create a sub-group of names in the Address Book without typing each name separately?
When I used to use OE as my email client, it was possible to create "groups" in the Address List, with the facility of then sending to the group by name, with the result that each recipient included in the email address group all got the email in question. (For example, the group named "IVG" consisted of six email addresses, belonging to six members of a discussion group I belong to, and I could email them all at one time by simply addressing the email to IVG). Now here's my question: in OE, I could fill in the email addresses of the various members of the sub-group by simply selecting them from my overall email address list(s). In TB, on the other hand, it looks like the only way of creating a "new list" within the existing overall list, is to type the email address of each recipient by hand - an amazingly laborious task if the sub-group is of any size. And it's not obvious that even when the "new list" is completed, it can be used as a "mass despatch" vehicle like the sub-group could within OE. Can anyone tell me, please, whether and how I can compile a sub-group within the TB address list in the same way as I've just described for OE? (And which I can treat just as one "name" to send emails to all sub-group members, as also described above?) Ian Stewart ian@istld.co.uk
Chosen solution
Start typing and it will auto complete. So you don't have to type much.
Or create your Mailing List, close it, and then drag and drop contacts onto its icon.
As you describe with OE, use the Mailing List's name in lieu of the addresses it represents. You can of course just select it from your Address Book like any regular Contact entry.
One important limitation of Thunderbird's Mailing List is that it must be created in an address book along with the Contacts it references. That is, if you build a List in Personal Address Book, it should contain only Contacts which can be found in Personal Address Book. If you create an entry in a Mailing List that isn't in its parent address book, a new minimal Contact entry will be automatically created in that parent address book. Put into formal terminology, a Mailing List is a subset of its parent address book.
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Chosen Solution
Start typing and it will auto complete. So you don't have to type much.
Or create your Mailing List, close it, and then drag and drop contacts onto its icon.
As you describe with OE, use the Mailing List's name in lieu of the addresses it represents. You can of course just select it from your Address Book like any regular Contact entry.
One important limitation of Thunderbird's Mailing List is that it must be created in an address book along with the Contacts it references. That is, if you build a List in Personal Address Book, it should contain only Contacts which can be found in Personal Address Book. If you create an entry in a Mailing List that isn't in its parent address book, a new minimal Contact entry will be automatically created in that parent address book. Put into formal terminology, a Mailing List is a subset of its parent address book.
Modified by Zenos
Hi Zenos,
Thanks a lot - both approaches worked. I had to hack around a bit before I discovered that when you referred to "dragging names to the icon" for the sub-group list, you meant the icon that appears in the column of list names when you double-click the name of the "parent" list - and not the icon for the group that itself appears in the actual list of names. The extra info about the "Parent Address Book" as re groups is also useful.
Cheers,
Ian Stewart