This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Avatar for Username

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Denc nañu waxtaan wii. Yónneel yeneen laaj soo soxlaa ndimbal.

Importing and exporting contacts

  • 4 tontu
  • 1 am na jafe-jafe bii
  • 1 view
  • i mujjee tontu mooy Robb

Robb
Robb
more options

I'm having problems importing a contacts csv file into my Linux Thunderbird installation. I export a blank csv "Contacts" file to determine the field layout sequence (e.g., first name, last name, phone #, etc.) and then open the csv file in a spreadsheet. I then open the csv file containing the contacts data I wish to import into Thunderbird and rearrange the data fields to match the field heading sequence of the exported Thunderbird Contacts file and save this rearranged file. However, when I perform the Thunderbird Contacts import process, I'm presented with a different csv column sequence then the one contained in the exported csv contacts file. So I'm really confused - shouldn't the csv export file field sequence layout and the import file field sequence be identical? Why do I get two different layouts?

Help! This layout sequence conflict has me totally confused and I'm not new to computers or flatfile dbases.

I'm having problems importing a contacts csv file into my Linux Thunderbird installation. I export a blank csv "Contacts" file to determine the field layout sequence (e.g., first name, last name, phone #, etc.) and then open the csv file in a spreadsheet. I then open the csv file containing the contacts data I wish to import into Thunderbird and rearrange the data fields to match the field heading sequence of the exported Thunderbird Contacts file and save this rearranged file. However, when I perform the Thunderbird Contacts import process, I'm presented with a different csv column sequence then the one contained in the exported csv contacts file. So I'm really confused - shouldn't the csv export file field sequence layout and the import file field sequence be identical? Why do I get two different layouts? Help! This layout sequence conflict has me totally confused and I'm not new to computers or flatfile dbases.

Saafara biñ tànn

Matt & sfhowes - thanks for the help - the link is exactly what I’ve been searching for but was unable to find on my own.

Jàng tontu lii ci fi mu bokk 👍 0

All Replies (4)

Matt
Matt
  • Moderator
  • Top 10 Contributor
more options

It is the heading names that are important, not the order.

Robb
Robb Ki laajte
more options

So if I understand your answer correctly, I need to rename all of my first row column heading to correspond to the naming convention and spelling of the comparable field naming convention of Thunderbird and it doesn't matter what sequence the respective fields are arranged in the csv file. And the TB importer will automatically identify and map the data in each of the csv records to the appropriate TB address book record fields - yes?

sfhowes
sfhowes
  • Top 10 Contributor
more options

The order of the names doesn't matter, but it will be a lot easier to match the input fields with the address book fields if the names are the same as the ones in TB, and also if the order is the same or close to the order of the TB fields, since the matching has to be done manually by clicking the Move Up/Down buttons.

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Import_address_list_from_text_file

Robb
Robb Ki laajte
more options

Saafara yiñ Tànn

Matt & sfhowes - thanks for the help - the link is exactly what I’ve been searching for but was unable to find on my own.