Re: bbdbv3 with rmail

[Colin Baxter <m43cap@yandex.com>]

Dear Xavier,
>>>>> Xavier Maillard <xavier@maillard.im> writes:

    > Hello, I am looking for a way to manage my contacts (basically, it
    > consists of email addresses, a few phone numbers and eventually
    > some notes) efficently. Eventually, it would integrate (very) well
    > with rmail (alias expansion, adding timestamps as a note, etc.)

    > BBDB seems a good candidate but dunno if v3 is ok (there is really
    > poor litterature with it)


    > Thank you for your help -- Xavier Maillard e/j:xavier@maillard.im
    > w:www.maillard.im m: 06 52 18 63 43 (old) m: 06 49 60 48 56 (NEW)

    > GPG: 9983 DCA1 1FAC 8DA7 653A F9AA BA49 09B7 8F04 DE1B

I use bbdb v3.2 with RMAIL and with gnus. I find it's excellent. I have
bbdb settings in both my ~/.emacs and ~/.gnus.el, which I've given
below. They work for me, but, of course, use at your own risk.

;;; My ~/.emacs settings ;;;;;;;;

(require 'bbdb-loaddefs "~/path/to/bbdb/lisp/bbdb-loaddefs.el")

;;; Set bbdb file
(setq bbdb-file "~/path/to/bbdb") ;; en clair; Not encrypted. chmod 700.

;;; Initailise for message-mode (gnus outgoing) and mail-mode (rmail outgoing).
(bbdb-initialize 'gnus 'message 'pgp 'mail) ;; Add 'rmail if you wish.

;;; Auto saving of email addresses - Two methods.
;;
;;; METHOD 1 - I use this.
;;; Prompt for message-mode (gnus outgoing), mail-mode (rmail outgoing). 
;;; No prompt for rmail-mode (incoming), gnus (incoming).
(bbdb-mua-auto-update-init 'message ;; message-mode is gnus outgoing
;;                         'rmail   ;; No rmail-mode (incoming)
                           'mail)   ;; mail-mode is "rmail" outgoing.
(setq bbdb-mua-update-interactive-p '(query . create)
      bbdb-message-all-addresses t ;; To: is 2nd line mail-mode. Default: nil.
      bbdb-update-records-p 'query
      bbdb-mua-auto-update-p 'query)
(add-hook 'bbdb-notice-mail-hook 'bbdb-auto-notes)
;;; BBDB Pop window. Toggle 't' or 'T' in bbdb buffer to expand lines. 
(setq bbdb-mua-pop-up-window-size 3
      bbdb-layout 'one-line ;; one-line, multi-line, full-multi-line (t or T)
      bbdb-pop-up-window-size 5
      bbdb-complete-mail-allow-cycling t)
;;;
;;; Method 2 - I don't use this, but it does work.
;; Pop window. Toggle 't' or 'T' in bbdb buffer to expand lines. 
;(setq bbdb-mua-pop-up-window-size 3
;      bbdb-layout 'one-line ;; one-line, multi-line, full-multi-line (t or T)
;      bbdb-pop-up-window-size 5
;      bbdb-complete-mail-allow-cycling nil) ;; Default
;;; <http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11991940/auto-create-entries-for-all-email-addresses-in-bbdb3>
;(bbdb-mua-auto-update-init 'message 'rmail) ;; rmail & message only.
;(setq bbdb-message-all-addresses nil) ;; t, nil - only 1st if nil (default). 
;;;(setq bbdb-update-records-p 'create) ;; Create without query.
;(setq bbdb-update-records-p 'query) ;; Query then create on yes.
;;;

;;; Automatically save bbdb file after a change.
(add-hook 'bbdb-after-change-hook 'bbdb-save) ;; I use this.
;;; bbdb-after-change-hook runs with one argument, the record that was
;;; changed.  The first arg of bbdb-save is the optional arg PROMPT.  So
;;; this arg is always non-nil when called by the hook (thus prompting
;;; before saving). Otherwise use
;(add-hook 'bbdb-after-change-hook (lambda (arg) (bbdb-save))) ;; ANNOYING!
;;; for saving without prompting (but not if gpg password is required).

;;; bbdb telephone setting defaults to US style
;(setq bbdb-north-american-phone-numbers-p nil) ;; nil to format non-US style.
;; Above line no longer seems to work. Use next line:
(setq bbdb-phone-style 'nil) ;; Free-style numbering. Default 'nanp 
;;; nanp = "North American Numbering Plan".

;;; My ~/.gnus.el settings ;;;;;;;

(add-hook 'gnus-startup-hook 'bbdb-insinuate-gnus)
(add-hook 'gnus-startup-hook 'bbdb-insinuate-message)

Hope this helps.

Best wishes,

Colin Baxter
m43cap@yandex.com
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