Command Line Parameters

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Background Processing Option and Command Line Parameters for Better control
Exciting background and batch processing options are now available to that users can setup the software to run seamlessly in the background or even on a server.

Command lines can be entered either into a Windows Scheduler command line or simply into a Windows Batch File (.BAT).

Benefits of calling the software via the command line interface
The primary benefit is that you can use the Windows scheduler or any other scheduling program to access the software's synchronization capabilities in a variety of manners.
Using the filtering mechanisms provided and the multi-user capabilities, synchronizing the whole database or simply segments of the database is a real possibility.

Selecting the correct executable to use
Each release of ACT! requires a different executable from us. Hence, we provide the following executable extensions:
For ACT! 2007, V 9.0.557.0, the extension is "-9". Hence the executable to call is:
"C:\Program Files\ACT-To-Outlook-Professional-Advanced-Edition\ACT-To-Outlook-Professional-Advanced-9.exe"

For ACT! 2007, V 9.1.162.0, the extension is "-9.1". Hence the executable to call is:
"C:\Program Files\ACT-To-Outlook-Professional-Advanced-Edition\ACT-To-Outlook-Professional-Advanced-9.1.exe"

For ACT! 2008, V 10.0.237.1, the extension is "-10". Hence the executable to call is:
"C:\Program Files\ACT-To-Outlook-Professional-Advanced-Edition\ACT-To-Outlook-Professional-Advanced-10.exe"

For ACT! 2008, V 10.1.199.0, the extension is "-10.1". Hence the executable to call is:
"C:\Program Files\ACT-To-Outlook-Professional-Advanced-Edition\ACT-To-Outlook-Professional-Advanced-10.1.exe"

For ACT! 2008, V 10.2.191.0, the extension is "-10.2". Hence the executable to call is:
"C:\Program Files\ACT-To-Outlook-Professional-Advanced-Edition\ACT-To-Outlook-Professional-Advanced-10.2.exe"

Command Line Parameters

A few definitions:

A2O_ID: This is the ACT-To-Outlook ID listed for the user when you click on the username.

GUID: This is the ACT! ID in the ACT! Database. The reason we provide the GUID information is because programs in ACT! can now call ACT-To-Outlook Advanced with the GUID information in the command line and the software will process that user.

Listed below are the existing command line parameters:

-B - Run in the background

-ID # - Run the user with A2O_ID equal to #. The A2O_ID is listed on the screen when you click on a user. You must specify -B in order for the software to run in the background silently. For example "-ID" "7"

-GUID # - Run the user with the ACT! GUID equal to #. For example: "-GUID" "9a952fcb-ecf6-4fce-92d1-047686f03bd2"

-F Filename - Sync only the contacts listed in the Filename. The items in the filename must be GUID's for the contacts in ACT!.

NOTE: The current contact filtering settings for the user specified in the command line are always overseeded by a -F Filename option and its related options below:

-FS - Run the filename option with all the Removal options enabled.
-FN - Do not rename or delete filename when done

-FR - Rename filename when done

-FD - Delete filename when done

Here's an example of a command line that will take a file as input and make sure that all contacts in the contact folder are exactly the same:

"-b" "-f" "C:\Temp\TestForContacts-5-Contacts.txt" "-ID" "9" "-FS" "-FN"

If you just want to transfer a set of contacts into Outlook, just remove -FS from the command line above and the contacts listed in the filename will simply be transferred to Outlook.

-V - Verbose - It opens the status panel when it executes. Otherwise, it just stays as an icon in the system tray.

A couple of things to look for:

·

If you use the -B without any other options, ALL the enabled users in the database will be processed.

·

If you use the -B option with the -ID or -GUID, only that user will be processed.

·

If you use the -F option, a corresponding -ID or -GUID parameter must be on the command line so that the software can identify which user to use as the basis for the sync.

Windows Scheduler Command Line
Below is the windows scheduler command line to run the Advanced Edition:
For ACT! 2007, V 9.0.557.0
"C:\Program Files\ACT-To-Outlook-Professional-Advanced-Edition\ACT-To-Outlook-Professional-Advanced-9.exe" "-B"
For ACT! 2007, V 9.1.162.0
"C:\Program Files\ACT-To-Outlook-Professional-Advanced-Edition\ACT-To-Outlook-Professional-Advanced-9.1.exe" "-B"
For ACT! 2008, V 10.0.237.1
"C:\Program Files\ACT-To-Outlook-Professional-Advanced-Edition\ACT-To-Outlook-Professional-Advanced-10.exe" "-B"
For ACT! 2008, V 10.1.199.0
"C:\Program Files\ACT-To-Outlook-Professional-Advanced-Edition\ACT-To-Outlook-Professional-Advanced-10.1.exe" "-B"

Remember, there is a space between the double quotes.

ACT-To-Outlook Professional Advanced Edition Background Icon and status window
When ACT-To-Outlook Professional Advanced Edition runs in the background, the icon appears in the system tray. When the software is finished processing, the icon disappears from the system tray. If you right click on the icon while it is in the system tray, you get the following menu:

Show Conversion Status: Selecting this option opens the conversion status window so you can see where in the conversion the software is. This is the same status window you see when you run the software interactively.

Stop Background Conversion and Exit: this is the same as pressing the stop button in the conversion status window. The software basically stops and exits.

Processing Log
ACT-To-Outlook Professional Advanced Edition keeps a log of all the conversions. You can open this log from the tools menu. The log provides information that is very useful whether the sync succeeded or not. It is invaluable as a debugging tool if you encounter any sync problems or if the software stops synchronizing.


Specifying processing of a single user (enabled) in the ACT-To-Outlook Professional Database

This option allows you to call the A2O Advanced via the command line or the windows scheduler and process a single user from all the enabled ACT! users in the A2O Database:

Processing a single user the A2O ID: Each user has a unique ID in the A2O Database. This user A2O_ID is listed on the Password & Folders screen, as shown below.

Calling A2O Advanced with the -ID # where # is the number of the user in A2O_ID, only that user will be processed. Remember, that user has to be enabled with the checkmark next to it. For example, if we wanted to process Allison Mikola from the enabled users in the database above, we would call A2O Advanced in the following manner:

"C:\Program Files\ACT-To-Outlook-Professional-Advanced-Edition\ACT-To-Outlook-Professional-Advanced-10.1.exe" "-B" "-ID" "1"

Processing a single user using the ACT! GUID: Each ACT! user has a unique identifier, namely the ACT! GUID. You can call A2O Advanced and pass it the ACT! GUID and the user is then processed out of the enabled users. The parameter to use is "-GUID" followed by the ACT! GUID. For the example above, the call would look like:

"C:\Program Files\ACT-To-Outlook-Professional-Advanced-Edition\ACT-To-Outlook-Professional-Advanced-10.1.exe" "-B" "-GUID" "9a952fcb-ecf6-4fce-92d1-047686f03bd2"

Processing a list of contacts from an input file. You can process a list of contacts using a user's A2O profile. The methodology to do that is to pass the A2O_ID or the GUID and then pass the filename (-F) that contains the list of contacts to be processed.

"C:\Program Files\ACT-To-Outlook-Professional-Advanced-Edition\ACT-To-Outlook-Professional-Advanced-10.1.exe" "-B" "-GUID" "9a952fcb-ecf6-4fce-92d1-047686f03bd2" "-F" "C:\Data\Files\FileWithContactGUIDs.txt"

The data in the input file has to be a list of GUID's of the contacts that have to be processed for the selected user. Each GUID has to be separated by a Line Feed, Carriage Return i.e. LFCR. A LFCR is the code the Windows Notepad puts at the end of each line when you press the return key in your keyboard. When our software processes the input file, it does a readline() for each entry and that becomes the GUID to process.

Note on processing from an input file. When you process from an input file, the user's contact filtering option has to be set to be from an input file.

Testing Input Files with GUID's

You can test your input files by setting up a user that has a "Process Contacts From A File"

Creating GUID Files

Click on the View button, and you are taken to the view form which lists all the contacts that will be selected for a particular user contact filter. From the Tools Menu, you can create a GUID file of the contacts you have listed on the form.