FileMaker VCF Export

I used to work for FileMaker Inc. (formerly Claris Corp.) where I focused on web technologies. While I was at FileMaker, the company released FileMaker Pro 6. Among the handful new features in FileMaker Pro 6 was a new XML export/import feature. The XML export/import feature borrowed from FileMaker Web Companion the XML grammar as well as an XSLT engine. This made it possible to 1) exporting the database records to FMPXMLRESULT XML document with optional transformation into a plain text, html, or an another XML document based on non-FileMaker sanctioned grammar, and 2) importing of FMPXMLRESULT xml document as well as non-FileMaker XML document by transforming the data into FMPXMLRESULT via XSLT.

Anyway, enough techno-mumbling. As the company released FileMaker Pro 6 they also released a site to promote the XML technology: FileMaker XSLT Library. A few of us from FileMaker Inc. actually contributed to the library. I posted VCF Export as well as rss2fmp. VCF Export solution actually generated some buzz. I recieved at least a dozen emails from users with bug reports as well as thank you notes. Actually, come to think of it, VCF Export could have been achieved without the XML technology. You could simply create a new calculation field in your address book database and generate VCARD document in that calc field. But hey, I had a new toy (a.k.a. XML and XSLT) in my hands and had to do something cool with it!

A few years later, I received an another feedback to the VCF Export solution by a gentleman named Marco Stäuble. He pointed out my solution's short-comings in dealing with european characters. Apparently with his environment UTF-8 export did not do the trick. Instead you had to use UTF-16 as the export method in the XSLT stylesheet. He also pointed out the fact that the simple change to the stylesheet so the VCF file can include multiple contacts. Marco kindly forwarded his fixes to the two issues. I asked for his permission to publish his solution and he generously gave me the permission, so here it is.

*Disclaimer* Please note Marco and I both use built-in Address Book application on OS X. I did not have time to test the solution on other address book solutions, so you are on your own if this solution does not work for you.

Instructions:
1. Download this stylesheet. (option-click on OS X, right-click on Windows)
2. Download the original VCF Export solution.
3. Unzip the VCF Export solution. This produces a folder called VCF Export.
4. In the VCF Export folder, you'll find fmp2vcf.xsl. Replace this .xsl file with the stylesheet from step 1.
5. If you are using my FileMaker Script to execute the VCF export, modify the script in Address.fp5 as follows:

i. open the database
ii. choose [Scripts] menu >> [ScriptMaker...]
iii. Select ExportVCF and click on Edit button
iv. Delete all but "Export Records" script step in the ScriptMaker.