iPhone AddressBook - how to create a new record with app from my App

Question

I'm trying to create a new record of Person thru my App. I have the name, email and phone nr. How can i pass them to the modal view of newPerson? I'm following Apple's docs, but i'm stuck. I'm using a ABNewPersonViewController. Is that correct? How do I fill the fields in the modal view?

Thanks,

RL

Answer 1

If you want to display something in the ABNewPersonViewController, you have to create and set up an ABRecordRef for the properties you want to pre-fill and then set the displayedPerson property on ABNewPersonViewController. So a simple example may be:

- (void)createNewPerson
{
  // Create the pre-filled properties
  ABRecordRef newPerson = ABPersonCreate();
  CFErrorRef error = NULL;
  ABRecordSetValue(newPerson, kABPersonFirstNameProperty, CFSTR("John"), &error);
  ABRecordSetValue(newPerson, kABPersonLastNameProperty, CFSTR("Smith"), &error);
  NSAssert( !error, @"Something bad happened here." );

  // Create and set-up the new person view controller
  ABNewPersonViewController* newPersonViewController = [[ABNewPersonViewController alloc] initWithNibName:nil bundle:nil];
  [newPersonViewController setDisplayedPerson:newPerson];
  [newPersonViewController setNewPersonViewDelegate:self];

  // Wrap in a nav controller and display
  UINavigationController *navController = [[UINavigationController alloc] initWithRootViewController:newPersonViewController];
  [self presentModalViewController:navController animated:YES];

  // Clean up everything
  [navController release];
  [newPersonViewController release];
  CFRelease(newPerson);
}

Answer 2

if you already have the details and you just want to write them to the address book then you don't need the - ABNewPersonViewController. the ABNewPersonViewController is used for letting the user to add record to the address book with the common controller of the iphone address book.

instead you should do the following:

a) add the address book () frame work to your app.

b) import the address book headers to your view.

c) create an addressbook instanse and a new record:

ABAddressBookRef iPhoneAddressBook = ABAddressBookCreate();
     ABRecordRef newPerson = ABPersonCreate();

d) for single value properties you use:

  ABRecordSetValue(newPerson, kABPersonFirstNameProperty, CFSTR("Katie"), nil);
  ABRecordSetValue(newPerson, kABPersonLastNameProperty, CFSTR("Bell"), nil);

e)for the multy value properties such as phone number / mail you use:

ABMutableMultiValueRef multiPhone = ABMultiValueCreateMutable(kABMultiStringPropertyType);

    ABMultiValueAddValueAndLabel(multiPhone, @"054-5429920", kABHomeLabel, NULL);

    ABMultiValueAddValueAndLabel(multiPhone,@"02-9809878", kABWorkLabel, NULL); 

    ABRecordSetValue(newPerson, kABPersonPhoneProperty, multiPhone,nil);
    CFRelease(multiPhone);


        ABMutableMultiValueRef multiEmail = ABMultiValueCreateMutable(kABMultiStringPropertyType);

    ABMultiValueAddValueAndLabel(multiEmail, @"shannoga@me.com", kABHomeLabel, NULL);

    ABRecordSetValue(newPerson, kABPersonEmailProperty, multiEmail, &error);
    CFRelease(multiEmail);

f) save the changes to the address book, none of the code you wrote wond take effect with out this:

ABAddressBookAddRecord(addressBook, newPerson, nil);
    BOOL didAdd = ABAddressBookSave(addressBook, nil);

g) relese the record and the address book and check if the record addaed:

CFRelease(newPerson);
    CFRelease(addressBook);
    NSLog(@"didAdd = %d",didAdd);

thats all good luck hope it helped

shani