Simple Apple Mail question (internal database)

clc2112

Registered
When I type an address in the to box it drops it creates adrop down of all possible addressed fitting the current description.

Where is this database? I desparately need to modify it.

thanks
 
When I create a new email, and type one letter, the available email addreses that appear are above and beyond whats in my address book. It seems to be all previous recipients or senders.
 
here are the files that are modified when I send an email to a new address.
 

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it is definitely in ~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook.data . But as I don't know the format, I would avoid to edit it directly.
it looks like some of the info cannot be seen in the Address book application. Or is there a specific switch ?
 
Yes I found out the answer the same you way did it appears. AddressBook.data seems to be a in binary format.

I guess we are just not meant to have access to that. Thats a shame. I hate seeing those name pop up all the time that I will never ever send an email to. Additonally the self populating list is getting slow. Would be nice to trim it down to the names that need to be in there.

thanks

cc
 
1) it should be possible to view/edit it completely with the Address Book application.
2) Apple MUST move it to xml !!! or at least have an xml translator.
3) you may edit it with a text editor.... replacing one address with another one of the same number of characters... but this may corrupt the whole database.
 
I dont think editing it via a text editor is a good idea. And in theory you're right, it should be accesible via the address book app. But I dont see it. I only see the address book data I explicitly added to the address book. This file is cleary is a superset of data used by the address and mail app.
 
clc2112

In Mail under the Help menu, it will tell you how to delete Previous Recipients;

To manage addresses in your Previous Recipients list:
Choose Window > Previous Recipients.

If you want to sort the list, click a heading to sort by name, address, or the date the address was added to the list.

If you want to search for a name, enter it in the search field in the upper right corner of the window.

Select an address and do one of the following:

Click Remove From List to remove an infrequently used or misspelled address.

Click "Add to Address Book" to add a frequently used address. (Addresses that are already in your Address Book have a card icon next to them.)
 
Btw.: That's a rather ugly window without a scrollbar... I think Apple should change that quickly, before too many people take a look at it.
 
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