1.1. Direct import into a new email package

Some email packages will directly import address-books from a variety of other programs. For example:

• Current versions of Outlook Express, Netscape and Eudora will all import address books from each other. This is usually done via an Import option on the address-book's File menu.

• Outlook Express, Netscape and Eudora will also import an general-purpose interchange format called LDIF (LDAP Data Interchange Format), although only Netscape is the only one with the facility to export to LDIF.

• Netscape and Outlook Express can also import address-books from text files where the fields of each entry are separated by commas or tabs.

1.2. Address Book Conversion Program

If you have ever wanted to switch e-mail programs then you will need to convert your address book from one format to another. There is a downloadable conversion tool called Dawn which can do this conversion for you and this is free for personal use. For full information about this program please see the authors web site:

Dawn Address Book Converter

N.B. Users should note that this program is not run or owned by Oxford University and you use it at your own risk.

1.3. Locally installed conversion software

Address-book format conversion programs include:

• Address Magic

  (for Windows, commercial)

1.4. DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Methods

Most email clients can import and export their address-books to other formats (this is usually via an import/export option on the File menu). You may be able to find a common intermediary format to provide the conversion you need.

Some conversions, such as Pine to Outlook Express, can be achieved fairly easily using more general-purpose software such as the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet progam. This allows an address file to be read in, its columns re-ordered, then saved with its fields separated by a different delimiting character.