Re: [Evolution] Evolution-list Digest, Vol 47, Issue 32

["Lin M. Hall" <linmhall aapt net au>]

> Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:15:47 -0400
> From: Ben Roberts <ben roberts geek nz>
> Subject: [Evolution] Address label formatting in Contact mode
> To: evolution-list gnome org
> Message-ID: <1246227348 27788 17 camel aardvark>
> Content-Type: text/plain
>
> Hi all,
>
> I've been trying to figure out the address label formatting in
> Evolution's contacts/address book.
>
> As near as I can work out, the default formatting when a label is
> constructed (and exported to VCARD format) is something like the
> following:
>
> [Address Line 1]
> [Address Line 2]
> (etc.)
> [City], [State]
> [Postcode]
> [PO Box Number]
> [Country]
>
> There are a number of problems with this format. It is very nonstandard
> (for example, I can't think of a single country where a PO Box number
> would come last except for the country). Also, it seems inflexible and
> doesn't correctly account for differences in addressing standards
> between countries.
>
> For example, the majority of my contacts are in either the US, Australia
> or New Zealand. As far as I can tell, the standard formatting for the US
> is:
>
> [Address]
> [City] [State/Province] [Postcode]
> [Country]
>
> and in Australia:
>
> [Address]
> [City]  [State/Province]  [Postcode]
> [Country]
>
> and in New Zealand:
>
> [Address]
> [State/Province]
> [City] [Postcode]
> [Country]
>
> Yes, for New Zealand I'm aware that's slightly strange. This formatting
> is because addresses (at least within large cities) in New Zealand have
> a separate "Suburb" field, for which certain other address programs
> (such as Apple's Address Book) use the State/Province field - I was
> following their lead.
>
> In any case, it seems odd to me that there isn't a straightforward way
> of building these standards into the LABEL generation. Maybe there is
> such a way (e.g., a plain-text file to be edited) and I've overlooked
> it? If that's so, I appreciate the patience of anyone who's prepared to
> point me in the right direction. If not, how easy would it be to add
> such a feature in?
>
> A related matter concerns the PO Box number field. I note that the text
> "PO Box" is not prepended to the number - thus if I put (e.g.) "118435"
> in the PO Box field, it is represented in the label, not as "PO Box
> 118435", but as plain "118435". Is this to take account of the different
> names for PO Boxes in different countries, and is the user expected to
> handle this by explicitly adding "PO Box" to the field? If so, that's no
> trouble - as long as I'm aware of it. But if it's supposed to be set as
> an internationalisation or localisation thing, it would be good if it
> does so.
>
> I'll also acknowledge that these problems may be fixed by now (e.g., in
> version 2.27). I tried to download and compile that version from the git
> repository, but ran into all kinds of dependency horrors (especially
> concerning NSPR and NSS) and decided life's too short for that. So I
> guess I'm waiting on the next version to be released into the Ubuntu
> repository.
>
> For the benefit of list members, this is the current state of my
> installation:
>
> O/S: Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty) - Linux kernel 2.6.28-13
> Evolution: version 2.26.1
>
> If there's anything else you need to know, please don't hesitate to ask.
>
> Any help much appreciated.
>
> TIA,
>
> Ben
Ben, It seems to me that you've got caught up in NZ Post's funny way of specifying addresses. In reality you can use the same system that US and OZ use (I have been doing that for the last 13 years). 

You can just drop the [State/Province] entirely, too, because the system doesn't recognise them. See--
http://www.nzpost.co.nz/Cultures/en-NZ/Personal/AddressingAndPackaging/AddressingMail/HowToAddressMail.htm 
The example shown there does not need the Town/City part (circled 5) if you place the post code at the end of the suburb/locality line. The mail handlers do the job without the need for the Town/City, just remember that with small towns they don't have suburbs so you insert the town on the third line. For example "Waitara 4320". Your mail will get there every time - even from Oz as long as you add "N Zeal" the forth line. 

Lin