App to convert sms/mms mesage base from treo 650 to csv file.

[multik]

Hi!

I have a treo650 and a tonns of sms/mms on it. And after some time i want to save them in safety place ;-). None of existing programs are applicable. I write small programm by myself ;-)

It must be started on "big" computer (under windows/linux) against backup copy of "Message Database.pdb". And at output you will receive text like this:

"S";"5.5.2005 14:32";"+70951234567";"Viacheslav Kaloshin (M)";"Test"
"R";"6.5.2005 18:34";"+70951234567";"Viacheslav Kaloshin (M)";"S:Subject1 T:T
ext body 1"

You can open saved text in excel or pass to another programm. Some of my friend says that its very useful app for them. May be it helps you too.

Program can be downloaded from http://multik.org/sms2csv/ - win/lib binaries and sources (i hope, that them can be compiled on any platform).

In future i plan to port programm to treo.

[Feico Mol]

Nice little app multik, kudo for you!

You should get in touch with Shiro (see this thread, he did a similar one for the Treo 600 database and is busy trying to make it work for the 650. His version has a GUI, though I have to say I also like your command line version for its simplicity.

[multik]

Yep, i see that program. But my main working platform is Linux (main reason to write) and i dont want to spend my time for "click this button, than click than button and repeat this many times" (second reason) ;-)

If i collect many wishes like "give us a GUI", i make it ;-)

P.S. my program can handle not only SMS ;-)

[Feico Mol]

That's okay, most important thing is that you guys aren't reinventing the wheel if you're working on closely related tools.  Would be even better if you can join forces and release it as with command line and UI, but no problem if these are two separate tools.

[multik]

yep. i try to stay in touch with Shiro ;-)

[yulianto]

Great app, multik!

One vote for me for the 'GUI' simplicity (I only use linux servers, my desktop & notebook are still xp based), especially if there are possibility to extend this program to continuously & automatically consolidate messages to a single cvs file and manage all the messages from our desktop gui

-Yulianto

[multik]

hmm. whats wrong with windows version? you does not need linux to run this program ;-) And you can do it almoust automatically ;-)

just create shortcut on desktop to launch c:\path_to\sms2cvs.exe "c:\Programm File\bla-bla-bla\Message_Database.pdb" > c:\path_to\file.csv and click on shortcut when you need ;-)

Now as GUI i use microsoft excel and its good for me ;-) But if you want gui in separated application ... how it should look? and what functionality more important for you?

P.S. for "full automatic" version is too earlly - firstly i need understand, what wrong with date/time in palmos ...

[yulianto]

Hi Multik,

Oh yeah =)

I was just thinking of the very different way I use the linux desktop compared to windows.. more robust and capable scripting & scheduling on linux.

Anyhow, I agree - I also will be using excel as my gui. I'm not sure if it's worthwhile to make a wholly separate viewer build into your app with excel (or other more mature csv compatible spreadsheet apps abound).

The tool, as is, will be a good bridge for a one time conversion from Messages_Database.pdb (online sms store) to csv (offline sms store). I was thinking of the possible extension so as it can be a good manager between these two storage, judging from how most people's message flow... these are some of my observations:

1). Messages are collected and archived on the online store (treo) on daily basis. These are categorized by the sender & date.
2). There are Inbox, Sent, Draft & Archived folders.
3). Most people would want their Draft and Archived folders to persist overtime.
4). Most people would want to store their old messages (sent & received) on an offline location.

So how about these functionalities:
1). An option to leave draft and archived folders alone.
2). Option to select the range of date (once you've figured out the date bug of course *G*) of the messages to move/convert.

-Yulianto

[multik]

New version (0.4) is online.
- date/time bug fixed. Now time is not "nearly random" ;-)

- add timezone support. (-g switch)
- add export message limiting by date and time (-ds -de -ts -te switch)


Folder (inbox, sent, draft etc) support will be in 0.5 ;-)

If you found bug or want something else, fell free to tell me.

[yulianto]

Hey Multik,

Nice job on the updates!
Btw, have you any interest on moving the development to Palm? *G*
It'd be cool to do the conversion to csv and store directly on the SD card, it saves quite a few steps... it opens up many possibilities (scheduled conversion/backup & purge for one).


-Yulianto

[multik]

it not a problem. very pre-alfa version of sms2csv palm version is almost ready ;-)
now i try to add support of treo600, then i will migrate to palm.

[yulianto]

it not a problem. very pre-alfa version of sms2csv palm version is almost ready ;-)
now i try to add support of treo600, then i will migrate to palm.

That is very exciting news, brother!
NOW a front end would make sense ) I shall look into this more, any plans to make the source GPL?

[multik]

all sources are under GPL ;-)

[yulianto]

Multik,

Here's the front end

http://www.excite.co.jp/world/english/web/?wb_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jove21.com%2Fblog%2Fpalmware%2Fpsdb%2F&wb_lp=JAEN&wb_dis=2
(It's in Japanese, by the same author of PsMemo)

Maybe it's simpler to just dump the messages into separate CSV (by sender) and use the filesystem to group/categorize all the csv in (sub)folders on the SD card.

-Yulianto

Edit: Whoops, the app is hardwired to read/write only to /PALM/Programs/CSV