Regarding the forthcoming addressbook feature...
Perhaps this suggestion is too late in the development cycle, but I will suggest it nonetheless:
It would be great if the Pegasus addressbook data was stored in an SQL compliant database.
If the addressbook was an SQL compliant database, then sophisticated users would be able to query the Pegasus addressbook from "external" applications, perform sophisiticated queries/searches, build complex distribution lists, etc...
For example, I could use an external application (maybe MS Access or MS Word) to send an SQL query to the Pegasus addressbok, which would return physical address data, and then print envelope labels. Or, I could send an SQL query that would retrieve the contact info for all family members for an annual holiday card mailing. Or, I could send a an SQL query asking for all e-mail addresses that belong to staff members at a certain company. Etc....ad nauseam....you get the idea....
With this type of approach, I believe the burden of coding new features is shifted from the Pegasus team to the end-user (very similar idea to providing a plug-ins/extension API I guess).
I believe this approach is quite feasible from both a business and technical perspective. For example, the Firebird database (NO relation to Thunderbird) is open-source, can be freely re-distributed with applications, and requires only one amazingly small 1.5MB .dll file. There are also countless third-party graphical tools that allow users to build custom SQL statements to query the database.
For an example of an application that uses this exact approach, see: www.essentialpim.com
I hope you will consider this.....not necessarily because it is the best technical approach, but rather because it allows the Pegasus user community to effectively build their own code/queries, and shift some of the programming burden from the Pegasus team to the wide user community.
Thanks for your consideration.
Regarding the forthcoming addressbook feature...
Perhaps this suggestion is too late in the development cycle, but I will suggest it nonetheless:
It would be great if the Pegasus addressbook data was stored in an SQL compliant database.
If the addressbook was an SQL compliant database, then sophisticated users would be able to query the Pegasus addressbook from "external" applications, perform sophisiticated queries/searches, build complex distribution lists, etc...
For example, I could use an external application (maybe MS Access or MS Word) to send an SQL query to the Pegasus addressbok, which would return physical address data, and then print envelope labels. Or, I could send an SQL query that would retrieve the contact info for all family members for an annual holiday card mailing. Or, I could send a an SQL query asking for all e-mail addresses that belong to staff members at a certain company. Etc....ad nauseam....you get the idea....
With this type of approach, I believe the burden of coding new features is shifted from the Pegasus team to the end-user (very similar idea to providing a plug-ins/extension API I guess).
I believe this approach is quite feasible from both a business and technical perspective. For example, the Firebird database (NO relation to Thunderbird) is open-source, can be freely re-distributed with applications, and requires only one amazingly small 1.5MB .dll file. There are also countless third-party graphical tools that allow users to build custom SQL statements to query the database.
For an example of an application that uses this exact approach, see: www.essentialpim.com
I hope you will consider this.....not necessarily because it is the best technical approach, but rather because it allows the Pegasus user community to effectively build their own code/queries, and shift some of the programming burden from the Pegasus team to the wide user community.
Thanks for your consideration.
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