Create new contact - Select name is aready taken

[gamelodge]

Hi Guys

Could you let me know if I am doing something wrong?
I am using V 1.7.4 Community

When I try add a contact with the same first name, I get the error: Selected name already taken, surely this is a bug as who would index or reserve on a first name?

For example I have a company with 2 Contacts one called Bob Jones and the other Bob Cumings but I cannot add Bob Cumings in as the name BOB is already taken

[gamelodge]

Ok figured it out - basically you cannot have a contact with same name AND surname, so validation is on both. I was leaving surname empty and so it was not validating. -

So I am not sure what happens if you have 2 people with same name and surname but they are not same person, validation should really not happen on name and surname its to common for multiples if you ask me.

[Markus]

Ok, I ask you:

any suggestions?
Would you ask your clients for their birthday or credit card number?

Yes, this problem can occur, we have to think about it. Thinking of the Contact view you have your two Bobs listed; Which column with extra data gives you the secure to choose the right one?

Have to think for myself as this problem can hit me, too.
First Idea: email-address must be unique.

In <\application\models\contacts\Contact.class.php> function validate(&$errors) [from line 500 on] it could be easily adopted.

cheers
markus

[gamelodge]

Yes it is easy to bypass in the code.

But yes as you say the fundamental question is what is a better way.
The uniqueness should simply be on the user_id but from a visual perspective I guess the only way you can tell the difference is by another unique identifier such as an email. Showing the user Id as a column in the list contacts could help for the more technically minded people.

Its been referred to here:
http://forums.fengoffice.com/index.php?topic=3675.0
http://forums.fengoffice.com/index.php?topic=635.0
http://forums.fengoffice.com/index.php?topic=1580.0

My own opinion would be to allow multiple/duplicate etc of everything and let the end user decide how they would like to manage that. From the software perspective it should not limit you unless there is a valid technical reason. simply give a warning that a duplicate will now be created and then let the user decide.

[franponce87]

We already are aware of this issue, and we plan to make some changes for a future release.. but this will not be ready just yet.


Best regards,
Francisco

[markc]

Is there any word on this? I was looking at some of the recent release notes and did not see anything.

If there is no progress yet, is there any reason that I should not do what is in this post: "forums.fengoffice.com/index.php?topic=3675.0" ? (Really though I would be doing this to Contacts only, not to Users of the system) Are there other places in the current codebase that depend on unique firstname lastname combinations for Contacts?

I fully accept that this may not be compatible with whatever official fix comes down the pipe. I would be happy to delete all of my duplicate fn+ln contacts and re-enter them after upgrading to the official fix when it becomes available. For now though I need to make it work...we have thousands of Contacts; there are THREE Stephen Blaine Smith's!

I just need to know that it won't break anything else in the current code.

[franponce87]

Unfortunately we were not able to deal with this issue for this Feng Office version, as we have been very busy developing other things with higher priorities.. but this will change in a future release (not necessarilly  next one).

Best regards,
Francisco