iOS custom fields cannot be saved

[m4dz]

iOS uses vcard fields to store additional informations such as custom ring per contacts. If you try to set it to a contact synchonized with your cozy, the field isn't saved, and the contact fall back to its previous version, meaning you lack your custom setting.

[hansbkk]

Related to the general idea of "don't lose user data", if not preserving full vCard data intact (apparently not possible due to architectural choices) then working toward supporting at least the full set of fields used by Google Contacts and iCloud.

some others clustered here:
cozy/cozy-sync#26 (comment)

[frankrousseau]

@m4dz Could you provide an example of failing iOS vCard?

[m4dz]

I will use wireshark to capture network stream from my iOS device to provide a guilty vCard to you ;)

[m4dz]

Ok, nevermind, I previously speak about Charles. I'll do it tonight of tomorrow morning :)

[frankrousseau]

I think there is a way to export your data directly to vCard format.

[m4dz]

Unfortunately, from iOS, I'm not sure the OS allow that. I can export a vCard from the contacts.app on OS X but there's a risk that the datas aren't truly identical.

[hansbkk]

the iCloud contacts interface should have an "export to vCard"

also many CardDAV clients will sync with the pretty-standard iClound interface at https://contacts.icloud.com - vdirsyncer will create a standard vCard collection against this, or act as an intermediary to sync against Radicale or SabreDAV for example.

[frankrousseau]

I don't have Apple hardwares of my own, so my iCloud account has close to no apps. I will deal with exports directly from an iPad I borrowed.

[hansbkk]

Then you should be able to use the sample "complete" Google vCard I created, import that into iCloud and have a look to see if Apple supports some additional fields.

I believe their structuring of the Groups feature is special to Apple's contacts, but many CardDAV clients support it, as well as the more usual use of Categories as groups.

[m4dz]

So (sorry for the delay) iCloud doesn't offer a mechanism to export a vCard. I used Charles as I mentioned above to spy exchanges between my iOS device and iCloud servers. The session is attached to this post.

During this test, I tried to update settings related to the notifications sounds and vibrates. The vCard format posted in the PUT request is:

BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:3.0
PRODID:-//Apple Inc.//iOS 8.1.3//EN
N:;M4D'z;;;
FN:M4D'z
PHOTO;X-ABCROP-RECTANGLE=ABClipRect_1&0&0&512&512&on/5YPQ6a2aqxD9H3Hg3OQ==;VALUE=uri:https://p02-contacts.icloud.com:443/294944289/wbs/01c11c4b48adb94d3577eb7c5b8aafa5c0b012fef5
REV:2015-03-04T13:01:17Z
UID:f5878541-e283-4299-90bf-851dcb484527
X-ACTIVITY-ALERT:type=call\,snd=system:Bulletin\,vib=Alert
X-ACTIVITY-ALERT:type=text\,snd=<none>
END:VCARD

So Apple uses the X-ACTIVITY-ALERT to save this kind of settings (<none> here refers to silent sound notification for SMS).

[frankrousseau]

And they use URIs as picture.

[m4dz]

And they use URIs as picture.

Indeed 😄

[frankrousseau]

I close this @m4dz. Let me know, if you meet another problems

[m4dz]

Thanks a lot @frankrousseau! Everything seems all right now 😄.