I have a client who has a spreadsheet of about 4000 contacts with the
columns mostly of the usual data: name, biz phone number, email addy,
etc. But for each contact (spreadsheet row), there is is also about 18
custom fields (columns), such as square footage, expiration date, etc.

The problem is importing this xls spreadsheet of contacts into Outlook:
how to get all the custom fields to show up. I know I can custom map
about four user defined fields per contact during the import process.
But as mentioned before, there are about 18 such fields.

Can someone point me to a reference that will allow me to do this
easily? Or is this the province of Outlook programmers? Or ???

Thanks in advance, much appreciated.

In Phone List view of the Contacts folder, you can use the field chooser
(on Advance Toolbar) and make and display all of the new fields.

The Contacts folder will look like a spreadsheet table.

Then use the Import wizard to import from Excel.

If you want to add the new fields to the Contact form, check out the form
newsgroup as there will be instructions there. Or www.slipstick.com

Judy Gleeson [MVP Outlook]
Acorn Training and Consulting
www.acorntraining.com.au

Everyone - turn on your Advanced Toolbars and learn how to use the Field
Chooser and Group by Box!!


wrote in message
ups.com...
I have a client who has a spreadsheet of about 4000 contacts with the
columns mostly of the usual data: name, biz phone number, email addy,
etc. But for each contact (spreadsheet row), there is is also about 18
custom fields (columns), such as square footage, expiration date, etc.

The problem is importing this xls spreadsheet of contacts into Outlook:
how to get all the custom fields to show up. I know I can custom map
about four user defined fields per contact during the import process.
But as mentioned before, there are about 18 such fields.

Can someone point me to a reference that will allow me to do this
easily? Or is this the province of Outlook programmers? Or ???

Thanks in advance, much appreciated.

Outlook doesn't support importing to custom fields. You'd have to write custom code or use a third-party application. See http://www.outlookcode.com/d/customimport.htm.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.turtleflock.com/olconfig/index.htm
and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx


wrote in message ups.com...
I have a client who has a spreadsheet of about 4000 contacts with the
columns mostly of the usual data: name, biz phone number, email addy,
etc. But for each contact (spreadsheet row), there is is also about 18
custom fields (columns), such as square footage, expiration date, etc.

The problem is importing this xls spreadsheet of contacts into Outlook:
how to get all the custom fields to show up. I know I can custom map
about four user defined fields per contact during the import process.
But as mentioned before, there are about 18 such fields.

Can someone point me to a reference that will allow me to do this
easily? Or is this the province of Outlook programmers? Or ???

Thanks in advance, much appreciated.