Contacts suddenly removed from Groups

[shanghaiknight]

I use groups extensively to classify contacts - I have 2600+ contacts.

I recently went into look at a group, and that group (which previously had over 1500 contacts, is completely empty. All contacts were dumped into "No Group" Multiple other groups are completely empty as well.

Last few days I've done some things, like use Samsung phone "Merge Contacts" but I don't think that was the issue. I used my tablet and merged contacts in Fastmail, and I think that was the triggering event.

[devvv4ever]

Hi,

Do you have the possibility to look up group assignment in Fastmail? Are the contacts assigned to it correctly? In DAVx5 you need to choose the correct grouping method (it must align with the grouping the server is using – otherwise it can't work):

https://www.davx5.com/faq/cant-manage-groups-on-device

Merging Contacts could definitely remove group information since contacts then get munched and possibly also "cleaned" up a bit to a very basic state so that it is compatible for most systems.

[shanghaiknight]

Well, this is interesting.
I have "Groups are separate vCards" and that setting is on two devices - a Samsung Phone and a Samsung Tablet (Both most recent version of Android).

I spent hours trying to re-categorize contacts, and as soon as I fix them, when both devices sync... The contact grouping goes away again.

*frustrated.

[shanghaiknight]

Again, just spent 30 minutes recategorizing a bunch of contacts... I sync them, and initially they are there, but then, after a while, all edited contact categories disappear.

[shanghaiknight]

So... talking with Fastmail devs, there's a disagreement in the card dav spec etween davx5 and fastmail that's creating this problem.

Ya all need to resolve this because its resulting in lost data.

[bouncy-brenda-beheaded-debra-petrov]

I'm having the same problems with contact groups using DAVx5 and Fastmail. I'd not had a problem until somewhat recently, around about the same time phone numbers had stopped syncing properly and were also disappearing. The phone number thing seems to have been resolved with v4.5.9-rc.2-gplay, but the contact group problem persists.

[shanghaiknight]

This is now a known issue in fast mail, and its interaction with davx5... updates are beginning next week.

However, I suggest in fast mail web, creating a new contact folder for each existing contact folder. Select all contacts in folder 1 and mass add them to folder 2. This should solve half the problem. Then delete folder 1

It's related to a discrepancy in how fast mail and davx5 deal with groups. It's a problem with the carddav 4 standard itself. The interpretation of the standard is the problem.

That said, Fast mail is completing behind the scenes changes to address it.