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Using The Category Manager

Unless otherwise noted, the information below only applies to CompanionLink Professional. 'Express:' indicates options that may be used with CompanionLink Express as well.

1. What is the Category Manager?
2. Do I need to do both Settings and Category Manager?
3. Including more data in the sync:
   1. What does the green plus sign mean?
   2. What is a secondary database?
   3. What is a special category?
   4. How many databases can I sync for my contacts?
   5. How do I configure CompanionLink to synchronize multiple databases?
   6. I want to sync two different contact manager calendars with my Palm Datebook/Calendar.
4. Excluding data from the sync:
   1. What does the red circle with the line through it mean?
   2. Express: I only want my contacts to sync to my handheld, not to my contact manager.
   3. Express: I don't want to sync my contacts.
   4. Express: How do I keep just some of my contacts from synching with my contact manager?
5. Changing the transfer method / data synched:
   1. Express: I want my contacts to sync with one contact manager and my calendar to sync with a different contact manager.
   2. Express: I want my contacts to sync one way, from my contact manager to my handheld, and everything else to sync both ways.
6. Problems:
   1. I deleted the Business category. Now what?
   2. My Outlook categories don't show in Category Manager.
   3. My Palm Desktop categories don't show in Category Manager.
   4. Why isn't my secondary database transferring?
   5. I have CompanionLink Professional, but all I get is the Help menu when I try to use Category Manager.
   6. The linking info for my secondary database doesn't transfer.

CompanionLink Professional users are able to do this by area as well, but also by category. While many contact managers (such as ACT! and GoldMine) do not have a category feature, CompanionLink and your handheld do. You can use the Category Field tab to create artificial categories for your contact manager (such as selecting Group Name in this field to tell CompanionLink to create categories based on the names of your ACT! groups). Once categories for your database have been established, you can configure each of these categories differently in Category Manager. Handheld categories may also each be configured differently in Category Manager.

CompanionLink Professional users also have the ability to create new categories in Category Manager and use these to add additional databases to the synchronization. This allows information from multiple databases and/or contact managers to be transferred to the handheld.

NOTE: Category Manager is NOT available for Windows CE/Pocket PC/Windows Mobile direct users.


Do I need to do both Settings and Category Manager?
When configuring CompanionLink, you must always do Settings first and then Category Manager. After CompanionLink has been configured the first time, you may then change the settings in either place.

Please be aware that Settings refers to the overall settings for all areas synchronized, while Category Manager applies to individual areas and/or categories. If your settings differ between Settings and Category Manager, the Category Manager setting will be used.

Including more data in the sync

What does the green plus sign mean?
The green plus sign indicates that you have set up special category settings for a given category. Generally this means that you have added a secondary database to sync with your handheld.


What is a secondary database?
A secondary database is a different database from the one selected under Settings which has been added to the synchronization. When you are synching multiple databases with your handheld, the database selected under Settings is referred to as the primary database, while the databases which appear in Category Manager under the green plus sign are referred to secondary databases.

NOTE: Business can NOT be used as a secondary database.


What is a special category?
A special category is another name for a category that appears in Category Manager under a green plus sign. These will typically be secondary databases. Special categories may also be a category which you wish to have different settings than the main settings, such as a different transfer method or different field mapping.

NOTE: Business can NOT be used as a special category.


How many databases can I sync for my contacts?
The maximum number of secondary databases that may be synched to a Palm handheld is 13. There is no limit to the number which may be synched to Outlook or a Pocket PC handheld synching through Outlook. We recommend synching three or fewer secondary databases in addition to your primary database.


How do I configure CompanionLink to synchronize multiple databases?
Please follow the steps below.

1. Open CompanionLink Setup.
2. Click on Settings. Using the instructions from How do I configure CompanionLink?, set up your primary database. It is recommended that you set the Category Field tab to Business under the contact manager configuration. When you are done configuring your primary database, go to the next step.
3. Click on Category Manager. If you see the user profile screen, click Next.
4. Find the area you want to add a secondary database in. (For example, 'Palm Address Book'.)
5. If the name you want to use for your secondary database is not there, click on the name of the area (such as Pocket PC Tasks), then click on Create New Category and type in the name (for example, Brokers).
6. Highlight the name that you want to use for your secondary database. All of your data from this database for this area will appear in this category on your handheld. Note: Do NOT use Business as a special category.
7. Click on the Application Settings button.
8. You will be asked if you want to set up Special Category settings for this category. Choose Yes.
9. Click on the Application tab. Choose the PIM (i.e., ACT! 2000).
10. Click on the database selection tab (such as ACT! Data). Configure the tab(s) for the secondary database.
11. Configure any additional options you like.
12. Click Apply and OK.
13. You should now see a green plus sign in the list with your database listed below.
14. Click Finish.

While newer Palm handhelds such as the Tungsten E and Tungsten T3 do have categories for the Calendar area, you would have to use these in conjunction with Palm Desktop 4.1.2 or higher in order to take advantage of this feature.

Note: This is not a problem for a Windows CE/Pocket PC/Windows Mobile handheld.

Excluding data from the sync

What does the red circle with the line through it mean?
This indicates that the category(ies) that appear below it are excluded from the sync. These categories will not synchronize with your contact manager. They will only synchronize between your handheld and your handheld application (such as Palm and Palm Desktop). Purge and reload settings do NOT apply to excluded categories.

Express: I only want my contacts to sync with my handheld, not with my contact manager.
You would do this by setting the transfer method for the given area to 'Do not change or read data'. To do this, follow the steps below:

1. Open CompanionLink Setup.
2. Click on Category Manager. If you see the user profile screen, click Next.
3. Find the area you want to exclude from the sync (such as Pocket PC Contacts) and highlight it.
4. Click on the Application Settings button.
5. Click on the Transfer Method tab.
6. Change this to Do Not Change Or Read Data.
7. Click Apply and OK.
8. You should now see a yellow box right underneath the area you just turned off.
9. Click Finish.

• CompanionLink Express: This is done on the Personal Category tab under Settings, not in Category Manager. Please see our explanation of the Personal Category tab for more information. To do this:
  1. Categorize the data in your handheld and/or handheld application into the Personal category.
  2. Open CompanionLink Setup.
  3. Click on Settings. If you see the user profile screen, click Next.
  4. Click on Next and Configure.
  5. Click on the Personal Category tab.
  6. Choose "Do Not Synchronize Personal Category".
  7. Click OK, Next and Finish.
• CompanionLink Professional:
  1. Categorize the data in your handheld and/or handheld application, depending on which is easier for you. Data in an Unfiled or None category cannot be excluded from synchronization. If you are using Outlook, it is recommended that records have only one category.
  2. Open CompanionLink Setup.
  3. Click on Category Manager. If you see the user profile screen, click Next.
  4. You should see all of the categories from your handheld application present. If you do not, please see either My Outlook categories don't show in Category Manager or My Palm Desktop categories don't show in Category Manager, depending on which handheld you have.
  5. Find the area where you want to exclude data. This may be in any area of the Category Manager.
  6. Highlight the category name you wish to exclude.
  7. Click on Exclude Category.
  8. That category should now appear below a red circle with a line through it.
     
  NOTE: You can NOT exclude the Business category.

Changing the transfer method / data synched

Express: I want my contacts to sync with one contact manager and my calendar to sync with a different contact manager.
The instructions below are for a Palm handheld, with ACT! contacts and Outlook as the calendar. These instructions will differ depending on which handheld/contact managers you are using. However, they will still be substantially similar.

1. Open CompanionLink Setup.
2. Click on Settings. Using the instructions from How do I configure CompanionLink?, set up ACT! as your primary database. It is recommended that you set the Category Field tab to Business under the contact manager configuration. When you are done configuring your primary database, go to the next step.
3. Click on Category Manager. If you see the user profile screen, click Next.
4. Click on Palm Datebook.
5. Click on the Application Settings button.
6. Click on the Application tab. Choose your version of Outlook.
7. Configure any additional options you like.
8. Click Apply and OK.
9. You should now see Palm Address Book set to sync with ACT! and Palm Datebook set to sync to Outlook
10. Click Finish.

1. Open CompanionLink Setup.
2. Click on Category Manager. If you see the user profile screen, click Next.
3. Find the area you want to change the transfer method for (such as Pocket PC Contacts) and highlight it.
4. Click on the Application Settings button.
5. Click on the Transfer Method tab.
6. Change this to what you want it to be.
7. Click Apply, OK and Finish.

NOTE: If you are using CompanionLink Professional, you may configure this by category as well as by area.

Problems

• If you deleted the Business category from CompanionLink, close CompanionLink and reopen it. If the category still exists in your handheld application, it will be readded.
• If you deleted the Business category from your Palm or Palm Desktop:
  1. Open CompanionLink Setup.
  2. Click on the File menu.
  3. Choose Reset Palm HotSync Settings.
  4. Exit CompanionLink.
  5. Add the Business category to either the Palm or Palm Desktop, depending on where it was deleted from.
  6. HotSync your handheld. This sync will only be between your Palm and Palm Desktop.
  7. Reconfigure CompanionLink. The Business category should be present again.
• If the Business category was deleted or never present in CompanionLink and you are synching a Windows CE/Pocket PC/Windows Mobile handheld through Outlook, then ignore this as it should not be a problem.
• If you included the Business category as a special category or excluded the Business category, you will need to delete the companionlink.ini file(s) and reconfigure CompanionLink. To do this, open the CompanionLink folder (located at c:\Program Files\CompanionLink and/or c:\Documents and Settings\[Username]\Application Data\CompanionLink\CompanionLink). Delete all files ending with an extension of ".ini". If you cannot find these files, please see How To Display All Files.

1. Close CompanionLink Setup if it is open.
2. Open Outlook.
3. Go to the Contacts area.
4. Highlight any contact record.
5. Go to the Edit menu and select Categories.
6. Click on the Master Category List button.
7. Click Reset.
8. Click OK and then OK again.
9. Exit Outlook.
10. Open CompanionLink Setup.
11. Click on Category Manager, then Next if you see the user profile screen.
12. Your Outlook categories should now be present.

• Too many categories in your handheld. Palm handhelds are limited to 15 categories, including Business and Unfiled. This means that you can set up 13 other categories. If you have more than this many categories, your secondary database may not transfer. To check for this, look on your handheld and see if the category name for your secondary database is present. If it is not, then you will need to reduce the number of categories. Usually, this can be done by setting the Category Field in the main CompanionLink settings to Business.
• Special category settings missing. If you open CompanionLink Setup and click on Category Manager, then Next if you see the user profile screen, do you see a green plus sign with your secondary database listed below? If you do not, then you will need to readd your secondary database.
• Incorrect settings. Open CompanionLink Setup and click on Category Manager, then Next if you see the user profile screen. Highlight the name of your category then click on Application Settings. Click Yes and then review your settings. Make sure you have the right database selected and that you have the transfer method set correctly.
• Looking at the wrong category. Please make sure that you are looking in the category for your secondary database in your handheld. The records would be in the category selected in Category Manager. If you are using a Palm and are looking for your secondary database in the Datebook, please note that this data will appear merged with your primary database data.