| Scenario | Solution |
|----------|----------|
| Missing fullName | Combine firstName + lastName or use a placeholder like "Unnamed Contact" |
| Empty phone/email arrays | Skip section, do not write empty properties |
| Unicode characters | VCF supports UTF-8; no escaping needed |
| Multiple types (e.g., work + home) | Use ;TYPE=work,home |
| Line length > 75 chars | Fold lines by inserting \r\n (space) as per VCF spec |
| Custom fields | Allow passthrough of extra JSON properties as X- fields (e.g., X-SOCIAL:twitter |
JSON is a lightweight data-interchange format. It uses key-value pairs and ordered lists. A typical JSON contact object looks like this:
[
"name": "John Doe",
"phone": "+1-555-123-4567",
"email": "john.doe@example.com",
"company": "Acme Inc."
]
Strengths: APIs, databases, web storage. Weakness: Cannot be imported directly into a phone's address book. json to vcf converter
| Scenario | Why You Need It | |----------|----------------| | API → Phone | Export contacts from a backend API (JSON) to your Android/iOS address book. | | CRM Export | Many CRMs export JSON but import VCF. | | Data Migration | Moving from a custom database to Google Contacts or Outlook. | | Backup & Restore | Keep a readable JSON backup but convert to VCF for restoration. |
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data-interchange format. It is easy for humans to read and write, and easy for machines to parse and generate. | Scenario | Solution | |----------|----------| | Missing
Structure of a JSON Contact: A typical JSON contact list looks like this:
[
"name": "John Doe",
"phone": "+1234567890",
"email": "john.doe@example.com",
"company": "Acme Inc."
,
"name": "Jane Smith",
"phone": "+1987654321",
"email": "jane.smith@example.com"
]
Pros of JSON: Excellent for web APIs, databases, and configuration files. It preserves complex data structures. Cons of JSON: Not recognized by email clients, CRM systems, or mobile phone address books. JSON is a lightweight data-interchange format
For this task, Python is a good choice due to its simplicity and the powerful libraries available, such as json for handling JSON data and file operations.
| Feature | Benefit |
|---------|---------|
| Auto‑detect JSON structure | No manual mapping for standard exports (e.g., from Google Contacts JSON). |
| Preserve custom fields | Map unknown JSON keys to X- extension properties. |
| Photo handling | If JSON contains base64‑encoded image or URL, embed photo in vCard (PHOTO). |
| Groups/Categories | Convert JSON group labels to vCard CATEGORIES. |
| Internationalization | Support Unicode names, addresses, and notes (UTF‑8). |
| CLI version | For developers: json2vcf input.json -o output.vcf. |
| REST API | POST JSON → receive VCF file (for integration with other apps). |
| Privacy filter | Strip or mask certain fields (e.g., remove secondary phone numbers). |