vCard Format extension : represent vCard extensions defined by the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) Converged Address Book (CAB) group

Synchronization of an Open Mobile Alliance Converged Address Book , using Open Mobile Alliance Data Synchronization , commonly uses vCard as an exchange format between the DS Server and the DS Client. In order to properly perform synchronization of an OMA-CAB, the CAB specification defines some CAB contact fields not already defined in the vCard base specification. This document re-uses the definitions found in the OMA-CAB specification and describes them as vCard extensions. The following sections define the necessary Properties and Parameters.

The Converged Address Book (CAB) Enabler provides consistent mechanisms to manage contact information both in user-facing applications and in support of network-facing activities. At the core of this enabler is a network-based contact repository in which a user can store contact information. That information can be retrieved by any CAB-enabled device. The network-based repository is also able to provide specific contact information to other users and to keep their copies up to date whenever the information is changed. The CAB Enabler provides synchronization of the contact information available in the user device(s) with the network-based contact repository. The CAB Enabler also manages the distribution of a user's own contact information. In essence, a user fills out a Personal Contact Card, which includes all the information a user wishes to store about him or herself. Because systems that are supporting the CAB Enabler are likely supporting multiple users, the CAB Enabler also defines a search paradigm that permits other users to query those systems to locate information about the available users. The CAB Enabler supports many different types of information. It, therefore, has a data model that is flexible and extensible. It manages traditional types of contact information (such as name, address, email, phone number, mobile number) as well as new types of information (such as websites, blogs, presence subscription references).

Syntax specifications shown here use the augmented Backus-Naur Form (ABNF) as described in , and are specified as in the base vcard specification .

The following sections define the CAB Properties. Note: Some string-value vCard properties are defined herein for which no specific list of allowed strings is specified. For those properties, it is intended that de-facto taxonomies might develop. One vCard can, for example, specify a hobby of "philately", while another uses "stamp collecting", and a third has "old postage stamps". Usage, not specification, may lead to a preference over time for a single term. In general, these are meant to be understood by humans, rather than to be used for automated categorization that might require standard terms and registries.

EXPERTISE To specify a field of expertise for the object that the vCard refers to. A single text value. * LEVEL (possible values : "beginner", "average", "expert"), INDEX This is intended to be a free-form naming of fields of expertise, meant for human consumption, and no specific expertise fields are defined. See the note at the beginning of . LEVEL-param / INDEX-param / language-param / pref-param / altid-param / type-param / any-param text EXPERTISE;LEVEL=beginner;INDEX=2:chinese literature EXPERTISE;INDEX=1;LEVEL=expert:chemistry

HOBBY To specify the hobbies of the object that the vCard refers to. A single text value. * LEVEL (possible values : "high", "medium", "low"), INDEX This is intended to be a free-form naming of hobbies, meant for human consumption, and no specific hobbies are defined. See the note at the beginning of . A hobby, as opposed to an interest (see ) is an activity that one actively engages in for entertainment, intellectual stimulation, creative expression, or the like. "Art" might be a hobby if one actively sculpts or paints. "Tennis" might be a hobby if one enjoys playing, rather than just watching matches. LEVEL-param / INDEX-param / language-param / pref-param / altid-param / type-param / any-param text HOBBY;INDEX=1;LEVEL=high:reading HOBBY;INDEX=2;LEVEL=high:sewing

INTEREST To specify the interest(s) of the object that the vCard refers to. A single text value * LEVEL (possible values : "high", "medium", "low"), INDEX This is intended to be a free-form naming of interests, meant for human consumption, and no specific interests are defined. See the note at the beginning of . An interest, as opposed to a hobby (see ) is an activity or topic that one finds interesting, but doesn't necessarily actively engage in. "Art" might be an interest if one likes looking at art, but doesn't create art. "Tennis" might be an interest if one enjoys watching matches, but doesn't play. LEVEL-param / INDEX-param / language-param / pref-param / altid-param / type-param / any-param text INTEREST;INDEX=1;LEVEL=medium:r&b music INTEREST;INDEX=2;LEVEL=high:rock'n roll music

ORG-DIRECTORY To specify a directory of an organization the vCard's entity belongs to. A single URI value. * PREF, INDEX This is intended to be a URI that can be used to do an organization-directory lookup. Presumably, the entity the vCard represents would be found in the directory, though that isn't required. This might be used to make it easier to find someone's co-workers, management chain, and so on, in a company or organizational directory. How the lookup is done depends upon the URI scheme, and no attempt is made here to specify details of the lookup mechanism. An HTTP URI might, for example, lead to a web form that's intended for manual lookup in a browser -- thus, this URI might or might not be useable for automated lookup or searching. pref-param / INDEX-param / language-param / pid-param / pref-param / altid-param / type-param / any-param uri ORG-DIRECTORY;INDEX=1:http://directory.mycompany.example.com ORG-DIRECTORY;PREF=1:ldap://ldap.tech.example/o=Example%20Tech,ou=Engineering

The following sections define Parameters used within Properties definitions.

INDEX Used in a multi-valued property to indicate the position of this value within the set of values. When a property is multi-valued, INDEX can be used to indicate an ordering or sequence of the values. INDEX values MUST be strictly positive. Zero is not allowed. "INDEX=" INDEX-value integer ORG-URI;INDEX=1:http://mycompany.example1.com ORG-URI;PREF=1;INDEX=2:http://mycompany.example2.com

LEVEL Used to indicate a level of expertise, hobby or interest attained by the object the vCard represents. Allowable values: "beginner", "average", "expert" when used with EXPERTISE "high", "medium", "low" when used with HOBBY or INTEREST "LEVEL=" LEVEL-value "beginner" / "average" / "expert" / "high" / "medium" / "low" EXPERTISE;LEVEL=beginner:chinese literature HOBBY;LEVEL=high:reading INTEREST;LEVEL=medium:r&b music

This document presents no security considerations beyond those in section 9 of the base vcard specification .

IANA is requested to add the following entries to the vCard Properties registry, defined in section 10.3.1.

Thanks to Simon Perreault, Peter Saint-Andre, Cyrus Daboo, and Chris Newman for particularly thorough reviews, which led to a much cleaner submission to the working group.