How to Split VCF File to Multiple Contacts

If you want to split .vcf (vCard) file into multiple contacts then this article is right for you. In this post, we will show you the most efficient solutions to split VCF files into multiple contacts on Windows and Mac machines.

Methods to Split VCF (vCard) Files

Splitting a VCF (vCard) file into multiple contacts can be accomplished using various methods, depending on your preferences and available resources. Here are some of the best methods to split a VCF file into multiple contacts:

Using a VCF Editor Software

There are several VCF editor software tools available that allow you to open and edit VCF files. These tools often provide features for splitting a VCF file into multiple contacts. Examples of VCF editor software include vCard Wizard Contacts Converter and Aryson vCard Split and Merge Tool.

Using Command-Line Tools

If you're comfortable with command-line tools, you can use utilities like awk and grep or used to split the VCF file into multiple contacts. Write a script or command sequence to extract each contact entry from the VCF file based on specific patterns or delimiters. Save the extracted contact entries as separate VCF files using command-line redirection or file manipulation commands.

Split VCF File to Multiple Contacts in C#

To split a VCF file into multiple contacts using C#, you can write a program to parse the VCF file and extract each contact entry, then save each entry as a separate VCF file. Here's a basic example of how you can achieve this:

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Text.RegularExpressions;

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Specify the path to the input VCF file
        string inputFilePath = "input.vcf";

        // Read the entire content of the input VCF file
        string vcfContent = File.ReadAllText(inputFilePath);

        // Define a regular expression pattern to match each contact entry in the VCF file
        string pattern = @"BEGIN:VCARD(?:.|\r\n)*?END:VCARD";

        // Use regular expression to match each contact entry
        MatchCollection matches = Regex.Matches(vcfContent, pattern);

        // Iterate through each match (contact entry) and save it as a separate VCF file
        int contactCount = 1;
        foreach (Match match in matches)
        {
            // Extract the contact entry from the match
            string contactEntry = match.Value;

            // Define the output file path for the current contact
            string outputFilePath = $"contact_{contactCount}.vcf";

            // Write the contact entry to the output file
            File.WriteAllText(outputFilePath, contactEntry);

            // Increment the contact count for the next contact
            contactCount++;
        }

        Console.WriteLine($"Split {matches.Count} contacts from the input VCF file.");
    }
}

In this example

• Replace "input.vcf" with the path to your input VCF file.
• The program reads the content of the input VCF file using File.ReadAllText().
• It defines a regular expression pattern to match each contact entry in the VCF file.
• It uses Regex.Matches() to find all matches (contact entries) in the VCF file.
• It iterates through each match, extracts the contact entry, and saves it as a separate VCF file using File.WriteAllText().
• It increments a contact count for naming the output files.

This is a basic example to get you started. Depending on the complexity of your VCF files and the specific requirements, you may need to adjust the regular expression pattern or add error handling and validation.