Merging raw contacts

Question

I have an account and a sync adapter which add new raw contacts with corresponding private data entries. the contacts I'm creating are phone number based, meaning I'm creating a new entry per existing phone number.

How do I merge my raw contact with the existing raw contact that was linked to the existing phone number?

I've tried creating a new phone number entry in the data table, and link it to the raw contacts I'm adding. it works, but It's creating a duplication phone number.

I've also tried setting the contact ID, display name, secondery display name but with no success... the only data I can change in raw contacts is the account name and type, and the columns SYNC1...SYNC4

Answer 1

You need to update an entry in the AggregationExceptions table. See: http://developer.android.com/reference/android/provider/ContactsContract.AggregationExceptions.html

An example code that supports batch joining if needed:

ArrayList<ContentProviderOperation> operations = new ArrayList<ContentProviderOperation>();
Builder builder = ContentProviderOperation.newUpdate(AggregationExceptions.CONTENT_URI);
builder.withValue(AggregationExceptions.TYPE, AggregationExceptions.TYPE_KEEP_TOGETHER);
builder.withValue(AggregationExceptions.RAW_CONTACT_ID1, raw1);
builder.withValue(AggregationExceptions.RAW_CONTACT_ID2, raw2);
operations.add(builder.build());
contentResolver.applyBatch(ContactsContract.AUTHORITY, tempArrayList);

Answer 2

Raw contacts table holds 1 row per contact, Data table may hold any number of rows for each row in Raw table.

To add new phone numbers to a contact, Insert rows in Data table with ContactsContract.Data.RAW_CONTACT_ID set to the Raw table row _id of that contact.