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Most folks find that there's a steady list of others to whom they email often. Keeping track of those all-important names and addresses, and using them, is easier when you use your email program's address book .

When an addressee's information is in your address book, you needn't type ”or even remember ”his or her email address. Instead, you can simply choose the person's name from the address book, and your email program fills in the address for you. Some address books also support nicknames ”short, easy-to-remember names you type in the To line of a message instead of the full email address.

Adding to Your Address Book

In both Outlook Express and Messenger, the easiest way to add to your address book is to copy information from messages you've received. For example, if you've received a message from Sue, you can use that message to quickly create an address card you can use to send messages to Sue.

To create a new address book entry from a message, begin by displaying the message in its own window. Next

• In Netscape Messenger, from the message window's menu bar, choose Message, Add Sender to Address Book. A New Card dialog box opens (see Figure 5.16). Be sure the name and email address boxes on the Name tab have been filled in, and complete any of the other, optional boxes you want. Click OK to save the new entry.

  Figure 5.16. When you use a message you have received to add someone to your address book, that person's name and email address are entered for you, automatically.

• In Outlook Express, from the message window's menu bar, choose Tools, Add Sender to Address Book. Make sure the name and email address boxes on the Name tab have been filled in, and complete any of the other, optional boxes and tabs you want. Click OK to save the new entry.

To create an address book entry from scratch (without beginning from a message you've received):

• In Outlook Express, choose Tools, Address Book, click the New button, and then choose New Contact from the menu that appears.

• In Netscape Messenger, choose Communicator, Address Book, and then click the New Card button.

Addressing a Message from the Address Book

To use an address book entry to address a message (in Netscape Messenger or Outlook Express), begin by opening the new message window as usual. Then open the address book list:

• In Netscape Messenger, by choosing Communicator, Address Book.

• In Outlook Express, by clicking the little icon in the To line that looks like an open address book.

In the list, click the name of an addressee, and click the To button to add the addressee to the To line.

When you are finished choosing recipients, click OK to close the address book, and complete the Subject line and body of your message.