UPDATED!!!
http://chris-software.com/index.php/2009/10/27/solved-sms-switcher/

Updated: application was only tested on my old personal iPhone Classic. I’ve just tested it on 3G and confirm it’s not working as expected. Maybe today or on wednesday I will try to submit and update. I’m extremely sorry, but please believe me, I’ll do everything to make it working as I intended!

Updated: sorry for making you wait so long, but I have some technical problems: I’m trying to figure out, how to debug my application over SSH as long as it permanently lost WiFi (my 3G). I need to find somebody who is willing to borrow me the SIM Card with data plan so I can download it over 3G or to buy new iPhone… I’m quite busy recently.

Hi!

Yesterday I added to Cydia (BigBoss) my new simple but useful application: SMS Switcher, and I’ve been only receiving questions “how does it work?” or statements: “It doesn’t work”.

First I’d like to discuss some technical info. Your SMS/MMS messages (created by Messages application) are stored in one file called sms.db, which you will find in:

/var/mobile/Library/SMS/

My application allows you to create another databases for your messages, so when you create databased MyGirlfriendsMSGs, and ImportantMSGs, when you visit again /var/mobile/Library/SMS/ you should also see the libraries you created, that is MyGirlfriendsMSGs.db and ImportantMSGs.db.

But remember that Messages app uses only sms.db file, and doesn’t focus on other .db files in this directory. That is way I call sms.db file the active library – the library from which messages are read and to which new are saved. You can only have one library active at a time. So when you create new library You can set that you want to activate it straight away, or you can do it always later.

When you activate next library, it’s file – *.db file will rename to sms.db, so now it’s used as a Messages’ database, while the previous original library will rename to [previousActiveLibraryName].db.

You cannot assign your contacts to save messages from/to them to one of the libraries – they will be always saved in your active.

What is the point of such application:

1. if your library is very big – like thousands of messages, opening it takes few seconds out of your life. Either you can delete some messages, or create new library while you always can switch the library to the original one and read your messages. You can always make a copy while creating new library, so now you have the same to files, but you can delete unwanted msgs – the app will respond faster and you have a backup if you delete something important.
2. It saves your privacy. A lot of people read your messages when you left your iPhone unprotected. Not all of them are hackers and not all of them knows this application. So by switching libraries the typical inquisitive person won’t have access to your (very) private data.
3. And the example from the application. If you have two or more girlfriends/boyfriends/wives/husbands/fiancees… (I don’t say it’s good, it isn’t) you can easily switch libraries so one girlfriend/boyfriend/wife/husband/fiancee won’t find out about the other.
4. Think of your own reasons

So again step by step instruction

1. Obvious: install the application from Cydia (search, type SMS Switcher).
2. Obvious again: launch the application – nice icon like messages applications with recycle symbol (two arrows).
3. You should see a list with one database only – it’s a database created by already using Messages app. If it’s not listed it simply means that you have never received any message (make some friends), you have never opened Messages or you have just restored your device and because of above two reasons, this file doesn’t exists – it’s not a problem.
4. So now let’s create new SMS library – just tap the top right [+] button. Enter it’s name – just to remove typical file-naming problems you are only allowed to use letters A, B, C to Z and number 0, 1, 2, 3 to 9. If you want to activate this library straight away (it means that messages will be saved to this library, and read also from this library – and as long as it’s empty, your Messages app will display nothing). Only while creating new library, you can easily import all messages from any existing libraries.
5. You can repeat step 4 to create more libraries. If you already activated one library it will be used for next messages. You can later launch the app again and switch back or switch to another.

OK and BTW: when you start your application, the main SMS library is always called Unnamed.

Please tell me that you get it. If not, use the comments above.

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