[plugin] Calendar (December 30 Update)

[SSDNAdmin]

Author: mockware@yahoo.com
Short Description: Track events by date and time
Long Description: Enter and delete date specific notations. Pops up Overlay when reminder is set.
Version Number: 2.0
Status: Working Reminders
Last Updated: October 27 2005
Homepage:
Installation Instructions: Double click Calendar.bmplugin If you want to customize the choices for time and reminder, edit the CalendarScreen.xml file - first value is minutes and second value is display text If you want to customize snooze options for the overlay entries, edit the plugin.xml file - first value is minutes and second value is display text

Release Notes: Fixed snooze options for overlay to use OptionListItems. Added recurring features to events Added Find event button Added import to allow importing of csv files exported from outlook Recurring events button is used to delete perpetually recurring events

License: None
Requirements: None


Download Calendar.bmplugin (http://www.snapstream.com/ssdn/submissions/mockware/Calendar.bmplugin)

Download Source code to Calendar 2.0 (http://www.snapstream.com/ssdn/submissions/mockware/Calendar20.zip)


http://www.snapstream.com/ssdn/submissions/mockware/cal2.jpg
http://www.snapstream.com/ssdn/submissions/mockware/cal1.jpg
http://www.snapstream.com/ssdn/submissions/mockware/cal3.jpg

[dequire]

I like!!! I like!!!

Already installed and testing this plugin. So far... So good. Excellent for a 1.0 release. The basic layout is perfect.

Here are a few suggestions for this plugin:

* Allow times to be associated with events, as well as dates
* Impliment the overlay reminders (which you have already listed)
* Allow variable event reminder times (i.e. 15 minutes, 1/2 hour, hour, day, etc.)
* Integration with email plugin to email reminders to one or more email addresses
* Allow web entry of event info (so that different family members can log events from anywhere)
* Allow events to consist of multiple days (such as "Out of town all week on business", etc.)

Hope this helps!

[mockware]

So the interface was intuitive I assume? My first shot at it failed the WAF so I had to rewrite some of it before submitting it. I really want to focus on it working easily with the remote.

Some clarification on the following:
* Allow times to be associated with events, as well as dates
would it be ok to just have intervals of 30 minutes (ala outlook) and not exact time entries? I'm thinking of using a selector for the entry.

* Impliment the overlay reminders (which you have already listed)
will do

* Allow variable event reminder times (i.e. 15 minutes, 1/2 hour, hour, day, etc.)
I'll use a selector here and copy outlook on the choice of values.

* Integration with email plugin to email reminders to one or more email addresses
Depends on mick providing the interface but I was going to even go so far as to add any type of triggered activity - I can apparently launch other apps and scripts using the SDK.

* Allow web entry of event info (so that different family members can log events from anywhere)
This is tricky. I'm thinking of having import fuctionality and having it do regular importing. That will leave it up to someone else to get a file in place to be imported.

* Allow events to consist of multiple days (such as "Out of town all week on business", etc.)
How about a repeat feature to copy an event for x days, business days, weeks, months.

I'll be adding a Settings menu also to set some defaults for reminders and give some choices for some of the things I hard-coded like the Text colors for days with/without events.

[dequire]

So the interface was intuitive I assume? My first shot at it failed the WAF so I had to rewrite some of it before submitting it. I really want to focus on it working easily with the remote.

So far, so good. I'm going to allow the Ms. to play with it and provide feedback. I do like the layout, though. It is very Firefly friendly.

Some clarification on the following:
* Allow times to be associated with events, as well as dates
would it be ok to just have intervals of 30 minutes (ala outlook) and not exact time entries? I'm thinking of using a selector for the entry.
That's perfect.

* Impliment the overlay reminders (which you have already listed)
will do
:banana:

* Allow variable event reminder times (i.e. 15 minutes, 1/2 hour, hour, day, etc.)
I'll use a selector here and copy outlook on the choice of values.
Also perfect. Many of us use Outlook every day (In my case it is forced on me by my company)

* Integration with email plugin to email reminders to one or more email addresses
Depends on mick providing the interface but I was going to even go so far as to add any type of triggered activity - I can apparently launch other apps and scripts using the SDK.
Sounds interesting. Could you provide some examples of triggered activities beyond email? Text messages / pagers? Launching other apps?
* Allow web entry of event info (so that different family members can log events from anywhere)
This is tricky. I'm thinking of having import fuctionality and having it do regular importing. That will leave it up to someone else to get a file in place to be imported.
I can live with that

* Allow events to consist of multiple days (such as "Out of town all week on business", etc.)
How about a repeat feature to copy an event for x days, business days, weeks, months.
Again, perfect!

I'll be adding a Settings menu also to set some defaults for reminders and give some choices for some of the things I hard-coded like the Text colors for days with/without events.
All I can say is how exited I am for this plugin! Hopefully, Mick provides the hooks necessary to utilize his email plugin. I will be happy to test, etc. or otherwise help in any way possible. Just let me know.

Congratulations on a great start! BM contimues to become a killer app...

:toast:

[dequire]

Oh, and also a self-indulgent pat-on-the-back to me for 500 posts :)

[k_kirk]

Mockware, this is way too cool!!! Thanks a lot for the efforts. Your planned features list looks great & very rich. Suggest you also add yearly repeats capability. This is great to record birthdays etc. Regards

[Kilrsat]

This is a cool plugin. Would someone like to create a few screenshots for it?

[mockware]

how do I post the screenshots?

[mockware]

I'm still around and working on the plugin when I can. I rewrote a bunch of stuff to make it more skin friendly and I'm adding the features I said I would. Just taking a while as I learn how things work.

[DonK]

Updated first post. Have at it!

[mockware]

Boy that was quick. Thanks Donk. I'll shrink the pictures next time around. Learning as I go about what to do with posting plugins.

Warning: when you install this, it will likely alarm for all events that have passed already. Sorry about that. If you dismiss them, they'll stop that. I decided to default alarms to alarm on the event date time.

I, also, added edit event capability.

I'm not to happy with how the overlay looks when you snooze/dismiss an event but decided to post this since I've been sitting on it for 2 weeks while I played with it. I plan on having the overlay be optionlists that toggle between snooze/dismiss but having trouble with it.

Still plan on adding the following:
1. repeat event x days, weeks, months ...
2. recurring event weekly, monthly, yearly
3. Import events from external file - format like outlook export
4. Settings screen - defaults and setting snooze length

[k_kirk]

Great Job!!! This plug in is likely to be the next nost used plug in after DVD Library!!! Thanks for all your efforts!!!

[dequire]

Just a bump to inquire as to how things on the 'to do' list are coming along. I really need the ability to import Outlook files, as I travel quite a bit, and would like for my family to have my schedule via this plug-in in case they need to get ahold of me. Also, all of the other to-do's as well! I can gladly help test, if needed.

Boy that was quick. Thanks Donk. I'll shrink the pictures next time around. Learning as I go about what to do with posting plugins.

Warning: when you install this, it will likely alarm for all events that have passed already. Sorry about that. If you dismiss them, they'll stop that. I decided to default alarms to alarm on the event date time.

I, also, added edit event capability.

I'm not to happy with how the overlay looks when you snooze/dismiss an event but decided to post this since I've been sitting on it for 2 weeks while I played with it. I plan on having the overlay be optionlists that toggle between snooze/dismiss but having trouble with it.

Still plan on adding the following:
1. repeat event x days, weeks, months ...
2. recurring event weekly, monthly, yearly
3. Import events from external file - format like outlook export
4. Settings screen - defaults and setting snooze length

[mockware]

I'm inherently lazy so this hasn't gotten a lot of my time. Just need to know someone cares to keep me motivated. I got some time to play with it tomorrow so I'll see if I can get a version with 1, 2, and 3 out the door.

1. repeat event x days, weeks, months ...
2. recurring event weekly, monthly, yearly
I incorporated these into the add event and edit event - I'm currently debugging it.

3. Import events from external file - format like outlook export
Looked at it and I know how I'll be doing it. Basically, just need to have your schedule exported as a "comma separated values" (CSV) file.

4. Settings screen - defaults and setting snooze length
not this release. Still thinking about what I need on the settings screen.

[dequire]

Thanks for the fast response! I know what you mean by the 'motivation factor' lol. I'll look forward to your update. Take care.

I'm inherently lazy so this hasn't gotten a lot of my time. Just need to know someone cares to keep me motivated. I got some time to play with it tomorrow so I'll see if I can get a version with 1, 2, and 3 out the door.

1. repeat event x days, weeks, months ...
2. recurring event weekly, monthly, yearly
I incorporated these into the add event and edit event - I'm currently debugging it.

3. Import events from external file - format like outlook export
Looked at it and I know how I'll be doing it. Basically, just need to have your schedule exported as a "comma separated values" (CSV) file.

4. Settings screen - defaults and setting snooze length
not this release. Still thinking about what I need on the settings screen.

[mockware]

Well I got 1,2 and 3 done. I ended up writing a generic CSV -> PropertyBag converter in the process if anyone wants it. An explanation of how things work

When you create or edit an event, you have 2 extra options Frequen... and Occuren... - oh (bleep) I'll fix that. What the calendar does is it adds events to the event list at each frequency up to the number of occurences you specify.

If you specify "No end" to the occurences, it will go into a separate file called RecurEventLists.xml and those entries will get added to the calendar as new dates come into range (Not sure how many people noticed that the range of months only go out a year)

There is a new button called Import on the main page. When you select that, the calendar will look for a file called calendar.csv in the Calendar plugins directory and import it into the EventList. The calendar.csv file needs the following columns in it "Start Date", "Start Time", "Subject", "Reminder on/off", "Reminder Date", "Reminder Time". These columns are some of the columns that are created when you export your calendar from outlook to a csv file. There is no specific order they need to be in. I was able to export an outlook calendar and import it.

The reason I'm not submitting this as a release version is that I want to allow better control of this such as adding a settings screen where you would do the import and adding a button to deal with recurring events on the calendar that I put in the RecurEventList.xml. I would like some people to test the new features and relay any bugs while I clean things up a bit on my own.

[dequire]

I would like some people to test the new features and relay any bugs while I clean things up a bit on my own.

Excellent work! I'll play with it this week and let you know how it turns out.

[dequire]

quick update: I was not able to succesfully import my outlook calendar (calendar.csv) into the program. I just selected to export my Outlook calendar into .csv format. it asked whether I wanted to export into .csv (windows) or .csv (DOS). I chose windows, and otherwise just left the file the way it was, with whatever default columns were there. what do I need to do differently?

thanks.

also, could there be an option to select a folder for the calendar file besides the calendar plugin folder? since I am trying to synch with my Outlook on my notebook PC, having the ability to have the calendar.csv file on a network share would be most helpful.

[mockware]

try the .csv DOS That is what I tested with. I'll check the windows version and see why it wouldn't work. When I get off my lazy but again, I was going to add a settings menu and put the import in there where you would get the file screen and you could select the file to import.

[mockware]

Wow looks like my files uploaded immediately and just need to wait on Donk or someone to edit the top post.

Anyway, here is version 2.0.

I don't have any future plans for this plugin but if anyone has anything they would like to add let me know or if you find any bugs let me know about that too.

[psager01]

It would be great if this plugin could retrieve listings from an .ics file either on a network share or a web address or web folder. I use mozilla sunbird, and have the .ics file where my fiancee and I can edit/retrieve it from outside our home. If the plugin could retrieve it from the web folder and display the events, we wouldn't have to be in front of the TV to enter them.

Thanks for the work so far.

Phil

[mockware]

It would be great if this plugin could retrieve listings from an .ics file either on a network share or a web address or web folder. I use mozilla sunbird, and have the .ics file where my fiancee and I can edit/retrieve it from outside our home. If the plugin could retrieve it from the web folder and display the events, we wouldn't have to be in front of the TV to enter them.

Thanks for the work so far.

Phil

Well, I never heard of this .ics stuff til now - I didn't try the new fangled web browsing until my wife (who is a business major) dragged me into it. Looks like no self-respecting application can call itself a calendar if it doesn't have some way to interact with .ics files so we'll give it a shot.

The specs for these files are HUGE so I'm going to start small and work up to something respectable so here is the game plan:

1. Have the import button also "import" .ics files.
2. Will just do events and todo entries - actually I think that is all there is.
3. No rules - I'll start supporting these at a later time but only to the extent that it will only add simple "no end" repeating events(daily, monthly, yearly). I should be able to do any of the finite repeating events.
4. At the moment the import button doesn't avoid adding duplicates. I'll add that so that if an event has the same description and datetime, it will get skipped.

[Kilrsat]

Updated.

[Kilrsat]

Updated with source code.