Calendar Object Functionality
Author: Dave G.The current Calendar Object is a view only (i.e. is not interactive) for end users and is configured by saving a MS Outlook or other compliant calendar to an ICS file using a date range. In use of the current object I had issues with saving individual appointments to an ICS file where if there was no DESCRIPTION in the file I received PHP memory creation errors or only the start time would be displayed. Then when saving a calendar to an ICS file, editing the file to create the DTEND times for the appointments, removing other non-required appointments and adding DESCRIPTIONS to each appointment the Calendar Object is not RFC2445 compliant and was virtually unusable for the end user who had to go into the Day view and navigate to the date of the appointment to read the description and see the length of time i.e. changing object styles did nothing other than position the text with no mouse-over support.
Therefore, please find my suggestions for how a non-interactive calendar object should work:
1. Helpfile should be enhanced to describe what is required to create the file i.e. Calendar vs. Individual appointment ICS file should be used. Alternatively the Object configuration could be changed to specifying the appointments vs. use of ICS files.
2. If an ICS file is used or exported it should be RFC2445 compliant, even to the extent that the file to be loaded is verified and throws a PHP exception if not.
3. SUMMARY vs. DESCRIPTION should be used to specify the appointment.
4. DESCRIPTION should be used to specify additional information regarding the appointment.
5. LOCATION should be used to specify the location of the appointment.
6. APPEND is an optional request, but could be used to attach a flyer / file that could be downloaded by the end user i.e. maybe a link or sign-up form.
7. On Mouse-over of an appointment it should at least show the SUMMARY, DTSTART and DTEND information.
8. On double-click of an appointment it should either open the appointment in the Day view, a showbox or new page.
9. In Month and Week views it should be possible to click on the Day to go directly to a Day view.
10. In Day view, there needs to be a way to quickly navigate to the day of interest vs. clicking through all days.
11. In Week and Day views the appointment should be seen as having an attachment (if supported).
12. Full apointment views are required to see the Summary, Description, Start & Stop times and select (if supported) an attachment that can be separetly opened / downed.
Finally, perhaps the answer is to just negoitate a license with LuxSoft for LuxCal, where the calendar has all this functionality and more such as displaying as a side-bar, mini-calendar or full callendar, where it could be packaged as an object with different modes of operation.
Regards!
Dave
Hi Dave,
thank you a lot for your detailed suggestion! Our developers will take it into consideration.
I wishy you a lovely day.
+1