Building a calendar from the ground up...

[ambweb]

So I've searched all the posts, I'm not sure why it wouldn't make more sense to build my own calendar solution from the ground up than to purchase one and then try to incorporate that into my way of thinking. Especially if all I really want is to be able to view booked dates in week and month views. Anybody know of either a site, tech article, or book that would get me on my way?

[keshalyi]

Calendar solution can mean so many things. I know, for instance, there've been a lot of posts from someone developing a full-blown scheduling application, where it blocks out time periods, when they fill up, etc. On the other hand, the simplest calendar, you'd just want a record for each month, and for each record to have, say 42 records, within it, just like the blocks in a calendar. Then, you'd just have to do some calculations to set when the first is, how many days long it is, etc.

[ambweb]

Thanks for the response... I suppose I am looking for something simple, although ideally it would have month and day views. I'm really starting with basic skills here. When you say "a record for each month, and for each record to have, say 42 records, within it" are you really talking about fields? I really could benefit from a reccomendation for a "how-to" book.

[Vaughan]

No calendar solution is simple, because calendars are not decimal, metric or digital!

Calendar solutions should be relational. One database is for "Days" where each record is a day of the year; the other file is for "events" because each day can have more than one event. The key field between the two files should be the date.

[kennedy]

I suppose I am looking for something simple, although ideally it would have month and day views.

Cleveland Consulting put out a nice starter Calendar file. They also offer an enhanced one for a price. But the free one does have month and day views, and I think it'll be a great starting point. Adding a group calendar is a way down my list, but I think CC Calendar will be my starting point.

If you use it, let me know how it works for you and any problems you encounter.

BTW, their site is currently down ( http://www.clevelandconsulting.com/ ), but hopefully it will be up in the morning. You can download it from there.

HTH.

[ambweb]

So nobody knows of a step by step guide for building a calendar in filemaker? After seeing how many people are after this kind of solution, you'd think someone would have put it in a book somewhere...

[djgogi]

I don't know why but it seems to be the best kept secret on every FM forum.

However if you need it drop me an private message and I'll send those files 2u.

Dj

[keshalyi]

My theory, is calendars are kind of like Star Wars. I mean, the masters can guide you, and you can learn much in the way of the FM, but in the end, to truly become a DB Knight, you must confront Calendar, only Calendar is not your father, and, like, when you're done, you don't know how to fight with a lightsabre or anything. Anyway, it's early, gimme a break...

Seriously, though.

Vaughan's advice is the best I've seen anywhere - this is a big project, and the reason that I think there is no step by step instructions is that everyone on earth has utterly different needs for what they want on their calendars. The best way to think of it is in relations - a year has many month records, a month has many day records, a day has many event records, then use that information to derive the information to create a display - you can use a date to calculate a day of the week, and determine where its box should show up on the calendar, etc.

But, do not give in to the power of the buy-it elsewhere side... if you take the quick and easy way, forever will it control your destiny! Ok, not really, but honestly, I learned a boatload putting a calendar together, and I highly recommend it.