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[TubaDave]

Seems like the most desired functionality at the moment is a plugin that splits up recurring events so you can edit each recurrence separately.  What follows is kind of some pre-planning rambling, but I thought I'd post it here so you guys can give me feedback before I start down the wrong track.

Ground Rules:
1. First and foremost, a user must be able to edit recurring events separately after they have been added to the calendar.

2. Second, consider the scenario that an event is added that happens every Monday for the next 10 years. You make a small mistake in the spelling, but now you have to go back and edit all 520(!) events. To get around this problem, a checkbox will need to be added that allows you to selectively edit all the events or just the current one.

3. Take it one more level.  You have edited a handful of individual events.  Now you want to make a change to all the events again.  Does editing all the events trash the changes you've made?  Resurrect the deleted occurrences?  If you are only editing the event details (title, description etc.) the solution is that once you edit an event singly, it becomes disconnected from the rest of the events and becomes completely self-sufficient.  Then edit all the events will only edit the events that have not been singly edited.
However, if you edit the schedule of an event, it reschedules a new event series.  If you singly edited any of the occurrences, you may want to go back to that week and delete the new event or the old one.  I have no way to determine that from the program, so I'll let you decide.

4.  Once you've edited an event, you MUST remove it individually.  This is the drawback of using this strategy.  You either have the ability to change all the events at any time, overwriting changed events when you do, or you lose the ability to change all the events when you gain the ability to have single events keep their changes.

These are some of the issues that probably came up when Matt first tried to decide how to handle recurring events.  If you can think of a better interface to this plugin, let me know.  Otherwise, I proceed as stated.

[godsky]

Here is my 2 cents on this
1. Your right, this is the most important thing to make happen.
2. I tend to only try to schedule things out for a couple of months ahead, to use the example that you have of 10 years for 52 events per year is stretching it a bit.  Hopefully will be several versions down the line by then, and this will not be a concern any more.  The calendar admins have to take some responsability for what they schedule.  I know that I've made stupid mistakes (putting the wrong info on the wrong calendar (good reason not to log in as administrator) and had to go back and delete, and recreate.  A real pain, but it certainly makes you pay attention. The checkbox would be nice, but not a neccesity.
3. Have you thought about a way to show all the events that came from the recurring event, and put a checkbox next to them to show whether they should be affected or not, and leave it up to the user to decide?

4. I'll live with the requirement to delete events that I have changed individually at this point.  

The biggest time saver that I need is to be able to put in event in once as a recurring, and then be able to edit or delete a single occurance (usually because some one cancels that particular date, or a location changes etc.  I can live within the parameters described above.

Thanks for taking this on.

Paul G.

[tw1000]

Just a thought - Would it be possible to have the date of each event appear on a page with a checkbox next to it? The edit delete choice buttons at the bottom would act on only the dates checked.

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[DanO]

Since TubaDave hasn't been around in the while I took it upon myself to work on this plug-in.

My Split Recurring Event plug-in converts recurring events, events with multiple dates and events with a 'date range' to individual events so each is separately editable. It also has configuration variables to allow you to set how many days, months and years from present an un-bounded recurring event will be scheduled for.

I didn't do anything about editing them afterward but I programmed this plug-in so that the possibility does exist for future plug-ins to utilize.

     Unfortunately, due to the lackluster response I've received in the way of donations for my previously released plug-ins and the work I've put into maintaining the Unofficial CalendarScript - Mods and Plugins site, if you want this plug-in there'll be an upfront fee. You will find a link to PayPal with the plug-in details at the site above.

Dan O.

[This message has been edited by DanO (edited June 17, 2003).]

[DanO]

My Split Recurring Event plug-in now only splits events after they have been approved to minimize the approval process. Un-bounded events ARE still converted to bounded at time of posting though.

Dan O.

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[Kathy Maney]

Split Recurring Event
I paid online using PayPal.  It accepted my payment but did not give me an option to download the plugin.  How do I get the plugin now that I have paid for it?
I'm setting this up on our Church web site: www.biltmorebaptist.org

Thank you,
Kathy Maney

[Kathy Maney]

The script came about an hour later by email.  I didn't need to download it after paying online.  

Thank you!
Kathy Maney

[DanO]

** It accepted my payment but did not give me an option to download the plugin **

Sending the files in done manually by myself once I receive confirmation of payment. I may automate the process in future but it is not yet.

I am online almost every day except Mondays and Thursdays to receive notification of payment and to send the files. There may be sone delay depending on time of day the request is made.

** The script came about an hour later by email. **

Glad to hear it.

Dan O.

[This message has been edited by DanO (edited July 22, 2003).]

[DanO]

I'm just about finished the edit and delete functions of this Plug-in. It will allow the user to select whether to edit or delete a single event from those that were converted or to edit/delete all related events. It will NOT allow users to pick and choose which ones to edit or delete, the only options will be one or all.

It will be made available to those whom have contributed to the initial release (I'll be emailing everyone when its fully ready) and it will be packaged with the other files for new users in about a week or so.

JFYI

Dan O.

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[DanO]

I have completed the Edit/Delete modules for my Split Recurring Event plug-in and have emailed all registered users.
If you are registered and don't receive the email about the upgrade in the next day or so, please email me
*including the email address your PayPal account is under* and I'll get the added files off to you.

If anyone has any problem or questions about the new files, just post here and I'll do my best to answer them.

Dan O.

[This message has been edited by DanO (edited November 07, 2003).]

[Markku Lehtola]

deleted the file you mailed about and still getting these every time I edit event (still everything seems to work fine):

Error requiring custom function file '/home/int2000/11283/cgi-bin/calendarscript/plugins/splitter/before_edit_event.pl'. The error is: [Can't locate /home/int2000/11283/cgi-bin/calendarscript/plugins/splitter/before_edit_event.pl in @INC (@INC contains: /home/int2000/11283/cgi-bin/calendarscript/plugins /home/int2000/11283/cgi-bin/calendarscript/lib /usr/local/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.0/mach /usr/local/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.0 /usr/local/lib/perl5/site_perl /usr/local/lib/perl5/5.8.0/BSDPAN /usr/local/lib/perl5/5.8.0/mach /usr/local/lib/perl5/5.8.0 .) at (eval 1) line 1. ]
Event successfully modified

[DanO]

** Can't locate ...splitter/before_edit_event.pl **

** deleted the file you emailed about **

AND disabled then re-enabled that plug-in?

Until you do that, CalendarScript still has a record of that file which now it can't find
(which, if you notice, isn't the same error message which you originally emailed me about).

Dan O.

[This message has been edited by DanO (edited January 13, 2004).]

[rdb]

re: Split Recurrences
I run a database of dance classes which, by their nature, are recurring events.  However, occasionally, an individual event is cancelled or 'goes dark'. In that case, the event needs to be shown but with some information specific to that event.
(Just to emphasize the need for the plugin.)

[TerryM]

I just upgraded to version 1.31029 of the Split Recurring Event plugin and noticed that when I try and edit the schedule of a recurring event that I now end up with double entries for each date (the original event and the modified event).  Am I doing something wrong?

[DanO]

** noticed that when I try and edit the schedule of a recurring event that I
now end up with double entries for each date **

You mean edit a schedule of a recurring event which has been converted?

Dan O.

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