Extending the Functionality of the Claris FileMaker Calendar Add-On

[@jemirandav]

This is the perfect example of how a tutorial video should be made. Congratulations and thank you very much.

[@ProductiveComputing]

Thank you so much for watching and for your wonderful feedback! We are glad that you found it helpful!

[@childhoodbusiness5057]

Wow, I just came across this introductory video … great! Helps a lot to start adapting the Calendar Add-on. I did avoid the Add-ons so far. But now i will integrate at least this one!

[@ProductiveComputing]

We're pleased that the information provided was useful! Add-ons can be incredibly potent. However, there are certain limitations when it comes to customization due to much of the code being in a non-human-readable format. Nevertheless, a substantial amount can be modified through the available scripts. While there are various options from a data perspective, there are more significant constraints when it comes to changing the "look and feel" or altering the calendar's functionality.

[@JohnMarkOsborne]

Wow… I planned a video like this but I’m not sure I would have ever found the time to record it… thanks for taking the time on this very important subject!

[@ProductiveComputing]

Hey John! Yes, this one took a bit but you're right, it's an important topic to explore how best to use add-ons for additional customizations and how to tie them to existing systems.

[@djc728]

As always Marc »» great video and fabulous job. I learned a lot. Thank you and for all you do for the FileMaker community.

[@ProductiveComputing]

@djc728 Dominick, this is so nice to hear! Thanks for your words of encouragement, and keep on building! 👍

[@dora-marie3767]

Thank you for the video!! I was excited to get this calendar add on added to our system! I was quickly put to a halt when it came to the Calendar Configurator window. It is blank.

[@ProductiveComputing]

@Dora-Marie Thanks for watching! You may want to double-check that the fields you intend to link to the configuration screen are in fact on the layout. If they are not on the layout, the configuration screen will be blank when it comes to fields to select in the drop down.

[@recipehacker9752]

Please keep the KZbin content flowing. Productive Computing really makes great YT content. Would love to see a series of tutorials and trainings from you guys, preferably advanced stuff.

[@ProductiveComputing]

Thanks so much Recipe Hacker! We tend to offer more advanced tutorials on our training site www.productivecomputinguniversity.com. But we will keep sharing new and interesting ways to use FileMaker on KZbin. Thanks for watching!

[@scottcollins9073]

Thanks for the video. Is there a way to customise the Weekly View. I am wanting to add more data on the Week view without having to click in the event to view the details ?

[@ProductiveComputing]

Hello @scottcollins9073 Great question. The answer is mostly no, with one tiny, highly compromised exception. In fact, it's such an exception that we are reluctant to even mention it. So, in general, the "design aspects" of the calendar views are locked in a mechanism that is not really human-readable/editable (formatted JavaScript primarily). A simple request of "Can I add more fields to the week view detail" is a near physical impossibility with the way that it works. Expanding the area of the fields by making them taller or wider or anything like that is a no-fly zone, unfortunately. You can, however, "hijack" the data fields. For example, you could take the existing title field and turn that into an auto-enter calc field or a field you calculate on the fly. In that way, you can populate it dynamically when you create/edit the event by way of an auto-enter calculation or script triggers/scripts. It would work something like this, assuming you plan to use the script trigger method: 1) You create a new "title" field (maybe rename the field "Title for user") and place that on the data entry layout. This becomes what people will use from now on as the event title going forward. All data that you have entered thus far would have to be copied over from the old title field to the new title field manually as a one-time migration step. 2) You use the existing title field that currently displays on the month/week view and calculates the field's value going forward on the fly after a given event is added/edited. You will likely choose to have this field eventually removed from the layout, as the users shouldn't have direct access to this calculated title field. 3) You now have the option to combine data from multiple fields and set that in the old title field (thereby giving you more info on your calendar views). To do this, you'll use a series of tools to "set" the title field based on things you want to include on the calendar. As one such simple example, you could choose to have both the user title data and the description data when you calculate the value. You can set the field using a simple script trigger, "On Object Save," which fires a script to populate the title field with data the user currently just edited. The sky is the limit regarding what you include and how you format it. However, (and this is the reason we are reluctant to even mention this as a solution), you'll quickly realize that the limitations with what you can include and what it looks like are so limiting it may hardly be worth the effort to attempt to include more info. To do so ends up having more of a jumbled mess that doesn't look all that organized. This is made noticeably challenging when you realize that the field doesn't support carriage returns or formatting whatsover. With that said, this technique wouldn't be too bad if all you wanted to do was include a couple of small data fields along with the event title when it appears on the calendar. One instance, you may want to adopt could work something like this: Event Title, (Sales Rep Name) [some value], some other value If the data is short and sweet, it would fit pretty well while also providing you more options than you have today with a single open text field. We wish the answer was better, but as cool as the calendar Add-on is, it has a short runway of opportunity beyond what it can do out of the box. Good luck and please report back if you decide to pursue this and what you discover along the way. - PCI Team P.S. One bright spot is that the fields do appear to support Emojis, which could lend a hand potentially when attempting to describe something in a limited space like this. We tested this on Mac, but not on Windows.

[@sarahlewsey7300]

Great Video, really helped. All was working well with my calendar addon on at first but for some reason when I double click on an event to look at the details in it, the event display window that pops up doesn't show the event, it mirrors the original calendar layout instead. Do you know how I can overcome this? Thanks

[@ProductiveComputing]

@sarahlewsey7300 Hello Sarah! So, to troubleshoot this, you'll need to turn on the script debugger and then double-click the event. You'll see it go through a series of steps. The exact moment it picks the layout to arrive at is step 49 (New Window) in the script called "FCCalendarEvents." It goes to the layout based on the variable collected ahead of that called "$eventDisplayLayout." So, the routine populates the "$eventDisplayLayout" earlier on in that process on line 46 of the same script called "FCCalendarEvents." And that layout name comes directly from the parsed JSON that it gets from the JavaScript function running inside the web viewer itself, where you may not have direct access. So, did you double-check that your calendar configuration settings (the small gear icon) are set to the correct "Event Detail Layout? " You may have adjusted this while making your customization. If that is set correctly, then you might need another pair of eyes on that to dig deeper or you can start over with a fresh file/add-on and try again, paying close attention each step of the way by testing the events screen as you go. Feel free to let us know if you need professional assistance; we'd be glad to help!

[@HyperionMV]

Great Video. I just got stuck on one thing. Like your example, I don't want users to be able to create events through this interface and removed the + button. Unfortunately, the code in the calendar itself creates a new record if you simply click on the day's box whitespace itself and there does not seem to be a way to stop this. This is a huge issue as you can imagine. Have you found a workaround? Thank you.

[@ProductiveComputing]

@HyperionMV The Claris built-in add-ons are not customizable beyond the built-in preferences in each configuration. Changing the calendar behavior at this level would require adjusting the JavaScript code, which is in a format that isn't exactly human-readable. It's embedded in a single field, and it's "minified". It's possible, perhaps, that there could be a way to remove the minification so that the code could be readable and then manually adjust things. However, this would require some expertise in JavaScript and requires a decoding process to unwind the minified code in the field. If this is your first time hearing the term "Minified," I thought it prudent to put the definition here in case: “Minified” is a word primarily used in the context of web development. It refers to the process of removing all unnecessary characters from source code without changing its functionality. This includes removing whitespace, comments, and sometimes shortening variable names to reduce the file size. Minification is often applied to JavaScript, CSS, and HTML files to improve load times and performance of web pages. On a side note, we do have a calendar that uses the same calendar engine and the JavaScript code IS human-readable to the point where this modification might be more available. It's embedded in our Core CRM Pro product which is free. However, as available as the code in the calendar is, you'll find it wrapped inside a CRM which is not where you need it. So, there is no magic wand on this one. It's our hope that at some point in the future, to make available a complete calendar add-on product that isn't locked like this, as there is a big need for this in the community I think.

[@mrbdvm]

Excellent tutorial . Thanks!

[@ProductiveComputing]

Thank you for watching it and for your feedback. We appreciate it. Let us know if you have any questions. Thanks again.

[@Spanplafonds]

Is it possible to transform the calendar into a 5-day workweek? By that, I mean when you create a schedule for 7 days, it doesn't include weekends in the workdays or business planning on the calendar? For example, starting on Monday with a 7-day schedule, so 5 days in this workweek and 2 days in the next workweek.

[@ProductiveComputing]

Thank you for watching our videos and for your question! Unfortunately, the Calendar Add-on is not customizable in that way, to allow it to switch from a 7-day week view to a 5-day “work week” view. Unfortunately, this is a limitation of the Calendar Add-on when compared to more ad-hoc custom implementation of a web-based Calendar API. Please reach out with other questions. Have a great day!

[@cmbsystems7101]

The calender filter works great but if you want to see all "service" what would you add to take the calender display no filter?

[@ProductiveComputing]

Hello @CMB Systems. Great question and luckily there is an easy fix for it. Here are the steps for this: 1) Open up Script Workspace and locate the script called: "FCCalendarFind" 2) Edit line 27 and add this to then end of the existing calculation: "and not IsEmpty ( Your Filter Field Here )" 3) After entering your text and applying your specific filter field, the complete string should now read: "not IsEmpty ( $SearchField ) and not IsEmpty ( Your Filter Field Here )" 4) Save the script and test with no data in your filter field. It should find all. So, the way this line was programmed is to automatically find anything in the system based on the filter field regardless of whether it is empty or not. If it's empty, it would find nothing. So, with this new logic in place, the routine will find if the option is selected in the configurator AND you have a value in the filter field too. Now that you can see where some of the magic lies, you may be able to include your own custom logic and hijack this even more perhaps as needed. Good luck and report back if you can if you got it working! 👍🏼

[@milanmujovic788]

Thank you, great class, very useful.

[@ProductiveComputing]

Glad it was helpful and thank you for your comment!

[@scotty562]

How can I show other fields? I have a few more I'd like to show that won't work as tooltips.

[@ProductiveComputing]

Hi Scotty562, If you wish to modify the displayed information on the event in the calendar to add other fields and don’t want to use a tooltip for that, you can create or update a “Description” field and modify it to include the data formatted as you require, and then use the Calendar Add-on configurator to set that field as the “Title” in the Required Fields section. That will display whatever the text data in the “Description” field as the info on the Calendar’s event object. Keep in mind there is a limit of sizing for the event’s displayed text, which is why the tooltip is helpful to show additional information for an event instead of the Title. Hope this helps!

[@Langerjohannes]

Great video.. is it possible to use more then one calendar in one database? One for the sales and one for the production ?

[@ProductiveComputing]

Thank you! Glad you liked it. Unfortunately, if using the Calendar Add-on, no - -FileMaker will only allow the usage of a single instance of a given Add-on, including the Calendar. You can see this in action when you add the Calendar add-on to a solution while in layout mode, and then attempt to add it again; the “Calendar” add-on will not be present in the list of available add-ons. Thanks!

[@Langerjohannes]

Thank your for the Information. 👋🏼

[@GreeningUp02043]

So helpful, thank you!

[@ProductiveComputing]

@GreeningUp02043 Glad it was helpful!

[@wiselyku]

Hi, this is great video. Thank you. I found that there will be a close button at the left-top of the window when you add new record. How can i do to make "edit record" has the same feature. Also, do you know how to make the delete button pop-up a warning message box? If you are sure that you need to delete that record, then you just click ok/confirmed.

[@ProductiveComputing]

Hello - you inspired an entire video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lWbKY6Frmbl1ipo. Hope this helps! Please report back.

[@wiselyku]

@@ProductiveComputing Wow, thank you so much. This is awesome.

[@ProductiveComputing]

Glad you like it!

[@dennishulett5281]

Thank you for the video, great work. A quick question. How would I add multiple lines of filters? For example, If I wanted to filter by both lead technician AND service. Thank you,

[@ProductiveComputing]

Hi @Dennis Hulett Thanks for your question and for watching. So, we took about 45 minutes just now to figure out how to do this and it works! This is not a built-in feature and requires hijacking one of the scripts. And it's a challenge to explain it all here in a KZbin comment. If you can sign up for one of our free courses, we'll send you an Email with a custom video showing you how to do it. A good course to start with is: www.productivecomputinguniversity.com/courses/FileMaker-Features-Free-Resources. If you choose this method, we'll see the email come in and we'll send you a quick video on it. Alternatively, you can post your question directly in the Claris Community and see if anyone can help you you there: community.claris.com Thanks again for your support. The calendar add-on is one of the best things they added to the product.

[@dennishulett5281]

@@ProductiveComputing thank you so much. I just signed up with my email and will complete the enrollment tomorrow.

[@ProductiveComputing]

@Dennis Hulett Thanks for signing up! We made you a custom video and sent via Email just now 7/27/2022 9:52:18 AM (Pacific).

[@tonyb9802]

Is there a way to have multiple filters

[@ProductiveComputing]

Hi @Tony B Thanks for watching this video and for your question. This is not a built-in feature and is a challenge to explain it here in a KZbin comment. We encourage you to sign up for one of our free courses and then we can send you an email with a custom video showing you how to do it. A good course to start with is: www.productivecomputinguniversity.com/courses/FileMaker-Features-Free-Resources -- if you choose this method, we will see the email come in and send you the quick video on it. Thank you again for reaching out!

[@007ruboro]

Inglés Is there a limit to the duration of an event? I have seen that when an event lasts more than 35 days it disappears from the calendar. Hay algún limite para la duración de un evento? He visto que cuando un evento dura más de 35 días se desaparece del calendario.

[@ProductiveComputing]

@Ruben Dario Orozco please see our other comment on the other calendar video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lWbKY6Frmbl1ipo&lc=UgxHU5LHDMK3ysNVLv54AaABAg

[@seanoonline2818]

Thank you!! What an incredible video!! Your patience, professionalism and comprehensiveness was well out the ballpark. You dropped some generic gems as well which I'm really grateful for :) Out of curiosity, Is it possible to link the calendar to a Google or MS account? Would be kinda useful to be able to add the calendar overlay to one's weapon of choice. Again thank you for taking the time to make this exceptional video!

[@ProductiveComputing]

Thank you @SeanO Online for your terrific feedback here - makes the effort all worth it! So, there is no direct connect between FileMaker and Google or MS. However there are tools used to move data back and forth that can provide some integration options. On our side you can check out Outlook Manipulator or GManipulator which are plug-ins that expose those entities in the form of script steps and a plug-in. You can also check out others in the industry that have various products that help you do something similar. You can view our interaction page on our main website to learn more: www.productivecomputing.com/contact-calendar-filemaker-plugins/ Thanks gain for your comment and for watching! 👍🏼

[@TonyMakarowski]

How can I add additional info to the Title field (without using the tooltips), I'd like to have 2 lines of information, example; Units: 10 (then a line break and Unit Value: $100 that is all the information I need to place on the calendar each day different unit and value naturally.

[@ProductiveComputing]

Thank you for writing, @user-kh4bw9my1q! Unfortunately, it seems that the ability to set multi-line details in the Title field of an event showing up on the calendar is not supported. We appreciate you watching our video!

[@rafabraz82]

Hi!! Tks for the video!! I'm new in filemaker and I really needed this!! Would it be difficult to create one pdf file from this calendar and send it to some email? Do you already have any video about this? Tks!

[@ProductiveComputing]

Hello @Rafael Braz - thanks for your question and welcome to FileMaker! So, unfortunately, there is no built-in way to print the calendar add-on to a printer or a PDF. It has to do with the fact that a web viewer is being used and in most cases nothing will appear when you go to print/PDF this. The results also vary based on what you are viewing in the web viewer and may also vary based on the platform (Windows or Mac). For example, on either platform you should be able to put in a simple website into a new web viewer and the contents of the add-on in the web viewer should print/PDF for you. However, this is not the case when working with add-ons or more complex content. Claris reports that: "A WebViewer will not print/preview with a heavy web page. The issue also occurs with pages that include "data:text/html". You can read more about this here: community.claris.com/en/s/question/0D50H00006ezL9DSAU/web-viewer-printing-issues-fmpa-16 You can also try the screen shot method as a work-around but it may not be worth it in the end: community.claris.com/en/s/question/0D53w00005HgY6M/calendar-add-on-print