Calendar View and Print Options (Date Range and List Format)

All constituents should be able to select a date range, select filters (which groups to add to a calendar view) and print or view in a list format as well as a grid format. The calendar used to have this functionality. Please bring it back as soon as possible as this is a necessary capability for faculty/staff to review calendars in a weekly/bi-weekly/monthly format at weekly meetings.

  • Guest
  • Aug 10 2015
  • Implemented
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  • Janet Wittenberg commented
    September 09, 2015 14:33

    Hi Beth and all,

    Here is one way to give your staff access to the previous Podium calendar for List view and printing while we are working on building a List View with the next updates to Calendar.  
     
    1) Create a Link Category (onMessage > Content > Links) called "Calendar List View", add a link to the URL https://{yourschool}.myschoolapp.com/podium/default.aspx?t=2262
    2) Add a resource board post (Core > Communications > Resource Board) of type 'Direct Link', pick the new link you just created.
    3) Access the link to the calendar from Faculty  > Resource Board.
     
    IMPORTANT NOTES:
    The new Calendars are defined as separate grouping of filters (aka Event Categories) with separate securable access from the old Podium calendars. At the time we installed the new calendars, we created them to match the existing Podium calendars.  However, going forward, any changes you make via the old Manage button on the old Podium calendar to change filters selected or security will not automatically reflect on the new calendars users see while logged in to the site.  
    I am assuming that if you calendars are defined the way you like them, you won't be making changes to the event filters.  All events added to existing categories will show according to the correct security on the existing podium calendars without requiring any changes to the calendar configuration.
     
    This workaround will be available through December 2015.  At that time we expect to have built List View and printing into the new Calendar and we will re-evaluate at that time whether the Podium calendar as it exists today will still be accessible.
  • Guest commented
    August 14, 2015 14:36

    It is somewhat heartening to hear that the calendar functionality that was removed is in development to be brought back to some degree. However, it is disheartening to hear that it will be months before we are able to regain functionality that was taken away with no warning. In the meantime, we are left with no way to provide a clean, list-view, printed, date-selected, version of a calendar to be reviewed in faculty meetings. Creating a printed calendar for review is a task required of multiple people here on campus on a weekly basis. With school starting in 2 weeks, we are left with no way to provide this information which will reflect poorly on our department as well as Whipple Hill/Blackbaud as we are now left telling constituents that this functionality no longer exists and was taken away by Blackbaud. I'm not sure who makes up the group of customers (are they clients at other schools?) in the "discovery process" or why the early adopters did not bring this up. It seems illogical to have taken away a functionality that existed because it wasn't raised as necessary by only a subset of people.

  • Janet Wittenberg commented
    August 13, 2015 20:30

    We are receiving a lot of feedback from customers as they use the new Calendar.  We certainly try to avoid taking away highly-used features by reviewing our prototypes with customers in our Discovery process. Although we did not hear about these items during our Early Adopter Program last winter and spring, I can see how features to view the calendar as a whole are especially important for planning and back-to-school organization.

    We will be working on building a List View in the next few months. It provides an instant view into all the event details as well as a way to copy and paste the information as needed. 

    The navigation to a future month via a drop down is also something we are looking into bringing back sooner rather than later.

    Custom date ranges are more difficult and will take some more time to consider.  It may be something that can be added to the printed view of the calendar if not the viewable page.

  • Guest commented
    August 10, 2015 18:47

    As a foundational rule of software design, I really wish the programming team understood that eliminating functionality that previously existed is NEVER a good idea.  There is no way for me to overstate this reality.  Customers who have gotten used to using a feature will always be upset if you take it away, no matter what reasons you may have.  Changing the default, or changing the workflow, or adding a different way to do something -- that's all are fine. But if you eliminate a feature or capability that use to exist, we will be upset that you yanked the rug out from under us, and now we have to find a way around it, defend your decision to all the complainers, and in some cases, simply not be able to do what we had been used to doing.  This reality alone should be enough for you to reinstate it.  

    We also heartily concur with Joseph; if you want to simplify usage on the front end, fine, but don't eliminate functionality for those of us who need it.  In the case of we who manage the system, simplicity is not the desired end.  

  • Guest commented
    August 10, 2015 16:27

    For a database, simpler is never better. If we are going to use the "On" product as serious tools for our organizations we need the ability to get to, parse, and customize our data. If you think it is too confusing on the front end for users give the functionality on the back end. These products are not just for casual community web users, it is also for the data jockeys managing and running school information. 

  • Guest commented
    August 10, 2015 16:08

    We really need the calendar date range feature as well as the list format. Groups within our organization (senior admin faculty/staff, alumni office, food service, etc.) use the a bi-monthly view of the calendar in weekly planning meetings all over campus. We need to be able to have the capability to print a date range in a list view for these weekly meetings. You may have created a "more simple view" but you've take away functionality we relied on...

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