Embedding The Calendar
Integration Options.
Most folks will paste SeedCode Calendar into their file and use an events table they already have for the events they want to see in the calendar.
If you don't need to have the calendar "in" your file, you can still link the two files, pointing the calendar at your events table instead of the "SampleEvents" table it comes with. Linking in this way is much faster but means you'll have two files instead of one. (The chief disadvantage of this is that you have to have the same accounts and passwords in each file, unless you set the calendar file to auto-open with its own low access password for everyone.)
If this sounds like it might be for you, follow our instructions for the Quick Integration.
The remainder of these instructions assume you already have a table whose records you want to see in the calendar. If you don't, you can just copy/paste or import our "SampleEvents" table into your file and skip steps 2 and 5 below.
You may also have more than one table (or more than one date field in a table) that you want to see in the calendar. Don't worry about that for now: get one table/field up and running and then you can come back and configure additional event sources.
Keys to Success
The most common mistake folks make integrating the calendar (or moving any FMP code from file to file) is performing steps in the order. FileMaker is very sensitive to the order in which new code is pasted into a file--create layouts before you paste in a script looking for that layout and all will be well; past the script in before the layout expected in that script has been created and you'll have some busted code that is particularly hard to unravel.
So, even if you're an experienced developer, follow the steps here carefully and in order--at least for your first calendar integration. =)
Step-by-Step Instructions: Pasting SeedCode Calendar into your File.
First, backup your file.
Really.
And this is important: review a couple of things you may want to change in your file before you get started.
If you don't already have a table in your file for events, you can copy/paste or import the "SampleEvents" table in SeedCode Calendar into your file, then skip steps 2 and 5 below.
1. Custom Functions.
This step is only for folks using version 7.25 and higher. Earlier builds had no custom functions.
Adding custom functions requires FileMaker Advanced. If you don't have FileMaker Advanced, please get in touch and we'd be happy to get a copy of your files and perform this step for you.
Open the Calendar file and navigate to "File -> Manage -> Custom Functions". Select all of the custom functions by shift clicking and copy them (edit -> copy). Then go back to your your file and open up the custom function dialog "File -> Manage -> Custom Functions" and paste all of the custom functions you have just copied.
2. Fields.
2.1 Add two new fields to your events table from SeedCode Calendar's "SampleEvents" table:
zscTimestampStartCalcNum
zscTimestampEndCalcNum
Edit the definitions for these calcs, removing any leading / trailing comment tags if you pasted the fields in using FileMaker Advanced (that is, remove the /* and */ from the beginning and end of the calc). Then replace the DateStart, TimeStart, etc. fields referenced in these calculations with the relevant fields from your events table. Make sure both calcs return the form "number" and that both are indexed.
It may be that you don't have an end date field in your solution. You may also lack the time fields mentioned in the next steps (start and end times). The simplest thing is to add these fields to your events table: that makes the integration simpler and lets you take advantage of multi-day events should the scope of your events change. (Note that if you want to enforce that events never have times or never span more than 1 day you can use auto-enter calcs in these newly created fields to force them to be blank.)
If you create new fields, make sure the date fields are of the type "date" and the time fields are "time".
2.2 Next, add the following Auto-Enter Calculated Value option to the TimeStart field in your events table (you can copy this here or from the definition in SampleEvents):
Case (
Self = Time ( 24 ; 0 ; 0 ) ; Time ( 24 ; 0 ; 1 ) ;
Self = Time ( 0 ; 0 ; 0 ) ; Time ( 0 ; 0 ; 1 ) ;
Self > Time ( 24 ; 0 ; 0 ) ; Self - Time ( 24 ; 0 ; 0 ) + 1 ;
Self )
Self = Time ( 24 ; 0 ; 0 ) ; Time ( 24 ; 0 ; 1 ) ;
Self = Time ( 0 ; 0 ; 0 ) ; Time ( 0 ; 0 ; 1 ) ;
Self > Time ( 24 ; 0 ; 0 ) ; Self - Time ( 24 ; 0 ; 0 ) + 1 ;
Self )
Make sure you uncheck the "Do not replace existing value" checkbox. This Auto-Enter option is needed if you want events to be able to start at midnight.
2.3 Now add the same Auto-Enter Calculated Value option to the TimeEnd field in your events table. Again, make sure you uncheck the "Do not replace existing value" checkbox. This Auto-Enter option is needed if you want events to be able to end at midnight.
2.4 If you plan to use the calendar's gantt charts. repeating events, or email notifications add a few more fields from our SampleEvents to yours:
z_LinkedWithinProject
z_MilestoneSort
z_Notified
z_Repeating_id
3. Tables.
Import three tables into your file from SeedCode Calendar: CalendarInterface, CalendarRows, and CalendarColors. (If you're using data separation, add these tables to your interface file.)
If you're using FileMaker Advanced, you can just copy and paste the three tables. If you don't have Advanced, from your file select File / Import Records... / File and then select the SeedCodeCalendar file. Select the first of the three tables to import and for the target, select "New Table". FileMaker will create the new table and calcs for you but you'll have to come back and uncomment some of the calcs that couldn't find the items needed: come back after you've imported all three tables this way and remove the leading /* and trailing */ from your calcs.
If you don't have Advanced, and that sounds like too much, we'd be happy to complete this step for you, just send us your file.
If you'd like to use the calendar's To-Do List and don't have your own To-Do table already, you can import our ToDoList table into your own file at this time as well. Leave it named "ToDoList" and that will keep things easier in the following steps.
You'll see we also have placeholder tables for contacts, projects, and phases. You presumably already have tables in your file representing these entities, and you'll line these up later. If you don't have a contacts or projects table, and wish you did, you may want to pause this integration and take a look at SeedCode Complete, which already has our calendar linked to a rich contacts and project management system.
4. Value Lists.
Open SeedCode Calendar and recreate the seven value lists from our calendar in your file. Feel free to use your list of statuses and resources, but rename them to the value list names we're using in SeedCode Calendar: you can name them back later. The other values lists need to stay as they are, though you can feel free to change the time formats in "Calendar Times" to suit your tastes. You might want to do that later though, once you have this up and running.
Here, and in what follows, you don't need to import anything to do with SampleContacts or SampleProjects as you'll likely already have these things in your file. That is, you likely have a method of selecting contacts and projects and will want to use your existing method on the Event Details layout. (However, even if you do have an existing method, creating Contacts and Projects values lists now will let the Event Detail layout find those value lists when you paste the layout into you file. We also use this Projects value list on the calendar's filters: another good reason to create them now.)
5. Table Occurrences.
Select File / Manage / Database and navigate to the Relationships tab where you can see the "relationship graph" for your file. Click the little green plus button in the lower left to create a new occurrence of your events table (the table that has the records you want to see on the calendar) and name it "SampleEvents" (make sure there are no spaces in the table occurrence name). You can change this name later.
If you have a separate table of contacts you can create a new table occurrence of that as well and name it "SampleContacts" (again, with no quotes or spaces in the name). Link this to the SampleEvents table occurrence you just created using the same field matching you use elsewhere: this is likely from the SampleEvent's contact ID to the unique ID of the contact in SampleContacts. Do the same with projects, if you have projects, creating a new instance of Projects named "SampleProjects" and link it to SampleEvent's project ID. You can rename these table occurrences once you're up and running--just remember you'll need to edit one of the calendar's configuration scripts after you rename.
6. Relationships
6.1 Relationships Part 1. Staying on the Relationships tab, link "CalendarRows" to "CalendarInterface" to "CalendarColors" as shown below. Double check that the table occurrence names match what we have in the sample file, and make sure the open end of the ≥ operator is pointing toward "CalendarInterface":
At this point, if you want to show event colors in list view as we do in the Event List or Event Detail layouts, copy our field "z_sc_ColorCalc" from SampleEvents and add it to your events table. Remove the /* and */ from the beginning and end of the calc and replace our use of the field "status" with the equivalent field in your events table: this is the field we used to color code events in the calendar.
6.5. Relationships Part 2. If you intend to remove the Gantt chart you can skip this section.
If you'll be using the Gantt Chart you'll want to connect a few more things in the graph. First, create a relationship from CalendarRows to SampleEvents like this, where "id" is the primary key (the unique ID) in your events table. :
Then attach SampleEvents to your Contacts, Projects, and possibly your Phases table occurrences, as shown here:
It probably make sense to create new instances of these to attach to SampleEvents, but you don't have to. You'll likely want to rename your table occurrences to "Sample..." for now so that items pasted in later will line up. (Big time saver) If you don't have a Phases table, don't worry: phases are completely optional.
7. Layouts Part 1.
Create a few blank layouts in your file. (We'll paste in content for these layouts in a subsequent step.) You'll create one layout in your file for each layout in SeedCode Calendar (even though only some layouts are visible to users in the layouts menu, all these layouts are required, except for "Demo Expired"). This is most easily done by creating the first layout listed below, deleting the header and footer part, and duplicating it to create the others.
Note: it is important that you don't already have any layouts (or layout folders) with the same name as any of the layouts below. If you do, please rename your layouts or folders before continuing. (And yes, FMP's design functions can't tell the difference between a layout and a folder, so a folder named "Calendar" will cause problems also.)
Here is how to create that first layout: Create the layout and then visit Layout Setup and uncheck the box beside "Show field frames when record is active". Base the layout on the Classic theme. Also uncheck the box to enable QuickFind. (If you want to search the calendar using QuickFind you can leave this enabled on the EventList layout, or use fmSearchResults to extend QuickFind. Do this after you've followed these instructions and are up and running.) Keep duplicating and renaming layouts making sure to switch "Show records from" to match the associated table shown in the list below.
Again, you don't need to add the sample contact, project, and phase layouts unless you don't have any of your own. But you do need to create the layouts in the Developer and Additional Skins folders.
You may want to create the separator layouts we have as well (these are based on CalendarInterface) but that is just cosmetic. Make sure each layout is based on the table occurrence shown below.
Once you're done, go through and make sure these layouts have exactly the same names as the ones in SeedCode Calendar, and that the headers and footers are deleted from each.
Finally, delete the default layouts created when you imported tables in step 3.
Now you may already have layouts you want to use for your Event List and Event Details. If so, take a moment to read about that here: using your own Event layouts.
If you're using the To-Do List add the To-Do Details and To-Do List layouts as well.
You'll have a few more layouts to create for Web Direct (FileMaker 13 only). I'd create these even if you don't plan on using Web Direct now, as these layouts are referenced in the scripts you'll import next. Omitting these layouts mean those Web Direct script are broken and can't easily be repaired later if you change your mind.
Fortunately all the following Web Direct layouts are based on the CalendarInterface table. Before you add them, however, import the theme we use for FileMaker Web Direct.
In your file, select Manage / Themes from FileMaker's File menu and click the "Import" button. Select the the new copy of the calendar you've downloaded and you'll see a couple themes to import. Import all the Web Direct themes (beginning "SC Web Direct Cal") you'd like to use in your file.
Now create the following layouts based on the CalendarInterface table and the theme you imported above:
- Calendar - Day View
Calendar - Day View - no Side Menu
Calendar - Day Simple View
Calendar - Day Simple View - no Side Menu
Calendar - Week View
Calendar - Week View - no Side Menu
Calendar - Week Simple View
Calendar - Week Simple View - no Side Menu
Calendar - Month View
Calendar - Month View - no Side Menu
Calendar - Schedule View
Calendar - Schedule View - no Side Menu
Calendar - Grid View
Calendar - Grid View - no Side Menu
Calendar - Gantt View
Calendar - Gantt View - no Side Menu
Calendar Color Records Part 2
8. Scripts.
Import the scripts from SeedCode Calendar. When importing, just click the check box beside the folder "SeedCode Calendar" and all the scripts within that folder will import. There will be a number of errors reports when you import: this is normal. In "Setup" below we'll remap some of the fields and settings in these scripts to values in your file.
However, if any scripts are reported as being "renamed" because of a conflict, quickly scan the imported scripts for names ending "2" and correct them. For example, the calendar has a script called "Upon Opening". If you already have one with that name ours will get imported as "Upon Opening 2". To fix this rename yours to something like "Upon Opening Main" and then rename ours to "Upon Opening". Our scripts must have the same names as they do in the SeedCode Calendar file for the following step to work.
9. Layouts Part 2.
Now copy the layout contents from each layout in SeedCode Calendar and paste them into the layout of the same name in your file. Do every layout, including Calendar Rows and Calendar Color Records. You'll be warned that you'll be increasing the height of each layout; that's OK.
While the layout heights in FileMaker 12 take care of themselves automatically, the layout widths do not. You'll need to manually move the right edge of the layout out to the same place it is on the layouts in our file (for most layouts this is flush with the rightmost object edge).
When you get to Event Details feel free to edit this layout as you see fit, adding your own fields and buttons. Just be sure to keep the following 3 objects: the "repeat" button, the "show repts..." button below it, and the large "close..." button at the bottom of the screen. You can come back and edit this layout later, for now, just get the Summary, Date, and Time fields lined up with the relevant fields in your events table.
Just as you needed to click on fields on Event Details and point them at the proper fields in your table, you'll need to do the same to the Event List layout, and the on the To-Do Details and To-Do list, if you're using those, Again, you can map the basic date, time, and summary fields now so you know the calendar is working. We have a note at the end of these instructions reminding you to come back here and finish cleaning these layouts up.
If you're going to be using Web Direct you'll want to edit that version of Event Details: in Web Direct we show the event details in a popover. Learn how to point these popovers at your fields here: Formatting Event Popovers.
10. Layout Script Triggers.
Assign script triggers. Since layout level script triggers don't come over when you copy and paste layout elements, you'll have to recreate these. Fortunately there are only a few.
Layout: Calendar Home & Docs (1 trigger)
Trigger: OnRecordLoad (in Browse Mode)
Script: "Load Home Layout"
Layout: Calendar (1 trigger)
Trigger: OnRecordLoad (in Browse and Find Mode)
Script: "Load Calendar Layout"
(Do this on "Calendar - no Side Menu" also, along with the "Calendar iPad" and "Calendar iPad - no Side Menu" layouts.)
Layout: Event Details (1 trigger)
Trigger: OnRecordLoad (in Browse Mode)
Script: "On Event Record Load"
Layout: To-Do Details (1 trigger)
Trigger: OnRecordLoad (in Browse Mode)
Script: "On Event Record Load"
Layout: Repeat Options (1 trigger)
Trigger: OnRecordLoad (in Browse Mode)
Script: "Set initial repeat variables"
All layouts in the "Web Direct Layouts" layouts folder (except the "Calendar Color Records Part 2" layout): (2 triggers each)
Trigger: OnRecordLoad (in Browse Mode)
Script: "Load Calendar Layout"
Trigger: OnRecordCommit (in Browse Mode)
Script: "Event On Commit"
Return to the Calendar Home layout when you're done and enter Browse Mode.
11. Setup.
Here is where you start making the calendar your own, editing the scripts that control the calendars behavior and default settings. Read through these scripts slowly: you won't need to change every setting in them, but you'll change many and it's good to take your time so you remember what settings are available to you.
11.1 Configure the calendar. Edit the scripts "Load Calendar Settings - On Startup..." and "Load Source Settings at Startup --- Describe Your Sources Here ---" and follow the comments throughout the script, changing settings and field mappings as necessary.
11.2 Map your data. Go to the layout "Source No 1" (in the Developer layout folder) and follow the directions on the layout to map the fields there to the fields in your SampleEvents table. Map the "Summary" to a simple field for now like your event's title, just to get you up and running, then return here and try mapping the summary to something more interesting to create a multi-line event display.
A couple tips on field mapping:
Events with just a single date should have a start date: if your event has just an end date the calendar will fail. The same goes for times: if there is only one time, make it the start time.
Don't use calcs for things like the dates, times, or resources. The calendar wants to edit these values when you drag items around, and it can't edit calcs. Use auto-enter calculations instead if you must.
12. Clean Up.
Rename your Sample Events table occurrence to something that makes more sense for you. And add the script "Upon Opening" to your file's opening script, removing the go to layout stuff if you'd like. If you're using multiple windows or renaming windows in your own upon opening script, you may want to run our Upon Opening routine the first time your users open the calendar in a new window rather than at the beginning.
13. Run a Script.
That's it. Run the script "Upon Opening" script and you should see your events in the day view.
Enjoy!
Next Steps
Now that you've gotten up and running, you'll likely want to return to a few places and do a more thorough job of mapping the calendar to your events. Here are the places we like to revisit:
Event Details. You may have left some fields unmapped here. You'll probably also want to double check the arrows / buttons which jump from an event to its related contact or project. Learn more about these here: jump to my contact.
Event List. You may have unmapped fields here as well. Also be sure to enter layout mode and double check the summary parts on the Event List.
To-Do Details and List. If you're using the To-Do list, you likely skipped mapping some fields on its detail and list layouts as well.
