online calendar development: where to start?

@CSPOJan 14.2009

Hi all,

I am posting in the Jscript forum, as I think it may reveal the most appropriate answer to my query.

We are interested in developing a calendar similar to these (or simpler):

~~[url]~~http://www.webdeveloper.com/forum/calendar.php[/url] and;
~~[url]~~http://www.vic.gov.au/calendar/2009/01.html[/url]

Due to cost, we are restricted to what we can put on our companies server; i.e. non database driven.

Is it possible to build a sortable, searchable table/calendar without a database?

Even if it was just a sortable table: we have a search function that could be used to search the content of the page.

Any suggestions appreciated,

Regards
Alf…

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11 Comments(s) _↴

@TheBearMayJan 14.2009 — #Question back to you, do you have a server side language available? While javascript can certainly create a calendar for you, allowing updates or additions to the calendar will require something on the server to store the updates in some sort of file structure - given your constraint I'd recommend an XML file to take the place of a database.

@rnd_meJan 14.2009 — #you can use google calendar for free.

it can be remotely updated with no server required.

and it can even be embedded on your site to match your design.

otherwise, yes javascript alone can do it.

you would have to hand edit some type of data file.

xml is a common choice, though i prefer json.

you could even just make a plain text list with each event on a different line.

@CSPOauthorJan 15.2009 — #HI,

Thanks for your advise.

We don't have access to any server side languages unfortunatly, (the closest is SHTML which is not a script lanuage)

We are going to host the calendar on our extranet, so can't use the Google calander.

Can you provide links to some examples of xml and json fed calenders?

Can you point me in the direction of a good tutorial on how to create an xml or json calendar?

Regards

ALf...

@rnd_meJan 15.2009 — #well, you can use google calendar from any page, it's essentially just a snippet of HTML that you paste in like anything else. it can be used on an intranet page as easily as a corporate web pages as easily as from a file saved on the desktop. really, it works anywhere, has a ton of features, options, and looks.

not knowing of any other scripts offhand, i looked around, but i can't find one that i personally would recommend. There are a lot of crappy ones floating around, but perhaps i didn't look hard enough. i found http://www.zapatec.com/website/main/products/eventscalendar/index.jsp, but it appears to be tied to a server backend, which is a disappointment because the interface is so striking.

since there is genuine need for a good script, i am willing to have a crack at making one.

i have a couple calendar generating scripts, they could be modified to include data.

but if i was going to make anything, i would need to know more about what you are looking for.

i am not sure i understand what exctly you mean by sorting though.

how would a calendar be sorted?

how would the events be displayed?

-a link to a page like in the Australian example?

-pop-up more info?

would the extended data be stored in seperate html pages, or as part of the script data?

how is the search performed?

-what is searched?

-does it highlight matching days?

-does it bring up a list of matches ala google?

anyways, sorry i don't know of anything offhand.

@TheTeenScripterJan 15.2009 — #JavaScript can read xml files, i am pretty sure.. but having a server-side language could make it a *little* easier to update.. i would be worried about browser-compatibility, so yes I too would suggest a server-side language...

@rnd_meJan 15.2009 — #JavaScript can read xml files, i am pretty sure.. but having a server-side language could make it a *little* easier to update.. i would be worried about browser-compatibility, so yes I too would suggest a server-side language...[/QUOTE]

what browser compatibility problems should we be looking out for in a json renderer?

@TheTeenScripterJan 15.2009 — #i mean with reading the external file (unless it is JS), i don't think there is a guaranteed way to read that file for all browsers.. so reading the data with php would be a more guaranteed way of loading it without having to worry about the browser-type

@rnd_meJan 15.2009 — #i mean with reading the external file (unless it is JS), i don't think there is a guaranteed way to read that file for all browsers.. [/QUOTE]

ajax works in all browsers that are in common use, though as a json lover, i prefer a remote script tag.

you code the calendar behavior in javascript, the data in javascript, interface in html/dom.

all those should be universally supported by now.

@CSPOauthorJan 19.2009 — #Hi all,

Thanks for the discussion, I will print it of now and read...

I found a search function on this Nokia page: http://www.nokia-asia.com/A4482317 .

It searches the table and then highlights the information in the table.

I have isolated the search code:

Can anyone tell me if this is a database driven or javascript search query?

Is it a javascript that finds the text and highlights the row?

Thanks again,

Alf...

<form class="r50_searchform" name="search1" method="get" action='/A41457754'>
 
  <div class="r50_searchcontainer">
 
   <div id="prefix_sitesearch_btn">
   <input type="image" name="GO" value="GO" src="/NOKIA_COM_1/Web_Applications/nokiaa/SearchApp/pics/btn_go2.gif" alt="Go" title="Go">
   </div>
   <div id="prefix_sitesearch_textfield_holder">
   <input type="hidden" name="wsid" value="1209"/> 
   <input type="hidden" name="charset" value='UTF-8' />
   <input type="text" name="qt" id="prefix_sitesearch_textfield" value="Site search" />
   <div id="prefix_sitesearch_suggestion_holder"></div>
   </div>
 
   <div class="r50_languagecontainer">

@CSPOauthorJan 19.2009 — #Hi rnd,

Thanks for the post...

You are correct, I wouldn't need to sort a calender.

-what is searched? either the on page text or the xml file

-does it highlight matching days? yes

-does it bring up a list of matches ala google? yes, this is preferable

I think the information could be presented like the Australian example.

Thanks again,

Regards

Alf...

@tedscoffeeFeb 01.2009 — #If you can't use server side languages and prefer XML instead of database, maybe you can consider a flash calendar which uses Flash for the calendar layout and store data in XML.

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