Calendar functionality (GSOC 2010)

[panna]

Hello!

I'll very shortly introduce myself here, just not to be out of the blue :P :
I'm Ania, a Computer Science student from Gdynia, Poland who would like to participate in this year's Google Summer of Code (GSOC). 

And - yes!- the point:
I'd be pleased to create a tool that would be useful for DreamWidth Members: a calendar - on-line time organizer. ( http://wiki.dwscoalition.org/notes/Summer_of_code#Calendar_Functionality )

I would do as much as I can to create a practical, intuitive and configurable tool that could meet Your expectations, therefore I'd be very thankful for any requests, suggestions, advice.
 
Below I attach an outline of the calendar functionality. It bases on the requirements from Dreamwidth GSOC ideas page and the research I conducted among my family and friends about the functionality that they look for in this kind of utilities or they think this tools lack of: 
 
 
I TECHNICAL FEATURES
 
1. Synchronization handling (proposition below is a open list of possible options): 

a. iCalendar format (RFC2445) - used e.g. in Google calendar
b. CSV format
 

2. Exporting calendar to printable format
 
 
II USER FEATURES
 
 3. Multiple calendars

- Calendars may share information with each other
 

4. Events

a. Relating events to categories
  b. Support for recurring events

- Choice of recur period

c. Possibility to set a note
d. Possibility to assign file, etc
e. Possibility to assign to persons, groups...
 

5. Group events

a. Group events - possibility to create events shown in group members calendars
b. Event invitations
 

6. Notifications (highlighting on calendar, pop-ups, email)

a. Reminder of incoming events
b. Reminding of past - not done events
 

7. Reconfigurability and personalization

a. User's ability to control calendar's visibility (public, private, among group)
b. Calendar features personalization
c. Configurable time zone
d. Configurable calendars days (e.g. Mon-Fri), hours, …
e. Configurable design
 

8. Design

a. Skin personalization
b. Coloring events depending on it's category, priority
c. Highlighting events that are of a high priority, are already delayed, etc...
d. Pinning images in the background of an event/day/… view
 

9. Searching

a. Pick a data/month/year and search through the portal for specified by User data, events
b. Displaying history concerning specific category, person meet, etc
 

10. Others

a. Todo notes -> events to place in time in the future
b. Events -> todo notes  -possibility to "unschedule" an event
 

 
III WORTH CONSIDERATION
 
11. Interesting fields to look at

a. Weather calendar

- Displaying background views for e.g. future week weather

- Retrieving data from web service
 

b. Sms notification about important events

- Possible only for particular phone operators
 

c. Integration with MS Outlook

Once again - I'd be very thankful for any comment, suggestion or criticism and for your attitude to this subject. I'm looking very forward to this.

Thanks!

Comments

[mark]

Yeah... and just to break this down very simply, Dreamwidth offers four security levels people can use:

a) Public. This generally allows everybody to see it, even if you're an anonymous user with no account. (I.e., allows logged out usage.)

(Sometimes we have the security level 'Registered Users' which allows anybody who is logged in to see the data. We don't often use this though, so there would have to be a strong argument for including this security level in the calendaring project.)

b) Access Only. Dreamwidth allows you to grant access to other accounts. When something is posted with the Access Only security level, only people to whom you have granted access can see it.

c) Custom Access Groups. The site allows you to create up to 60 groups that you can customize. For example, I have a group that contains only the people I have met in person. I have another group that only includes my family. These access groups can be used to secure content to: I can write a post and say that only the 'My Family' access group can see it.

d) Private. Only the original author can see the content. This is the most restrictive of the access levels.

The four main levels will need to be represented in the calendaring system... i.e., any place that you have the users do something that will make information available online, they should have a choice of who can see that information.

Other than that, this looks like a great start. If you have any questions or anything, let us know!