[kwlug-disc] Android / Google calendar - events as tasks.

[Bob Jonkman]

I've been using Google Calendar for events for years, even when I was
still using a paper-based appointment book (long since abandoned).
Google is one of the few calendar providers that comes close to
following the IETF CalSch standards (RFC5545 et al).

I don't use tasks much, but the calendar Web interface for tasks does
have a "completed" status and indicator (either a check mark for
complete items, or an empty checkbox for incomplete items).  I'm using
https://google.com/calendar/render?gsessionid=<SomeHexNumber> with
Chromium or Firefox.

The Google task list shows up as another calendar instance in the Web
calendar interface, but the tasks do not seem to appear in any of the
calendars; the tasks seem to be in some other calendar store.  I've
added my Google calendars to the Thunderbird Lightning plugin.  I cannot
see the tasks in those calendars, and it does not seem that I can export
the task list, or link to it.

I've also added a bunch of external calendars to my Google calendar
list, including the .ics link from Meetup, and the iCal link from
http://sobac.com/~stopthestink/events-calendar/   That all seems to work
fine.

I'm not using the Google calendar app for Android, but the mobile web
interface for tasks: http://mail.google.com/tasks?source=mog&gly=ca
(which will redirect to the mobile Task interface on an Android phone).

So, if you want to use Google Tasks, stick to their Web interface,
either desktop or mobile.

If you want tasks  integrated with events (with import/export) try
Thunderbird's Lightning plugin.  Not sure how conformant Lightning tasks
are to the CalSch standards.

I've used Evolution for event scheduling as well, but I don't remember
how well it handles tasks or how conformant it is to standards.

From RFC5545, a task (called a "To-Do") is an event with rollover and
completion - if a task has no completed date then it appears the next
day.  If there is a due date then it can appear as "overdue" when it
rolls past the due date.  If there is a start date then it does not
appear in the task list until that date.

--Bob.

RFC5545: https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc5545



Bob Jonkman <bjonkman at sobac.com>         http://sobac.com/sobac/
SOBAC Microcomputer Services              Phone: +1-519-669-0388
6 James Street, Elmira ON Canada  N3B 1L5  Cell: +1-519-635-9413
Software   ---   Office & Business Automation   ---   Consulting


On 12-10-01 06:01 PM, unsolicited wrote:
> One of the annoying things about (Google) calendar is that it has no
> sense of tasks as events (or vice versa). [Never mind google tasks for
> the purpose of this message.]
> 
> It just occurred to me I could create two calendars, 'mycal' (shown) and
> 'mycal-done' (not shown). When a meeting has happened, for example,
> moving the event from 'mycal' to 'mycal-done' would be the equivalent to
> marking the meeting as completed. (Or cancelled.) Turning the display of
> 'mycal-done' on/off would be the equivalent to ticking (or not) 'Show
> Completed'.
> 
> It also occurs to me that if one has a regular 'project' [never mind
> that by definition a project is unique], one could export the (calendar)
> project as a .csv, edit the dates for the next round, and import the
> modified .csv.
> 
> [<tongue in cheek> Should I be looking to apply for a software patent
> for these ideas?]
> 
> Any reasons why approaching these these ways doesn't make sense / are
> there better ways?
> 
> Anyone know of any good web places where such tips and 'tricks' are
> bandied about?
> 
> [It appears to be pointless to hold one's breath that google will ever
> add the concept of 'complete' to calendar events / integrate tasks into
> calendar - a la Palm Desktop / Agendus / DateBk.]
> 
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