Calendar Enhancements - Automatic Calendar Reminders

What does it do?
This hack allows your members to receive automatic reminders for all upcoming events in one or more calendars of their choice without having to request individual reminders for each event. In effect, this operates like a subscription to a calendar.

How does it work?
When opening a calendar, the user will be presented with an option just under the calendar title to subscribe or unsubscribe to the calendar. Members can request automatic reminders for all events on the calendar for one, two or three days in advance. Once per day, a digest of all upcoming events will be sent to the user advising them of upcoming events in the time frame they chose. (see attached screenshot)

Users can also unsubscribe from a calendar by going to the UserCP and Event Reminders section (see attached screenshot)

Example Email (uses the event reminder email template):

Dear Farcaster,

The following events are scheduled to begin soon at YOUR FORUM NAME.

Upcoming events:
************
Test Event 1 (In less than 23 hour(s))
http://YOUR_URL_HERE/calendar.php?do=getinfo&e=1
In Calendar: Calendar #1 Name
************
Test Event 3 (In less than 47 hour(s))
http://YOUR_URL_HERE/calendar.php?do=getinfo&e=3
In Calendar: Calendar #2 Name
************
Test Event 2 (In less than 47 hour(s))
http://YOUR_URL_HERE/calendar.php?do=getinfo&e=2
In Calendar: Calendar #3 Name


All the best,
YOUR FORUM NAME

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unsubscription information:

To unsubscribe from this email, please visit this page and delete any future reminders:
http://YOUR_URL_HERE/calendar.php?do=viewreminder

Upgrading from previous version:
You do not need to uninstall the previous version.

To upgrade from previous version to 1.0.3:
1. Remove the Calendar Subscription cron job if it exists.
2. Delete the file includes/cron/calendar_reminder.php
3. Make the changes to the reminder.php file as specified in the instructions below.


Installation Instructions
- 1 XML upload
- 1 template modification
- 1 file edit

1. Use the Product Manager to import the product file product-rah_calendar_autoremind_1_0_3.xml

3. Use the Style Manager to add the following code to the bottom of your CALENDAR_REMINDER template:

<!-- calendar subscriptions table -->
<br />
<form action="calendar.php?do=dosubscriptions" method="post" name="unsubscribe">
<input type="hidden" name="s" value="$session[sessionhash]" />
<input type="hidden" name="do" value="dosubscriptions" />


<table class="tborder" cellpadding="$stylevar[cellpadding]" cellspacing="$stylevar[cellspacing]" border="0" width="100%" align="center">
<tr>
    <td class="tcat" colspan="3">
        Calendar Subscriptions
    </td>
</tr>
<if condition="$show['havesubscriptions']">
<tr>
    <td class="thead">
        Calendar
    </td>
    <td class="thead" nowrap="nowrap"><a href="$sorturl&order=asc&sort=reminder">$vbphrase[reminder]</a> $sortarrow[reminder]</td>
    <td class="thead" align="center"><input name="allbox" type="checkbox" value="Check All" title="$vbphrase[check_uncheck_all]" onclick="checkall(this.form);" /></td>
</tr>
$subscriptionbits
<tr>
    <td class="tfoot" colspan="5" align="$stylevar[right]"><div class="smallfont">
        
        $vbphrase[selected_events]
        <select name="what">
            <optgroup label="$vbphrase[delete_reminders]">
                <option value="delete">$vbphrase[delete]</option>
            </optgroup>                            
        </select>$gobutton
        
    </div></td>
</tr>
<else />
    <tr>
        <td class="alt1" align="center" colspan="5">
            <br />
            You have no calendar subscriptions.
            <br />
            <br />
        </td>
    </tr>
</if>
</table>

</form>

4. Open a copy of the includes/cron/reminder.php file and find the following:

PHP Code:

AND event.visible = 1 
"); 


Replace with the following:

PHP Code:

AND event.visible = 1 
".$calendar_subscription); 


Above that, near the top of the reminder.php file, find:

PHP Code:

$eventlist = array(); 
$eventcache = array(); 
$userinfo = array(); 


Below that add:

PHP Code:

$dsq = $vbulletin->db->query_read(" 
        SELECT     * 
        FROM     " . TABLE_PREFIX . "datastore 
        WHERE     title = 'lastautoremind' 
"); 
$ds = $vbulletin->db->fetch_array($dsq); 

$daynumber = round($timenow/86400); 

if ($ds['data'] < $daynumber) { 
    build_datastore('lastautoremind',$daynumber); 

    $calendar_subscription = "UNION ALL 
        SELECT event.eventid, event.title, recurring, recuroption, dateline_from, dateline_to, IF (dateline_to = 0, 1, 0) AS singleday, 
            dateline_from AS dateline_from_user, dateline_to AS dateline_to_user, utc, dst, event.calendarid, 
            subscribecalendar.userid, 0 as lastreminder, 0 as subscribeeventid, subscribecalendar.reminder, 
            user.email, user.languageid, user.usergroupid, user.username, user.timezoneoffset, IF(user.options & 128, 1, 0) AS dstonoff, 
            calendar.title AS calendar_title 
        FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "event AS event 
        INNER JOIN " . TABLE_PREFIX . "subscribecalendar AS subscribecalendar ON (subscribecalendar.calendarid = event.calendarid) 
        INNER JOIN " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user AS user ON (user.userid = subscribecalendar.userid) 
        LEFT JOIN " . TABLE_PREFIX . "calendar AS calendar ON (event.calendarid = calendar.calendarid) 
        WHERE ((dateline_to >= $beginday AND dateline_from < $endday) OR (dateline_to = 0 AND dateline_from >= $beginday AND dateline_from <= $endday )) 
            AND event.visible = 1"; 
} 


(Note: If a user chooses to receive a reminder 3 days in advance, they will receive a daily reminder on each day from the 3 days out to 1 day out)

And, that's it. I hope you enjoy. Please click "install" if you use this hack.

I have not tested this with 3.6.1 yet, but there shouldn't be any reason it won't work with it.

Revision History
Version 1.0.0 - Initial Release
Version 1.0.1 - Fixed caching bug that caused calendar templates to become uncached when the user clicked the subscribe or unsubscribe link.
Version 1.0.2 - Fixed problem were reminders were sent for 3 days in advance regardless of the setting a member chose.
Version 1.0.3 - Removed calendar_reminder.php and merged email code with existing reminder.php.

A parallel version for 3.5.x forums is now available here.

[Lionel]

Originally Posted by Farcaster

The caching problem is now resolved. See the upgrade instructions. Additionally, I added a plugin to cache the new subscription templates.

It is fixed, thanks.

[ChurchMedia]

Originally Posted by Farcaster

No, but I am working on a separate version that will work with 3.5.x.

Count me in on installing a 3.5 version of this hack. My users would love it!

Thanks!

[bada_bing]

Originally Posted by Farcaster

It works with both Event Attendance 2.0 and with the vB Event Forums. However, the subscription link only shows up on the calendar, so users will not see a subscribe link when viewing an event in the Event Forums.


No, but I am working on a seperate version that will work with 3.5.x.

PLease let us all know when the 3.5.x version is out I would love this.

[ctrl-alt-del]

Just what I've been looking for!

[GrandAmGuru]

oooh.. can't wait for the 3.5 version!

[bada_bing]

I like this hack but I would like to request a more granular feature.. On you next release expecially the 3.5.x version can you had it so that the member can get a reminder for only the selected calandar event rather then the entire calandar.

I would hate to get a bunch of emails from a calandar that is busy with events I dont care about rather then getting a reminder from the events I care to be reminded of

Any thoughts?

[Gripemaster]

*INSTALLED* Thank you!

[Farcaster]

Originally Posted by bada_bing

I like this hack but I would like to request a more granular feature.. On you next release expecially the 3.5.x version can you had it so that the member can get a reminder for only the selected calandar event rather then the entire calandar.

I would hate to get a bunch of emails from a calandar that is busy with events I dont care about rather then getting a reminder from the events I care to be reminded of

Any thoughts?

Would the existing event reminders do what your wanting? Out of the box, vBulletin members can request a reminder to a particular event and get notified up to 3 days in advance. This hack adds the ability to subscribe to the entire calendar for users who may want to receive reminders for every event without having to come back to the calendar and request one.

[Farcaster]

Originally Posted by bada_bing

PLease let us all know when the 3.5.x version is out I would love this.

Done. You can get it here.

[maroceve]

I see that the email sent is already translated to french.

Great.

Thanks.