Calendar Enhancements - Farcaster's Event Attendance: Email Add-On

This modification is an enhancement for the "Farcaster's Event Attendance" modification. After you install this modification, you will be able to configure various notification and reminder messages to members who RSVP'd for events on your calendar. For instance, you could configure a message to be sent to a member who RSVP'd "Maybe" to prompt him to update his RSVP status a few days before the event started. You could configure an additional notification to be sent to members who RSVP'd "Yes" to remind them of the event one day, one week, or at any point before the event occurs.

Prerequisites:
Farcaster's Event Attendance 1.1.0 (or newer)

Installation
- 1 file upload
- 1 XML upload

1. Upload the file rsvp_notify.php to your forums includes\cron directory.
2. Use the Product Manager to import the product file product-rah_rsvp_email_1_0_0.xml.xml
3. Modify the RSVP email notification options as needed under "Farcaster's Event Attendance" in the options menu.
4. Modify the schedule of the "Send RSVP notifications" job as needed. By default, it is set to run at midnight each day.

Default Notifications
When you first install the product, it is configured to:

• Send an email to users who RSVP'd "Maybe" at 5 days before the event, and then again at 1 day before the event. The email template used will produce a letter like the following, with the subject line of "RSVP Status: [Event Title]":

  • Dear [username],
    
    An event you were interested in at [Board Name] is scheduled to begin soon. You previously RSVP'd "Maybe." If you will be able to attend, please take a moment to update your RSVP status. Attached below are the details of the event.
    
    Event: [Event Title]
    Scheduled Start Date: [Date of Event w/o Time] (# Days)
    ================================================== =========
    [Event Description]
    ================================================== =========
    
    To update your RSVP status or to view this event, visit: [Link to Event]
    
    All the best,
    
    [Board Name]

• Send an email to users who RSVP'd Yes at 5 days before the event with the subject line of "Reminder: [Event Title]" and the following letter:

  • Dear [username],
    
    This is a reminder that an event you RSVP'd for will be coming up within the next 5 days. If you are no longer able to attend, please update your RSVP status. Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you there!
    
    Event: [Event Title]
    Scheduled Start Date: [Date of Event w/o Time] (# Days)
    ================================================== =========
    [Event Description]
    ================================================== =========
    
    To update your RSVP status or to view this event, visit: [Link to Event]
    
    All the best,
    
    [Board Name]

• Send an email to users who RSVP'd Yes at 1 day before the event with the subject line of "Reminder: [Event Title]" and the following letter:

  • Dear [username],
    
    This is a reminder that an event you RSVP'd for is scheduled to begin soon. If you are no longer able to attend, please update your RSVP status. Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you there!
    
    Event: [Event Title]
    Scheduled Start Date: [Date of Event w/o Time] (# Days)
    ================================================== =========
    [Event Description]
    ================================================== =========
    
    To update your RSVP status or to view this event, visit: [Link to Event]
    
    All the best,
    
    [Board Name]

Revision Log
1.0.0 - Initial Release

Further documentation available in first post.

[Farcaster]

Setting up Notifications
The options are setup to give you a wide latitude of setting up all kinds of schedules with different email templates. Under the options for "Farcaster's Event Attendance" you will now have a text area for each of the RSVP statuses (Yes, No and Maybe). On each line you type in the number of days (or fraction thereof) in advance of the event the email should be sent, followed by a comma and then the email phrase to be used. To setup more than one, just add a new line. For instance, to send a notification 5 days in advance to members who RSVP'd "yes," I created a new email phrase called rsvp_yes_5 and then added the following line to the option box:

5,rsvp_yes_5

I decided that I also wanted to have a message sent 1 day in advance, so I added another email phrase called rsvp_yes_1 and added it just below the previous line, like this:

5,rsvp_yes_5
1,rsvp_yes_1

Adding a New Email Phrase
1. Under the Phrase Manager, click "Add New Phrase"
2. Change the Phrase Type to "Email Subject Text"
3. Set the varname. This will be the name you reference in the notification box described above.
4. Type the text you want to appear in the subject line in the "Text" box. You can use variables. A list of available variables will be described in the next section.
5. Save the phrase.
6. Add another phrase by clicking, "Add New Phrase" under the Phrase Manager.
7. Change the Phrase Type to "Email Body Text".
8. Set the varname to the exact same name as you used for the "Email Subject Text" above.
9. Type the text you want to appear in the "Text" box. You can use variables.

Available Variables:
$username = The user's forum name
$rsvp_day = The day the event occurs, formatted as Y-m-d, ie: 2007-01-01
$rsvp_day_formatted = The day the event occurs.
$when = Number of days to event or "Today" if the event occurs on the same day as the notice is going out, ie: 3 Days
$days_to_event = Number of days to event, without the word "Days" appended.
$rsvpd_on = The date the member RSVPd.
$guests = The number of guests the member said he'd be bringing.
$rsvp[title] = The event title.
$rsvp[event] = The event description.

[powerbook]

It keeps on getting better

[Ted S]

Just when I was thinking that my site needed this and I would have to do it myself. Great addon, thank you!

[Farcaster]

Are the instructions easy enough to understand? I know it is a little complicated to setup your notifications, but I wanted to keep it as open ended and scalable as possible for everyone's individual needs.

[Wayne Luke]

Does this take account of the user's email seetins such as "Admins can email"?

[Farcaster]

Originally Posted by Wayne Luke

Does this take account of the user's email seetins such as "Admins can email"?

No, it will send an email regardless of that setting, just as I'm pretty sure a reminder would, if they set one up.

[Wayne Luke]

Thanks. I'll just have to make a note in the RSVP form then.

[PennylessZ28]

awesome

[Ted S]

Originally Posted by Farcaster

No, it will send an email regardless of that setting, just as I'm pretty sure a reminder would, if they set one up.

Hum. That may be something worth adding to the next update? Technically if someone opts-out they shouldn't get any emails. Just my thoughts...