iCal Time Overlap

	Time Slot Searching
iCal allows you to define your calendar to reject new events that would overlap a time range of an existing event. An option on the General Settings of the calendar Administration page allows for this definition. Ahh! but you will figure that all out with ease! The real point of this page is to demonstrate how the iCal search feature allows you to locate a desired free time slot from multiple calendars.

Our Example is Multiple Conference Rooms!

Certainly this is the most common example of where it is important to reserve non-conflicting times. For the demonstration, we have four conference rooms each represented by a calendar. Our conference rooms are Sitka, Anchorage, Fairbanks and Valdez. You can click on these links to examine the indivdual calendars.

A calendar that has been configured to test for time conflicts also receives an additional link on the
Add Events Navigation Bar. Addtional link.

This Time Slot link will bring up a form to search for an available time slot from multiple calendars.

Steps for Trying the Demo

Click on Sitka, to be presented with the calendar that represents the Sitka conference room. (You could go to any of the calendar links above)

When viewing one of the conference room calendars, click on the Time Slot link mentioned above. This will cause a popup search form to appear.

On the search form you can specify the time range for which you would like to reserve a conference room. You will see listed the four conference rooms. You can select which conference rooms to search. (You might not want to search the Sitka room since it doesn't have an overhead projecter). Click the Search button to perform the search.

The search operation will return a page listing conference rooms for which you could reserve your desired time. The names in the list are actually links that will take you directly to the edit form of the calendar that represents your conference room. You can click on the link and reserve your room.

That's it! This is just an example of how this could be used. Rather than conference rooms it could be equipment rental, reserving appointment times, etc.


	Brown Bear Software 1405 Matterhorn Way Anchorage, AK 99508	Phone: (907) 278-1231 FAX: (907) 222-2934 Email: ical@brownbearsw.com