Forum .LRN Q&A: Calendar - Openacs sooo slow now?

Posted by Christian Fuchs on 04/28/06 07:40 PM

Two things:

* Why is openacs.org so slow!
* Has someone looked at Google Calendar under calendar.google.com? This would be a cool module, which would boost openacs over moodle.

Any comments?

2: Re: Calendar - Openacs sooo slow now? (response to 1)

Posted by Nick Carroll on 04/29/06 03:06 AM

This is part of the Web 2.0 discussions that we've been having on and off. Hamilton Chua created an ajax based portlet package not too long ago. I think we need to work out how to integrated ajax into openacs as a service, or at least have a consistent way of using it.

3: Re: Calendar - Openacs sooo slow now? (response to 1)

Posted by Hamilton Chua on 04/30/06 12:26 AM

I've been looking at calendar.google.com the past few days. One downside I see is that it is different from common web services that use REST.

The google calendar API uses Gdata, google's own protocol which takes a little getting use to so the stuff that I used at http://www.solutiongrove.com/mashup/ won't work.

Also there is a service package called Ajax Helper in OpenACS head that provides wrappers to Scriptaculous' javascript that allow developers to integrate effects and ajax.

4: Re: Calendar - Openacs sooo slow now? (response to 1)

Posted by Hamilton Chua on 04/30/06 01:00 AM

I wrote a couple of tutorials which I hope to be able to continue writing in the coming days while working on improvements to the mashup page itself

Links to tutorials below :

http://www.solutiongrove.com/blogger/one-entry?entry%5fid=266153
http://www.solutiongrove.com/blogger/one-entry?entry%5fid=266155
http://www.solutiongrove.com/blogger/one-entry?entry%5fid=268010

5: Re: Calendar - Openacs sooo slow now? (response to 1)

Posted by Hamilton Chua on 04/30/06 01:40 AM

Just additional info about google's calendar api. I noticed that the API does not provide user interface, it only allows adding and retrieving events (or other info about events) from google.

Therefore, if we decide later on to integrate this to an openacs package we will still need to use the calendar User Interface procs to present the events in a nice calendar interface.

A google calendar api package will in essence be a service that exposes a series of tcl procs that other packages can call to add, retrieve, edit or synchronize events with google calendar.

In dotLRN for instance, an openacs google calendar package can be used to publish the events for a particular class. We don't get rid of the calendar/events app in dotlrn but rather augment it by providing the ability for it to sync with individual student's google calendars for instance.

6: Re: Calendar - Openacs sooo slow now? (response to 1)

Posted by Christian Fuchs on 04/30/06 09:36 AM

Thanks for this quick response. 😊

In a learning enviroment (ie. dotlrn) it is very essential for user to have a very good calendar. Users are used to outlook, notes and others so it is very important not to be to far behind. I know that programming a webinterface is not comparable with Windows Programs, but it is necessary to bring Calendar (the openacs) module a big step forward.

Most important things.
* different colors for different calendar sources
* easy and nice printout of week and monthly calendar
* Possibility to link one calendar item to many classes or community on creation or editing
* Attach files
* Change of repeating events after creation (if you have a different repeating sequence there is no way of changing the sequence)
* Site-wide calendar for holidays
* Department-wide calendars.

I think the above could easily be integrated in the calendar module and openacs would be a big step towards functionality and user interface.

Please not that I am a teacher, not a programmer (although I have a programming background), who manages a large learning site in Austria in Higher education and I am very interested in better user interfaces and functionality user need to work.

7: Re: Re: Calendar - Openacs sooo slow now? (response to 4)

Posted by Christian Fuchs on 04/30/06 09:48 AM

Very impressive, thanks for this.

Could anyone integrate this in dotlrn quick, please? 😉