Jesse and I dreamt this up at the last Pause on Error and with Sam's help it is getting close. So it seemed like a good opportunity to show you what we've been working on, and maybe to load test it a little bit. If you'd like to enter a few events in here or use it to coordinate ad hoc meetings at Pause, we'd be thrilled. If you just want to beat on it, that's ok too. Post your comments below. Thanks! 

John Sindelar

Jesse Barnum

Sam Barnum

Overview. 

iCal Link is a FileMaker server side plugin developed by SeedCode and 360works which lets FileMaker server act as a CalDAV server.

This means that any iCal compatible client can make and edit FileMaker records: no import/export, no synching.

We've imported the Pause schedule into FileMaker and hope you can help us test this new plugin by modifying the Pause schedule in iCal or in the calendar on your iPhone. We'll still use twitter for the "real" at-Pause communication, but hopefully some of us can try using this as well. If nothing else it will be a fast and easy way for you to refer to the schedule and get room numbers.

Screen shot

The Data.

The Pause schedule is in a simple FileMaker database hosted on one of our testing servers. We'e using record level access privileges to let you see, but not edit, events in the 4 main Pause suites.

You can create and edit events in the general schedule and we hope you'll use this to schedule ad hoc meetings etc. We're also running a post-editing script to validate your edits, so if you make a new event in one of the 4 main Pause suites, this script will convert that event to the general schedule.

Adding this FileMaker Server to your iCal:

1. Open iCal and select the "Accounts" tab from iCal / Settings. Click the plus sign to add a new account.

2. Create a new account with the following settings:

Account Information…

Description: POE

User name: Pause

Password: OnError

Server Settings:

Server address: http://74.3.201.197/zulu/calendars/PausePDX2010/

3. That's it. 

Adding this FileMaker Server to the calendar on your iPhone:

1. Click the Settings application from your iPhone's home screen. Select "Mail, Contacts, Calendars"

2. Under Accounts select "Add Account…"  and select the type "Other".

3. Under Calendars, select "Add CalDAV Account" with the following settings:

Server: http://74.3.201.197/zulu/calendars/PausePDX2010/

User Name: Pause

Password: OnError

Description: POE

4. Click Next and the iPhone will verify the account saying it Cannot Connect using SSL, click "Continue".

5. Then click "POE" to return to the previous screen and click "Next". The account will be validated and you're all set.

6. Open your calendar and you'll see a "Calendars" button pointing off to the left. Click  that and you'll see all the POE calendars listed (you can only make new events in "General")

A couple things to note about the iPhone side of this...

Note that the iPhone's calendar is not as good at feedback as iCal, so if you attempt to edit an event you're not able to edit, your "edit" will look like it's taken until the calendar refreshes. There is also, sadly, no predictable great way to manually refresh the iPhone's calendar.