Create a Master Calendar in SharePoint – Part 2 (ScreenCast)
This article is Part 2 in a 3 Part series. The original article was written by Greg Maas to propose a solution to Master Calendars in SharePoint.
This article will restate the problem in more specific terms and offer a detailed solution to the problem through a screencast.
Problem Statement
Create a SharePoint solution that will allow calendars in various locations in a SharePoint implementation to be aggregated into one, Master Calendar. The solution must use the Out-of-the-Box functionality provided by SharePoint, with no server programming.
Overview
A common problem with SharePoint Calendars is the inability to create a Master Calendar which pulls information from subcalendars into a central location within SharePoint. This is typically needed when groups or teams have individual calendars, but would like to aggregate them into one, master calendar at a company level. It is especially difficult because, by default, web parts in SharePoint do not see across site collections.
In MOSS, the Content Query Web Part (CQWP) can access information across sites, but only exposes the information as a simple ‘title’ field. In addition, the CQWP visibility is limited to a single site collection. The CQWP is not available in WSS.
Solution
A solution to this problem is to turn the paradigm upside down: have a Master Calendar that ‘pushes’ information out to subcalendars by exposing views based upon content types. This idea was first brought to my attention by Greg Maas as a response to a question about master calendars.
Creating a content type for each subcalendar makes it possible to dynamically generate views based upon those content types. The problem of seeing across sites/site collections is handled by using a LyteBox script embedded within a Content Editor Web Part (CEWP). The LyteBox opens a transparent window on top of a subsite, exposing the filtered Master Calendar. This solution will work in both WSS and MOSS.
I have created a screencast to demonstrate how this can easily be accomplished.
Embed the screencast on your site for easy access by your team or clients. It is especially useful when talking with upper management so that they can view the solution as part of your discussion. Use the ‘get code’ link on the menu bar beneath the viewing screen.
To be continued in Part 3 …
As this article doesn’t contain a video or any instructions on how to actually implement a master calendar in SharePoint, can I suggest that you either add the video, add the instructions, or remove this article, so that people like me don’t waste 15 minutes of our life reading a page that doesn’t actually contain any useful information.
I have purchased and used a few of the live workshops; however I there are a few that I couldn’t attend and still paid for and after I received the material to learn what I was seeking. Though i do agree with many posts on this blog. Listen lets make this as simple as possible. This is the great win win for everyone EUSP gets a revenue stream that is constant and people that want to learn SharePoint actually learn it. So back to the simple solution. EUSP stop just stop being stubborn. All live workshops that have been completed in the past should be available for download at the same price a person would pay if they could attend. Really this is extremely simple solution. I don’t see how this simple solution could have been over looked. Even if you have the same workshop being presented again in the future what is in the hard if the materials were all put into a zip file and the end user pays the same price and gets the material. Honestly simple is an understatement. So how about this make a new page on this site and make it happen asap. You would be shockingly surprise at how much money would come in the door.
For those interested, there is now a three minute “Master Calendar Solution” screencast that walks through a high level overview of the solution.
Mark
http://2009-11-20-mastercalendar.eventbrite.com/