Multiply alerts for icalendar export

Multiply alerts for icalendar export

[Mikhail Skorzhinskii]

Hi,

I am user of ox-icalendar package and I have a question about generating
reminders in icalendar files. Documentation says that proper way to
configure reminders is using org-icalendar-alarm-time variable and
setting APPT_WARNTIME property in cases when pre-entry customization
required.

I am happy with current functionality but in rare cases I'd like to have
more reminders per entry. Like many other PIMs allows this
today. E.g. I'd like to have at least 3 reminders for my flight
appointments. So to be extra sure and do not to miss my plain :-)

My reading of ox-icalendar code clearly indicates that there no easy way
to achieve that. It looks like ox-icalendar always generate only one
reminder or no reminders at all.

But I am not an expert of org-mode export engine and possibly there are
ways to do this? May be somehow extending this export engine?

Also may be there any thrid-party org to icalenadar export engines that
are a bit more flexible and configurable on that matter?

Mikhail Skorzhinskii

Re: Multiply alerts for icalendar export

[Bastien]

Hi Mikhail,

Mikhail Skorzhinskii <mskorzhinskiy@eml.cc> writes:

> I am happy with current functionality but in rare cases I'd like to have
> more reminders per entry. Like many other PIMs allows this
> today. E.g. I'd like to have at least 3 reminders for my flight
> appointments. So to be extra sure and do not to miss my plain :-)

Perhaps adding three different appointments to get three alerts is
good enough?

2 cents of course...

-- 
 Bastien

Re: Multiply alerts for icalendar export

[Fraga, Eric]

On Wednesday, 12 Feb 2020 at 09:46, Bastien wrote:
> Perhaps adding three different appointments to get three alerts is
> good enough?

Noting, of course, that you can have multiple time stamps (active ones
in this case) associated with a single heading.  I do this every so
often.
-- 
: Eric S Fraga via Emacs 28.0.50, Org release_9.3.2-199-ga557cf

Re: Multiply alerts for icalendar export

[Mikhail Skorzhinskii]

Fraga, Eric <e.fraga@ucl.ac.uk> writes:
> Noting, of course, that you can have multiple time stamps (active ones
> in this case) associated with a single heading.  I do this every so
> often.

Although it would be wonderful thing to have, but it does not affect
exported icalendar file. I was expecting that multiply time stamps will
result into multiply icalendar entries with different times, but instead
I got two entries with bottom time.

I.e. this:

#+begin_example
,* some entry
SCHEDULED: <2020-02-13 Thu 07:30>
SCHEDULED: <2020-02-13 Thu 07:20>
#+end_example

Will result into two icalendar entries:

1. some entry with time 07:20
2. some entry with time 07:20

Bastien <bzg@gnu.org> writes:
> Perhaps adding three different appointments to get three alerts is
> good enough?
>
> 2 cents of course...

Yes, I resolved this by having sub-headings with the reminders. This way
I liked it even more then just casually having multiply reminders.

1. I can name each reminder individually. This way it takes no effort to
undetrstand what this alarm is about.

2. Every heading can carry individual notes. And since these reminders
are time dependent, notes that are really relevant right now are more
accessible.

This is especially valuable when you're in hurry and don't have much
time to go through your notes. Just tap to the calendar entry and carry
on.

3. Since calendars are stored locally, you don't need internet to have
all this information and to recieve these reminders. (This is complain
about some city commuting applications and the way how push
notifications work).

4. For events that are often recurring this function is very helpful:
~(org-clone-subtree-with-time-shift)~ (aka ~C-c C-x c~). It fixes times
not only on top-most heading but in all sub-headings as well.

And unlike recurring timestamps, this way every event can have some
slight differences for this specific day: changes in time table,
location or even complete cancelation.

Here is an example for the reference. I'm trying to show most of the
possibilties of this approach.

#+begin_example
,* Flight to Wonderland :transport:
SCHEDULED: <2020-02-13 Thu 10:00-12:30>

Terminal 2

Bookin code: AABBCC

,** Train to airport

,*** Route S9
SCHEDULED: <2020-02-13 Thu 06:50>
,*** Route S9
SCHEDULED: <2020-02-13 Thu 07:10>

,** Bus to train station

,*** Bus 512 [bus stop: Fluffy road]
SCHEDULED: <2020-02-13 Thu 06:30>

,*** Bus 1024 [bus stop: Cozy park]
SCHEDULED: <2020-02-13 Thu 06:45>

,** Taxi from airport
SCHEDULED: <2020-02-13 Thu 12:30-13:30>
;; :LOCATION: will be exported as a special field and you can later click and choose which app to use: maps \ taxi app \ public transport app \ etc
:PROPERTIES:
:LOCATION: Кримс, Замок Красной Королевы, 12, кв. 7
:END:

Should be around 20€ \ 1400₽

Crims, Fortress of the Red Queen, 12, apt. 7

,** Lecture
SCHEDULED: <2020-02-13 Thu 14:00-17:00>
;; Phone numbers usually can be also clicked in most apps. Helpful if you don't want to pollute your phone book
Prof. Fortran <phone number>

Room 404
#+end_example