📅 Calendar Screen Overview

The Calendar Screen is a specialized screen type designed for visualizing and managing time-based events. It provides an interactive calendar interface where users can view, create, edit, and organize events stored in your data tables.

What is the Calendar Screen?

The Calendar Screen transforms your tabular event data into a visual calendar format, similar to popular calendar applications like Google Calendar or Outlook. It connects directly to a data table containing date information and automatically displays that information as calendar events.

The Data Connection Model

The Calendar Screen operates on a straightforward principle:

Repository → Table → Knowledge Node → Calendar Configuration → Visual Display → User Actions → Table Updates

The Calendar Screen operates on a data-driven architecture:

1. Data Source: You select a table containing your event information
2. Knowledge Node: You must create a Knowledge Node (Main Kube) that connects to your table - the calendar cannot access tables directly
3. Column Mapping: You map specific columns to calendar properties (start date, end date, title)
4. Display: The calendar automatically renders your data as visual events
5. Interaction: When users add, edit, or reschedule events, the underlying table updates

This architecture means the calendar is always a live view of your data—no sync required.

🚧

Important: The Knowledge Node (Main Kube) serves as the data access layer between your table and the calendar screen. You must create this node before configuring the calendar.

---

When to Use the Calendar Screen

Ideal Use Cases

The Calendar Screen excels when your data centers around dates and scheduling:

✅ Event Management

• Conferences and meetings
• Weddings and celebrations
• Workshops and training sessions

✅ Resource Scheduling

• Equipment reservations
• Room bookings
• Vehicle assignments
• Staff shift planning

✅ Project Management

• Project milestones
• Deliverable deadlines
• Sprint planning

✅ Time Tracking

• Work schedules
• Time-off requests
• Maintenance windows

✅ Activity Logging

• Site visits
• Maintenance records
• Audit trails

Real-World Examples

Events Company: Manages corporate events, weddings, and conferences with a calendar showing all bookings, filtered by event type and coordinator.

Healthcare Facility: Schedules patient appointments, procedures, and equipment maintenance with color-coding by department.

Manufacturing Plant: Tracks equipment maintenance windows, production runs, and safety inspections with drag-and-drop rescheduling.

Real Estate Agency: Coordinates property showings, open houses, and client meetings with calendar access for all agents.

When NOT to Use Calendar Screen

❌ High-volume transactional data (1000+ events in a short period) → Use List or Dashboard screens with date filters instead

❌ Data without clear date ranges→ Use List or Dashboard screens

❌ Complex hierarchical relationships→ Use custom screens or page layouts

❌ Real-time collaboration requirements→ Calendar supports single-user interactions; use specialized collaboration tools

---

The Five Configuration Areas

The Calendar Screen is configured entirely through five property panels. Unlike other screens that require adding objects and designing layouts, all calendar customization happens through these settings tabs.

1. Repository & Table

Purpose: Establishes your data source and access layer

This is the foundation—you select which repository and table contain your events, then connect them through a Knowledge Node (Main Kube). The calendar requires a Knowledge Node to access table data; it cannot connect directly to tables.

Key Components:

• Repository & Table: Where your event data lives
• Main Kube (Knowledge Node): Required intermediary that provides data access to the calendar
• Relational Key (optional): Links to related tables for additional data
• Relationship Column (optional): Defines how tables relate to each other

2. Calendar Settings

Purpose: Controls display and interaction

This panel determines:

• How events appear (which columns show as title, dates)
• What view users see initially (month, week, day, list)
• What actions users can perform (add events, drag-and-drop)
• How events are filtered (show only certain types or statuses)

Core Principle: The calendar is driven by three essential pieces of information—start date, end date, and title. Everything else is optional enhancement.

3. Header Options

Purpose: Adds navigation and quick actions

The header provides a customizable button bar above your calendar. Use it to:

• Navigate to related screens (list views, reports, settings)
• Link to external systems
• Provide quick access to frequently-needed functionality

Design Principle: Headers work best when they provide 2-4 clear action options. Too many buttons create clutter; too few miss opportunities for workflow efficiency.

4. Add Event Form

Purpose: Designs the event creation interface

When users add or edit events, they interact with this form. You design it using ARPIA's standard form builder, choosing which fields to include, how to validate them, and how to arrange them.

Key Concept: The form bridges user input with your data table. Every form field maps to a table column, and the form's design directly impacts data quality.

5. Event Link

Purpose: Defines click behavior

When a user clicks a calendar event, you determine what happens:

• Edit Form: Opens the event for immediate editing
• Navigate to Screen: Goes to a detail screen (passing the event ID)
• Open in Sidebar: Shows details without leaving the calendar
• External URL: Links to an outside system

Design Principle: Choose based on your users' primary need. If they often need to edit quickly, use Edit Form. If they need to see comprehensive details first, use Navigate to Screen.

---

Key Capabilities

Display Modes

The calendar supports four view types, each serving different needs:
Month View: Best for overview and planning

• See multiple weeks at once
• Understand schedule density
• Identify conflicts and gaps

Week View: Best for detailed weekly planning

• See hourly breakdown
• Plan specific time slots
• Coordinate multi-day events

Day View: Best for focused daily management

• Minute-by-minute detail
• Manage dense schedules
• Coordinate concurrent events

List View: Best for chronological review

• Sequential event listing
• Easy date scanning
• Print-friendly format

User Interactions

Adding Events:

• Click "Add Event" button → Opens blank form

Editing Events:

• Drag-and-drop → Changes dates (if enabled)
• Click event → Triggers your configured action
• Both respect user permissions

Technical Behavior

Data Loading:

• Calendar loads visible date range only
• Expanding range triggers additional data fetch
• Filters reduce data volume for better performance

Permissions:

• User's table permissions determine available actions
• Can't add/edit without appropriate table rights
• Calendar respects all row-level security

Responsive Design:

• Adapts to screen size automatically
• Touch-optimized for mobile devices
• View options may adjust on small screens

---

Calendar Screen Behavior

Event Display

• Events automatically populate based on their date ranges
• Multi-day events span across date cells
• Event titles truncate to fit within time slots
• Color coding (if configured) distinguishes event types or statuses

User Interactions

• Click event: Triggers configured Event Link action
• Drag event (if enabled): Changes event dates by dragging to new date/time
• Switch views: Change between Month/Week/Day/List perspectives
• Navigate dates: Use calendar controls to move forward/backward in time

Responsive Behavior

• Calendar adapts to different screen sizes
• Touch-friendly on mobile devices
• Optimized scrolling for small screens
• View options may auto-adjust based on available space

---

Technical Considerations

Data Requirements

• Required Columns: At minimum, your table needs start date, end date, and title columns
• Date Format: Dates must be in valid DateTime or Date format
• Primary Key: Required for Event Link functionality to work correctly

Performance Factors

• Large datasets (1000+ events) may impact loading time
• Filters help manage performance with large event sets
• Consider date range limitations for very large calendars

Permissions

• User permissions on the underlying table determine what actions are available
• Users without edit permissions cannot add or modify events (even if enabled in settings)
• Calendar respects all table-level security rules

---

Calendar Screen vs. Other Screen Types

Decision Guide:

• Choose Calendar when dates are the primary organizing principle and visual timeline context matters
• Choose List when users need to browse, search, and compare data across many fields
• Choose Dashboard when users need summary metrics, trends, and aggregate views

---

Configuration Philosophy

The Calendar Screen's Design

The Calendar Screen follows a configuration-first approach. You don't drag objects onto a canvas or design complex layouts. Instead, you answer a series of questions through property panels:

1. Where is your data?
2. Which columns contain the critical information?
3. What should users be able to do?
4. What happens when they click?
5. How do they navigate elsewhere?

This approach makes calendars quick to set up but requires thoughtful planning about data structure and user workflow.

---

Getting Started

Quick Start Checklist

1. ✅ Prepare a table with date information (start, end, title columns minimum)
2. ✅ Create a Knowledge Node
3. ✅Create a new Calendar Screen in your application
4. ✅ Select Repository and Main Kube in settings
5. ✅ Save and refresh browser
6. ✅ Map required columns in Calendar Settings
7. ✅ Click Preview to see your calendar
8. ✅ Configure optional features as needed
9. ✅ Test event creation and editing
10. ✅ Set up Event Link behavior
11. ✅ Deploy to users

Recommended Learning Path

1. Read this overview to understand Calendar Screen capabilities (You are here)
2. Review Step-by-Step Guide: Calendar Screen for detailed configuration instructions
3. Follow How-To: Calendar for Events Company for a complete implementation example
4. Experiment with different configurations in a test environment
5. Deploy your customized calendar to production

---

Best Practices

✅ Start simple - Configure basic event display first, then add features incrementally
✅ Test drag-and-drop - Verify date changes work correctly before enabling for users
✅ Use meaningful filters - Help users focus on relevant events without overwhelming them
✅ Design intuitive forms - Only include necessary fields in Add Event Form
✅ Consider mobile - Test calendar on various devices before deployment
✅ Document for users - Provide brief instructions on calendar features
✅ Monitor performance - Watch loading times with large datasets

---

Integration Patterns

Common Integration Scenarios

Calendar + Detail Screen: Most robust pattern—calendar provides overview, detail screen provides depth. Users click calendar events to see full information, attachments, related records.
Calendar + List Screen: Complementary views—calendar for visual planning, list for detailed browsing and bulk operations. Use Header buttons to switch between them.
Calendar + Dashboard:Strategic pattern—calendar shows actual schedule, dashboard shows metrics and analytics about events. Useful for event management operations.
Calendar + External System: Integration pattern—calendar as visual interface, external system as authoritative source. Use Event Link to URL with @primary_key for seamless handoff.

Automation Opportunities

Enhance your calendar with automated workflows:
Auto-generate Events:Use ARPIA's automation rules to create recurring events from templates
Notification Triggers: Set up alerts when events are added, changed, or approaching
Status Updates: Automatically change event status based on date logic
Data Enrichment: Pull in related data from other tables when events are created

---

Limitations and Constraints

Current Limitations:

• No native recurring event support (must create individual entries)
• No direct calendar export/sync with external calendar apps
• Filter values must be pre-defined (no dynamic filtering)
• Single table per calendar (use Relation Key for additional data)

Workarounds:

• Recurring events: Use automation rules to generate event series
• Color coding: Use emoji or text prefixes in event titles
• Calendar export: Build custom export functionality with Header button
• Dynamic filters: Configure multiple calendars for different filter sets

---

Related Documentation

Implementation Guides:

• Step-by-Step Guide: Calendar Screen - Detailed configuration instructions
• How-To: Calendar for Events Company - Complete real-world example

Related Features:

• Form Layout Guide - Designing the Add Event Form
• Table Configuration - Preparing your data table
• Repository Management - Setting up data repositories

---

Support and Resources

Need Help?

• Review the Step-by-Step Guide for configuration questions
• Check troubleshooting section in detailed documentation
• Contact your platform administrator for permission issues
• Submit feedback via the feedback button in your application

Have Ideas?
The Calendar Screen is continuously evolving. Share your feature requests and enhancement ideas through your platform's feedback channels.

---

By understanding these calendar properties and capabilities, you can create powerful event management interfaces tailored to your specific business needs. Proceed to the Step-by-Step Guide when you're ready to configure your first calendar.