Calendar Plus Web Part has long been an indispensable tool (and a bestseller), with which you can display events and tasks on a calendar from various data sources, such as SharePoint lists, List Rollup, SQL databases, and BDC/BCS. With our latest release, Calendar Plus Web Part 4.5, we’ve included a host of new features such as Runtime Filter View for multiple lists; more columns available to select for filtering; the ability to sort in Gantt view; and the ability to dynamically filter calendars using Web Part Connections and List Filter Web Part.

To help celebrate the release of Calendar Plus Web Part 4.5, we have put together a brand-new series that will walk you through how to use the product’s newest and most popular features. Here in Part 1, we will introduce you to Calendar Plus’ Preferences menu as well as some of the general settings
available.

Preferences: General Settings

In the Calendar Plus Web Part Settings menu, click on General Settings under the heading Preferences. In the General Settings menu, you are able to define the general behavior of the Calendar Plus Web Part by configuring these settings. There are a number of different variables that you can configure from this menu:

• Select a Calendar default view to be displayed when the user opens the page. You can choose between the Year View, Month View, Week View, Work Week View, Day View, or Task View.
• Display the Color Legend on the bottom, left, or right of the Web Part.
• Display the Toolbar in the Web Part. The toolbar makes Calendar Views, creating new items, and printing available to end users. To restrict users from accessing these features, you can hide the toolbar altogether, or you can hide the individual features from the toolbar (see next bulleted item).
• Select Calendar Views to be shown on the Toolbar. Select the Calendar views and features to show on the toolbar. By default, all of the views and features are selected. To remove an item from the toolbar, either clear the check box or select the item in the Selected Display Modes list box, then click the < button. From the Selected Display Modes list box, use the Up and Down buttons to change the order in which the views are displayed on the toolbar.
• Define the Maximum Number of Items Displayed in a cell in Month, Quarter, and Year views. If the number of items is greater than the maximum number allowed, a More link is displayed in the cell. When the user clicks More, the Day view is displayed, showing all items.
• Select the “Disable Item Link in Calendar” check box to restrict users from clicking an item from the Calendar and editing it.
• You can set the Text Wrap and Height of the Display Text to show multiple lines of text for the column you select as the Display Column (which is configured in the Data Source Settings). If enabled, this setting is applied to all item cells in the calendar.
• Set the Web Part to automatically adjust the height and width to fit the Web Part zone or specify a custom height and width.
  • NOTE: The minimum width is 750 and the minimum height is 100). Select the Item Quick Actions you want to make available to your end users. Select Quick Delete to allow users to delete the item from the calendar by clicking a small X icon in the right corner of the item. When this feature is enabled, the X icon only shows when you mouse over the item.
• Select Reoccurring Event Icon to show an icon in the left corner of an item to indicate it is a reoccurring event.
• Determine whether to Base the Calendar on a Single Date or Interval. Selecting Single Date changes the Data Source Settings so that you can select only one date column. Selecting Interval (Start to End) changes the Data Source Settings so that you can select a date column to represent the Start Date and another date column to represent the End Date.

Preferences: Look and Feel

In the Calendar Plus Web Part Settings menu, click on Look and Feel under the heading Preferences. From the Look and Feel screen, you can configure the following:

• Customize the calendar style by selecting a default calendar skin or customizing the CSS. The look and feel of the Web Part can be further customized by editing the custom CSS file in the setting pane. See Styling the Web Part for more information.
• In the Draw Item Cell Borders field, select Yes to display calendar items in a box style with a border.

Preferences: Select a language

In the Calendar Plus Web Part Settings menu, click on Select a language under the heading Preferences. Select the language to be displayed in both the Settings screen and in the Web Part. Available languages include: Spanish, Chinese, Russian, German, Japanese, Vietnamese, French, Italian, and Swedish.

Want more Calendar Plus Web Part 4.5? Check out the rest of our User’s Guide series!

• Part 1: Introduction to Preferences and General Settings
• Part 2: How to Add and Display a List or Library
• Part 3: How to Display a SQL Server Table or View
• Part 4: How to Use the Bamboo List Rollup Data View to Display Your Data
• Part 5: How to Use the Bamboo List Rollup Schema to Display Your Data
• Part 6: How to Use Microsoft Business Connectivity Services to Integrate External Applications
• Part 7: Introduction to View Settings