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 7, we will introduce you to some of the view settings available.

View Settings: Day and Work Week

 In the Calendar Plus Web Part Settings menu, click on Day and Work Week under the heading View Settings. From the Day and Work Week menu, you can configure the following:

• If you selected a Description column in your data source settings, set the Display Item Descriptions in Day and Work Week Views option to ‘Yes’ to have the item description displayed under the item in the Day and Work Week views only.
• Select the days that are included in a Standard Work Week. This option shows only the days you select in the Work Week View.
• Select which day is the First Day of the Week.
• Define the default start time and end time for the Standard Work Time Interval for Working Days. The Web Part will show only the time between the start and end times for each day in the Day and Work Week views. If an item occurs before the start time or after the end time, it is hidden.

View Settings: Quarter and Year

In the Calendar Plus Web Part Settings menu, click on Quarter and Year under the heading View Settings. From the Quarter and Year menu, you can configure the following:

• Set the Quarter View Interval length as either 3 or 6 months.
• Select the Quarter and Year View Starting Month. If you select the starting month to be January and your Quarter View Interval is 3 months, then you will see January, February, and March as the default for the Quarter View. If you select Current Month and your Quarter View Interval is 3 months, the default view will show the current month and the next 2 months that follow the current month.
• Choose to Show color coding and icons in Quarter and Year views. By default, color coding and icons are not shown.

View Settings: Gantt and Tasks

In the Calendar Plus Web Part Settings menu, click on Gantt and Tasks under the heading View Settings. From the Gantt and Tasks menu, you can configure the following:

• Gantt View Display List/Library: Select a List or Library to show in the Gantt View (e.g., ‘Calen Plus’ list).
• Gantt and Task View Item Limits: Show all items or limit the number of items per page.
• Gantt View Settings: Select additional columns which you would like displayed in the Gantt view.
• Column Width of Selected Columns: Set the width of each of the columns in the Selected Columns list box. Type in each width separated by a comma (75, 80, 100). Leave this field blank if you want to use default column widths for each additional column.
• Define Item Sort Order: Select column(s) to sort. (i.e., First sort by the column: Start Time, and then sort by the column: All Day Events).
• Progress Bar Settings: Select the % complete column to display a color-coded progress bar within the item interval bar in the Gantt View. Click Select Progress Bar Color to select a color.
• Milestone Settings: Select a milestone and an image to display the milestone on the Gantt view.
• Scale of Gantt View: Set the ‘Start Date’ and ‘End Date’ that is shown to the user by default when he/she clicks the Gantt button on the toolbar.

Click Save & Close on the Calendar Plus Web Part Settings window. Then click Apply, and then OK on the Web Part Tool Pane to view the item on Calendar Plus.

View Settings: Holiday List

The Holiday List view setting allows you to show holidays in your calendar. Holidays are shown as the background color of cells in all the toolbar views.

In the Calendar Plus Web Part Settings menu, click on Holiday List under the heading View Settings. To display holidays in the Day, Week, Work Week, Moth, Quarter, and Year views, you will need to complete the following steps:

Step 1 – Site URL Containing a SharePoint List or Library:

Enter a Site URL for the site that contains the Holiday List or Library you want to show in the calendar, then click the green arrow button. You can enter the entire path for the site URL (http://server/site/) or a relative path (./Site/). The SharePoint List or Library drop-down box in Step 2 is populated with the Lists and Libraries available on the site. NOTE: It is recommended that you use relative paths for site templates, and when multiple Alternative Access Mappings are used.

Step 2 – Select SharePoint List or Library:

Select a List or Library from the SharePoint List or Library drop-down box.

Step 3 – Base Columns:

In the Item Display Column drop-down box, select a column that contains the values you want to display in the calendar. If you selected to base the calendar on an Interval (Start to End) in the General Settings, then you must enter date columns that represent a start and end date for the items in the calendar. If you based the calendar on a single date, then you must choose just one date column. NOTE: To display
multiple columns, create a single string of multiple column values using a Calculated Column.

Step 4 – Color Identification:

Select a color for the Holiday List item in the calendar.

Step 5 – Holiday Text Wrap:

Select ‘Yes’ to allow text wrapping for the Holiday item text displayed in the calendar, and then enter the maximum size (in pixels) allowed for the length of the wrapped text. If enabled, this setting is applied to all item cells in the calendar.

Click Save & Close on the Calendar Plus Web Part Settings window. Then click Apply, and then OK on the Web Part Tool Pane to view an item on Calendar Plus.

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