Datebook

[legohead]

Sometimes after quickly scheduling my day in Datebook, I remember something else that I had forgotten. Is there a way that when I insert that activity, that the rest of my schedule will adapt to the new activity? Right now, if i lengthen the time for one earlier activity, it does not move the rest; it just assumes that i will finish up WHILE (at the same time as) i begin the previously recorded activity for that time. Seems like changing from 'overwrite' to 'insert.' How do you do it?

[tanker_bob]

No way that I'm aware of. Each appointment is treated as an independent and separate database entry. It will notice conflicts and color the time bars appropriately, but that's the extent of the cross-appointment checking. AFAIK, none of the 3rd party replacement Datebook apps adjust a schedule for new appointment. In fact, not even Outlook 2002 does that.

[Serotta]

As Tanker said, I don't know of any app that will automatically adjust appointments. You can however go to the week view and drag and drop your appointments wherever you want them. It's quite a bit quicker than going in to details to adjust everything.

[legohead]

thanks for the info TankerBob and Serotta.

if anybody's writing datebook programs out there, let this be an idea for you!

[crh3f]

I think the problem with that is that the datebook programs assume that an "event" is something like a meeting, dinner reservations, etc...just b/c you schedule something to overlap with that starting time, most meetings/etc are still concrete, scheduled items. For instance, if I have class at 3, just b/c I schedule a review session from 1-4 doesn't mean that my class is moved....it just means I either skip it or not!

[tanker_bob]

I am with crh3f on this one. I have overlapping meetings all the time. I simply have to choose between them. If the program popped up an offer to "fix" the schedule every time a conflict arose (the only reasonable option), that would become very annoying very quickly.

[Unregistered]

You might have to hard reset.

[legohead]

If the program popped up an offer to "fix" the schedule every time a conflict arose (the only reasonable option), that would become very annoying very quickly.

Fortunately, that is not the only option. There can simply be a preference option in Datebook that allows you to decide AHEAD OF TIME what to do in case of a conflict. You would be able to choose whether to adapt your schedule (insert and move the rest forward proportionately) OR to allow overlapping.

So if you're the kind of guy or gal who has a lot of overlapping activities, you'd keep it that way- and you can always change if you want. However, if you're like me (in school perhaps) and while scheduling when to study certain things etc, you often realize that you forgot the next day's quiz or the like, and want to make sure you study before doing less important stuff... you'd choose the other setting. There is no reason why a pop-up question would be necessary every time.

[crh3f]

Good point...making it an "ahead of time" option would be one way to have it covered.