Automatically creating event recurrences
Hi All -
I am creating an event calendar (to be coupled with the Calendar App) and I would like to enable folks to submit a recurring event, noting the frequency as once a week, every 3rd Thursday, etc. I capture the initial start date, but cannot figure out how to automatically generate the additional rows with incremented dates so that they can be displayed on the Calendar.
I've seen a similar question on recurring tasks, but the solution there seems to generate a new task only when the previous one has completed... I'd like all recurrences to be generated at one time (and I'll set an end date or maximum recurrences so I don't blow up the sheet...)
Appreciate any insight!
Answers
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Yup, I've built something like this in the past.
I set up a seperate recurring events sheet.
- Included all the columns required for the destination sheet.
- Included a frequency column - dropdown daily, weekly, monthly
- Included a Day column (the day that the event occurs) - drop down incl. Mon-Sun, 1-28
- Included a record the date column.
- Included an automation to record todays date in the record the date coulmn at midnight every day.
- Hinged the event start date off the record date column and a nestled IF formula, based on the freq. and day columns to calculate the next occurance of the event.
- Set up an automation - copy row - to the destination sheet triggered daily when start date = today.
- Populated the source sheet with my recurring events.
Hope that helps, sing out if you get stuck.
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Hi @BullandKhmer,
I appreciate you taking the time to tackle my question - thanks!
If I'm following the logic correctly, (7) results in a copy of an event recurrence to the destination sheet, but only on the day of the next recurrence (start date = today). In that case, would a calendar built off of the destination sheet only show today's events, but not occurrences set to happen in the future?
Please let me know if I've mis-interpreted the flow or the outcome.
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Yeah mate, you're right, I kinda read back the OP after posting and realized that I had misinterpreted what you were asking for... Thought about reposting, but it was late. Then I went to bed thinking about it but only came up with some half-baked solutions. Let me think about it some more, maybe I'll come up with something that works (maybe not)
Cheers,
AJ.
