Church provided cvs file and ability to import

I would be very, very thrilled if instead of having to import from iCal or Google calendar we were provided a csv template with the headers we need that we could fill out and just import into our Stake calendar on the Church's web site. This would enable us to entirely skip first importing a csv file into Google calendar. Then having to export that calendar which exports as a zip file. After expanding the zip file, we then import that new file into the Church's web site.
A csv file that is first imported into Google calendar just to be able to import it into our stake calendar is very limited by way of the fields we can fill out.
I have a very basic csv file with the following headers: Subject, Start Date, End Date, Start Time, End Time, All Day Event, Description.
It is not possible to use "Location" in the csv file because when we select a Location by way of a drop down menu in the stake calendar new fields open up and we are expected to then select "Reserve Entire Building" or "Select specific rooms". Because we are limited to the fields within a Google calendar we cannot create the headers we need in a csv file that would fit all the fields that can be filled out in the stake calendar.
Please, oh please come up with a way to enable us to import from a csv file that will cut down our input time.
Thank you very much.

You should only need to import one time when moving items from the old calendar to the new calendar. After that you should be inputting all events directly into the new calendar on LDS.ORG. To do other wise will set you up for a scheduling conflict.

mikedemke wrote:I would be very, very thrilled if instead of having to import from iCal or Google calendar we were provided a csv template with the headers we need that we could fill out and just import into our Stake calendar on the Church's web site. This would enable us to entirely skip first importing a csv file into Google calendar. Then having to export that calendar which exports as a zip file. After expanding the zip file, we then import that new file into the Church's web site.
A csv file that is first imported into Google calendar just to be able to import it into our stake calendar is very limited by way of the fields we can fill out.
I have a very basic csv file with the following headers: Subject, Start Date, End Date, Start Time, End Time, All Day Event, Description.
It is not possible to use "Location" in the csv file because when we select a Location by way of a drop down menu in the stake calendar new fields open up and we are expected to then select "Reserve Entire Building" or "Select specific rooms". Because we are limited to the fields within a Google calendar we cannot create the headers we need in a csv file that would fit all the fields that can be filled out in the stake calendar.
Please, oh please come up with a way to enable us to import from a csv file that will cut down our input time.
Thank you very much.

I agree that this would be sweet. I hope however they get the printing and syncing issues fixed before they go on to new projects. For now I have written a little program that I can enter events into a grid or import a csv and create an ical file to import to the calendar. That saves me the google step you talk about, but not the location issue. Maybe I need to dig deeper to see if I can get the location issue figured out. If you think it would help you, I would be willing to share.

I am pretty sure that standard ical doesn't support the church's location resource. They could add their own tags that could be included...but to date they haven't (or haven't communicated it.) Early on we had a spreadsheet with macros that created the ical file. Without the location information, we still had to touch every entry. So we scrapped the spreadsheet and just enter yearly planning on the calendar one entry at a time. Admin time is about the same in the end.

And I agree. Focus the development efforts on getting the must have items fixed i.e. printing and sync before devoting time on bulk import functionality that fewer people may use.