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How do I export Dates from Numbers to iCal?

I'm building a spread sheet in *Numbers '08* with +expiration dates+ for many of the line items. I would like to export those dates to iCal so that iCal can _show/send me a reminder on those dates_. I've read that some people may be using a program called Bento to interface between Numbers & iCal. Seems like one should not have to buy an entire software program to export a simple date from Numbers to ICal -- both being native Apple programs.

Perhaps there is a way to get Numbers to send date reminders without exporting to iCal?

Any feedback is much appreciated.

Mac Pro 3Ghz Quad-Core; 8 Gigs RAM (4 x 2); X1900XT; 23" CineDisplay|Dell 1707FP, Mac OS X (10.5.8), Apogee Ensemble; Mackie MCU Pro; UAD-2 Quad; Logic Studio; Melodyne Studio 3

Posted on Mar 25, 2010 12:05 PM

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Posted on Mar 25, 2010 12:47 PM

KS,

I'm not a script writer or an Automator expert, which is what I think it would take to do what you want, but you got me to thinking how you could most easily take a list of dates from Numbers to iCal and I think I have a partial solution. Partial solutions are sometimes enough if going the rest of the way is more effort than would be consumed by doing the last part manually.

Give this a try:

Copy the column of dates in Numbers. Begin a new Mail Message. Paste and Match Style into the body of the mail message. Click Save as Draft. In the Draft messages folder of Mail, select the new message, for viewing (not for editing). Now as you hover your mouse pointer over a date, the date will auto-detect and you will have an option to create an event in iCal.

Regards,

Jerry
5 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Mar 25, 2010 12:47 PM in response to KiteSurfer

KS,

I'm not a script writer or an Automator expert, which is what I think it would take to do what you want, but you got me to thinking how you could most easily take a list of dates from Numbers to iCal and I think I have a partial solution. Partial solutions are sometimes enough if going the rest of the way is more effort than would be consumed by doing the last part manually.

Give this a try:

Copy the column of dates in Numbers. Begin a new Mail Message. Paste and Match Style into the body of the mail message. Click Save as Draft. In the Draft messages folder of Mail, select the new message, for viewing (not for editing). Now as you hover your mouse pointer over a date, the date will auto-detect and you will have an option to create an event in iCal.

Regards,

Jerry

Mar 25, 2010 1:49 PM in response to Jerrold Green1

Hello Jerrold

AppleScript can't be used to drive Numbers '08.
So, we must copy the events descriptors embedded in a Numbers '08 table before calling the script.
Tomorrow I will write a version grabbing the descriptors from a Numbers '09 table.

--

--[SCRIPT createicalevents]
(*
This script creates new events from the content of the clipboard.
This one is built by a Copy action from a Numbers '08 document.
In this document, a table contains
a column storing events descriptions
a column storind start datetime
a column storing end datetime.
example:
event #1 18 avr. 2010 05:35 19 avr. 2010 15:35
event #2 19 avr. 2010 05:35 20 avr. 2010 15:35
event #3 20 avr. 2010 05:35 21 avr. 2010 15:35
event #4 21 avr. 2010 05:35 22 avr. 2010 15:35
Edit the instruction defining the calendar name to fit your needs.
Yvan KOENIG (VALLAURIS, France)
2010/03/25
It's my first attempt with ical so I'm not sure that it's the best way to treat the problem.
*)
on run
set theCalendar to "Personnel"
try
set enListe to paragraphs of (the clipboard as text)
repeat with aRow in enListe
set {descr, sDate, eDate} to my decoupe(aRow, tab)
tell application "iCal"
make new event at the end of events of (every calendar whose name is theCalendar) with properties {description:descr, start date:sDate, end date:eDate, allday event:true}
end tell
end repeat
end try
end run
--=====
on decoupe(t, d)
local l
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to d
set l to text items of t
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to ""
return l
end decoupe
--=====
--[/SCRIPT]
--


Yvan KOENIG (VALLAURIS, France) jeudi 25 mars 2010 21:49:49

Mar 25, 2010 2:50 PM in response to KOENIG Yvan

Here is the script doing the trick with Numbers '09.

--

--[SCRIPT createical_events_fromNumbers'09]
(*
Enregistrer le script en tant que Script : createical_events_fromNumbers'09.scpt
déplacer le fichier ainsi créé dans le dossier
<VolumeDeDémarrage>:Users:<votreCompte>:Library:Scripts:Applications:Numbers:
Il vous faudra peut-être créer le dossier Numbers et peut-être même le dossier Applications.
Sélectionner les cellules d'une table de Numbers qui décrivent des 'events'
La table est censée contenir:
une colonne avec la description des événements
une colonne avec les date_heures de début
une colonne avec les date_heures de fin
Éditer la property 'theCalendar' en fonction du nom du calendrier à alimenter.
menu Scripts > Numbers > createical_events_fromNumbers'09
Le script crée les évènements dans iCal
--=====
L'aide du Finder explique:
L'Utilitaire AppleScript permet d'activer le Menu des scripts :
Ouvrez l'Utilitaire AppleScript situé dans le dossier Applications/AppleScript.
Cochez la case "Afficher le menu des scripts dans la barre de menus".
--=====
Save the script as a Script: createical_events_fromNumbers'09.scpt
Move the newly created file into the folder:
<startup Volume>:Users:<yourAccount>:Library:Scripts:Applications:Numbers:
Maybe you would have to create the folder Numbers and even the folder Applications by yourself.
In a table from Numbers '09,
select cells describing 'events'.
This table is supposed to embed :
a column storing events descriptions
a column storind start datetime
a column storing end datetime.
Edit the instruction defining the calendar name to fit your needs.
menu Scripts > Numbers > createical_events_fromNumbers'09
The script will create new events in iCal.
--=====
The Finder's Help explains:
To make the Script menu appear:
Open the AppleScript utility located in Applications/AppleScript.
Select the "Show Script Menu in menu bar" checkbox.
This script creates new events from the content of selected cells from a Numbers '09 table.
--=====
example:
event #1 18 avr. 2010 05:35 19 avr. 2010 15:35
event #2 19 avr. 2010 05:35 20 avr. 2010 15:35
event #3 20 avr. 2010 05:35 21 avr. 2010 15:35
event #4 21 avr. 2010 05:35 22 avr. 2010 15:35
--=====
Yvan KOENIG (VALLAURIS, France)
2010/03/25
.
*)
--=====
property theCalendar : "Personnel"
property nbItemsPerEvent : 3
--=====
on run
set {dName, sName, tName, rname, rowNum1, colNum1, rowNum2, colNum2} to my getSelParams()
set colNum2 to colNum1 + nbItemsPerEvent - 1
tell application "Numbers" to tell document dName to tell sheet sName to tell table tName
repeat with r from rowNum1 to rowNum2
set eProps to {}
repeat with c from colNum1 to colNum2
copy (value of cell r of column c) to end of eProps
end repeat -- with column
(*
Now, eProps contains
- the event description
- the start date_time
- the end date_time
*)
my makeEvent(eProps)
end repeat
end tell -- Numbers
end run
--=====
on makeEvent({descr, sDate, eDate})
tell application "iCal"
make new event at the end of events of (every calendar whose name is theCalendar) with properties {description:descr, start date:sDate as text, end date:eDate as text, allday event:true}
end tell
end makeEvent
--=====
on getSelParams()
local r_Name, t_Name, s_Name, d_Name, col_Num1, row_Num1, col_Num2, row_Num2
set {d_Name, s_Name, t_Name, r_Name} to my getSelection()

if r_Name is missing value then
if my parleAnglais() then
error "No selected cells"
else
error "Il n'y a pas de cellule sélectionnée !"
end if
end if

set two_Names to my decoupe(r_Name, ":")
set {row_Num1, col_Num1} to my decipher(item 1 of two_Names, d_Name, s_Name, t_Name)
if item 2 of two_Names = item 1 of two_Names then
set {row_Num2, col_Num2} to {row_Num1, col_Num1}
else
set {row_Num2, col_Num2} to my decipher(item 2 of two_Names, d_Name, s_Name, t_Name)
end if
return {d_Name, s_Name, t_Name, r_Name, row_Num1, col_Num1, row_Num2, col_Num2}
end getSelParams
--=====
(*
set {rowNumber, columnNumber} to my decipher(cellRef,docName,sheetName,tableName)
apply to named row or named column !
*)
on decipher(n, d, s, t)
tell application "Numbers" to tell document d to tell sheet s to tell table t to return {address of row of cell n, address of column of cell n}
end decipher
--=====
(*
set { d_Name, s_Name, t_Name, r_Name} to my getSelection()
*)
on getSelection()
local _, theRange, theTable, theSheet, theDoc, errMsg, errNum

tell application "Numbers" to tell document 1
repeat with i from 1 to the count of sheets
tell sheet i
set x to the count of tables
if x > 0 then
repeat with y from 1 to x
try
(selection range of table y) as text
on error errMsg number errNum
set {_, theRange, _, theTable, _, theSheet, _, theDoc} to my decoupe(errMsg, quote)
return {theDoc, theSheet, theTable, theRange}
end try
end repeat -- y
end if -- x>0
end tell -- sheet
end repeat -- i
end tell -- document
return {missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value}
end getSelection
--=====
on decoupe(t, d)
local l
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to d
set l to text items of t
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to ""
return l
end decoupe
--=====
on parleAnglais()
local z
try
tell application "Numbers" to set z to localized string "Cancel"
on error
set z to "Cancel"
end try
return (z is not "Annuler")
end parleAnglais
--=====
--[/SCRIPT]
--


Yvan KOENIG (VALLAURIS, France) jeudi 25 mars 2010 22:50:17

How do I export Dates from Numbers to iCal?

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