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Exporting and Importing Oracle Calendar Events

Contents

Windows Platform

Macintosh Platform






Overview

The University of Maryland's Office of Information Technology (OIT) hosts an electronic calendar for the College Park campus called Oracle Calendar (formerly, Corporate Time). This electronic calendar now has a large number of users. In order to maintain the system's efficiency, OIT will purge events with dates prior to January 1, 2004 from all campus calendars. This purge will happen on a yearly basis and will begin December 16, 2005.

If you wish to retain your calendar events prior to January 1, 2004, follow the step-by-step instructions given below to export your calendar events to an archives file by using the Oracle Calendar software client (Note: you can not download your events using the Web). Once the purge of data has been completed, you will then be able to import your data back into your Oracle Calendar account.

There are multiple formats into which Oracle Calendar will export data. There are two recommended options: exporting calendar events or exporting text calendars. Instructions are provided for first exporting to an archives file and then importing the calendar events back into either the Oracle Calendar client or opening the archives file in a Word Processor.

If you have any questions, please call the OIT Help Desk.






Export Calendar Events from Oracle Calendar Client on a Windows Platform

To archive Oracle Calendar events prior to January 1, 2004, first go through your calendar to see where you wish to begin your archives (for example, if you joined the university in August 2000, you do not want to begin your archives from the year 1995). These archives can then be imported back into Oracle Calendar using the client once the purge is completed.

  1. Launch and log into the Oracle Calendar client software (not Web based).
  2. On the menubar, click File, then Export Data.
    select file then 
export data
  3. The Export Utility window appears. Click vCalendar file, then the Continue button.
    export utility 
window
  4. The Export VCalendar file window appears. There are multiple parts to this window. export vcalendar file
    • The first checkbox in the Export section will allow you to archive Meetings, Day Events, and Daily Notes.
    • The second checkbox in the Export section will allow you to archive Tasks.
       export agenda 
window, 
export meetings and tasks
    • The next area lists the Period of time you wish to save. Click the Range button and choose the range you wish to begin the save From: (e.g., 01-01-2000 or sooner).
    • To: date should read 12-31-2003.
       export agenda 
window, dates of events to save
    • The People/Resources section has the ability to export other people's calendar items when their name is entered into the first blank field. Do not type in the name of someone else on Oracle Calendar unless you want to export his/her calendar information. Also note, you can export any person's calendar; however you will not be able to import the information if you do not have permissions assigned to you (e.g., if you look a person's calendar and see a locked entry, you will not be able to import that entry).

      In the second field, you will see your name along with the name of the file that is being saved. You can accept the default filename (part of both your first and last name) or change it to something else (see File Name on the Import vCalendar file window below). If you have entered multiple people's names you will see their names along with their file names. Each person you entered will have his/her own separate archive file and will need to be imported separately.
      export agenda window, people, resources
    • The last section to consider is the File Name. This will allow you to change the name of the archival file from its default (part of your first and last name) to another name that is eight characters in length. An example of a file name is \MyName.vcs.
      export agenda 
window, 
save file name
      The slash (\) in front of the file name will place this file on your local C:\ drive.
    • Click the OK button to save your data.
  5. You will see the Export Utility window stating that all data has been transferred.
  6. Retain this file until OIT notifies campus it is safe to import the calendar events back into Oracle Calendar.





Import Calendar Events to Oracle Calendar Client on a Windows Platform

Importing calendar events that you saved can be done using the following step-by-step instructions.
  1. Launch and log into Oracle Calendar client software (not Web based).
  2. On the menubar, click File, then Import Data.
  3. On the Import Utility window, click vCalendar file, then the Continue button.
    import 
utility window
  4. The Import vCalendar file window appears. There are multiple parts to this window.
    import 
vcalendar file window
    • The first checkbox in the Import section will allow you to import the information you archived. If you clicked this first box following the Exporting instructions above, you must check again Meetings, Day Events, and Daily Notes.
    • The second checkbox in the Import will allow you to import Tasks. Click in this checkbox to select it, if you exported the information earlier.
      import 
agenda window, import meetings and tasks
    • The next area lists the Period of events you wish to retrieve. Click the All radio button to retrieve your archived events.
      import agenda 
window, dates to export data from
    • The last section to consider is the File Name. This will allow you to import the archival files you saved in the export portion of this instruction. Click the Browse button and locate the name of your archive (e.g., MyFile.vcs the default will save this file to your C:\ drive unless you changed it).
      import agenda 
window, retrieve previously saved filename
    • Click the OK button to retrieve your data.
  5. You should see the Import Utility window stating that all your data has been transferred.





Export Text Oracle Calendar Client Events on a Windows Platform

To archive Oracle Calendar events prior to January 1, 2004, first go through your calendar to see where you wish to begin your archives (for example, if you joined the University in August 2000, you do not want to begin your archives from the year 1995). A simple way to maintain former events is to save them on your PC as a text file. The text file can then be imported into any word processor and easily read. To save your files properly, you may want to consider creating a folder on your PC where the yearly purges can be stored.

  1. Launch and log into Oracle Calendar client software (not Web based).
  2. On the menubar, click File, then Export Data.
  3. The Export Utility window appears, click Activity by date - text file, then the Continue button.
     text export 
utility window
  4. The Export Activity by date - text file window appears. There are multiple parts to this window.
    text export 
activity by date window
    • The first checkbox in the Export section will allow you to archive Meetings, Day Events, and Daily Notes.
    • Note that Tasks are grayed out and can not be selected - they will NOT download. text export 
window, meetings but not tasks
    • The next area lists the Period of time you wish to save. Click the Range button and choose the range you wish to begin the save From: (e.g., 01-01-2000 or sooner).
    • To: date should read 12-31-2003.
      text export 
window, dates of events to save
    • The People/Resources section has the ability to export other people's calendar items when their name is typed into the first blank field. Do not type in the name of someone else on Oracle Calendar unless you want to export their calendar information. Also note, you can export anyone's calendar; however you will not be able to import the information if you do not have permissions assigned to you (e.g., if you look at someone's calendar and see a locked entry, you will not be able to import that event).

      In the second field you will see your name along with the name of the file that is being saved. You can add people in the field above and Delete them in the field that lists your name.
      text 
export window, people, resources
    • The last section to consider is the File Name. This will allow you to change the name of the archival file from its default (part of your first and last name) to another name. An example of a file name is \MyName.vcs. You may want to consider adding the year to the filename to allow for better tracking of the exported data.
      text export 
window, name the file
      The slash (\) in front of the file name will place this file on your local C:\ drive.
    • Click the OK button to save your data.
    • Retain this file to refer to as needed.





Import Text Calendar Events to a Word Processor on a Windows Platform

The easiest way to open your text file is to do so using any word processing program that is installed on your computer.

  1. Open any word processing software.
  2. On the menubar select File, then Open.
  3. The Files of Type field has a down arrow; select the text option or Text Files.
  4. Click the drop down arrow at the Look in: window and move your cursor until you reach the Local Disk (C:\).
  5. You should see the file you saved MyName2005 - click on it once to select it.
  6. Click on the Open button to Open the file.
  7. Scroll through the document to view your exported entries.





Export Calendar Events from Oracle Calendar Client on a Macintosh

To archive Oracle Calendar events prior to January 1, 2004, first go through your calendar to see where you wish to begin your archives (for example, if you joined the university in August 2000 you do not want to begin your archives from the year 1995). These archives can then be imported back into Oracle Calendar using the client once the purge is completed.

  1. Launch and log into the Oracle Calendar client software (not Web based).
  2. On the menubar, click File, then Export Data.
  3. The Export window appears, click vCalendar file then the OK button.
    mac export 
utility window
  4. The Export window changes appearance. There are multiple parts to this window. mac export 
window
    • The first checkbox in the Export section will allow you to archive Meetings, Day Events, and Daily Notes.
    • The second checkbox in the Export section will allow you to archive Tasks.
      mac export 
window, meetings
    • The next area lists the Period of time you wish to save. Click the From: button and enter the date you with to export events (e.g., 01-01-2000 or sooner).
    • To: date should read 12-31-2003.
      mac export 
window, dates of events to save
    • The People/Resources section has the ability to export other person's calendar items when his/her name is typed into the first blank field. Do not type in the name of someone else on Oracle Calendar unless you want to export his/her calendar information. Also, note, you can export another person's calendar; however you will not be able to import the information if you do not have permissions assigned to you (e.g., if you look at a person's calendar and see a locked entry, you will not be able to import that entry).

      In the second field, you will see your name. If you have entered multiple people's names, you will see their names along with yours. Each person you entered will have his/her own separate archive file and will need to be imported separately.
      mac 
export window, people, resources
    • Click the OK button to save your data.
  5. A Save window appears with a file name of your LastName,FirstName.vcs (you can change the file name if you wish).
  6. Click on the Save button.
    mac save filename 
and location window
  7. Retain this file until OIT notifies campus it is safe to import the calendar events back into Oracle Calendar.



Import Calendar Events to Oracle Calendar Client on a Macintosh

Importing calendar events that you saved can be done using the following step-by-step instructions.

  1. Launch and log into Oracle Calendar client software (not Web based).
  2. On the menubar, click File, then Import Data.
  3. On the Import window, click the vCalendar file, then the OK button.
    mac import 
utility window
  4. The Choose a File window shows the file saved (Name,My.vcs) is stored in the default directory of Documents.
    mac 
choose a file name window
  5. Click on the file you saved (e.g., Name,My.vcs) and the click the Choose button.
    mac 
choose a file name window after you clicked on the file name
  6. The Import window appears. There are multiple parts to this window.
    mac import 
window
    • The first checkbox in the Import window will allow you to import the information you archived. If you clicked this first box following the Exporting instructions above, check again Meetings, Day Events, and Daily Notes.
    • The second checkbox will allow you to import Tasks, click in this checkbox to select if you exported the information earlier.
      mac import 
window, import meetings
      Click in both selections to import all the calendar events archived above.
    • The next area lists the Period of events you wish to retrieve. Click the All radio button to retrieve your archived events.
      mac 
import window, dates of events you saved
    • Click the OK button to retrieve your data.





Export Text Oracle Calendar Client Events on a Macintosh

To archive Oracle Calendar events prior to January 1, 2004, first go through your calendar to see where you wish to begin your archives (for example, if you joined the University in August 2000, you do not want to begin your archives from the year 1995). A simple way to maintain former events is to save them on your Macintosh as a text file. The text file can then be placed on any computer and imported into any word processor and then easily read. To save your files properly, you may want to consider creating a folder on your Macintosh where the yearly purges can be stored.

  1. Launch and log into Oracle Calendar client software (not Web based).
  2. On the menubar, click File, then Export Data.
  3. The Export window appears, click Activity by date - text file, then the OK button.
    mac export
utility window by text
  4. The Export window changes appearance. There are multiple parts to this window.

    mac export 
text window, export meetings
    • The first checkbox in the Export section will allow you to archive Meetings, Day Events, and Daily Notes.
    • Note that Tasks are grayed out and can not be selected - they will NOT download.
      mac 
export text, export meetings
    • The next area lists the Period of time you wish to save. Click the From: button and enter the date you with to export events (e.g., 01-01-2000 or sooner).
    • To: date should read 12-31-2003.
      mac 
export text, dates of events to save
    • The People/Resources section has the ability to export another person's calendar items when his/her name is typed in the first blank field. Do not type in the name of someone else on Oracle Calendar unless you want to export his/her calendar information. Also note, you can export another person's calendar; however you will not be able to import the information if you do not have permissions assigned to you (e.g., if you look at a person's calendar and see a locked entry you will not be able to import that entry).

      In the second field you will see your name along with the name of the file that is being saved. You can add people in the field above and Delete them in the one listing your name.
      mac export text window, people, resources
    • Click the OK button to save your data.
  5. The Save window appears.
    • At the Save As: field you may want to consider renaming the file to the year(s) you are exporting for easy yearly tracking of events (e.g., 2000-2003).
    • The Where: field directs the file to save to the Documents folder on the computer - this directory can be changed.
      mac save the file name 
and file document window
    • Click the Save button.
  6. Retain this file to refer to as needed.





Import Text Calendar Events to a Word Processor on a Macintosh

The easiest way to open your text file is to do so using any word processing program that is installed on your computer.

  1. Open any word processing software.
  2. On the menubar select File, then Open.
  3. In the left frame, click on the Desktop icon.
  4. Click on the folder in which you saved the file (or Documents if you left the default in the middle frame).
  5. Click to select the file you saved (e.g., 2000-2003).
  6. Click on the Open button to Open the file and scroll through to view your events.
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