7. Using the Calendar

If you’re like most people, you probably check your calendar daily, even if it is just to remember what day it is. You typically turn on your computer daily as well. Why not combine the two activities? Meet Outlook’s Calendar component. You can use Calendar to keep track of your appointments, dates, and other scheduled events with ease. With a digital calendar, you don’t have to worry about making room on your wall or desk for a regular calendar ever again—although admittedly you will miss the monthly picture of cute kittens or scenic places you’ll never visit. The beauty of a computer-based calendar, though, is you can view everything at a glance or with a quick click. Plus, if you have a laptop or tablet, your calendar can go where you go.

Sure, Outlook’s Calendar offers a handy way to view your daily schedule, but it does a lot more. You can view multiple calendars and synchronize dates; you can schedule meetings with others, email your calendar, and even publish it online. You can also set up reminders to alert you to an upcoming appointment, prioritize calendar items with tabs, and set recurring appointments.

When you switch over to Calendar, Outlook presents you with a default view mode that lays out your digital calendar in an easy-to-read design. Depending on how you want to view your information, Calendar offers several view modes you can toggle between:

• Day—Displays a single day on the calendar with times listed in hourly increments and subdivided into half-hour increments. (You can change the increments to suit your needs.)

• Week—Displays a week view of your calendar, starting with Sunday and ending with Saturday.

• Work Week—Also displays a week of your calendar, but from Monday through Friday.

• Month—Displays a full month of days.

• Schedule view—Displays your schedule in a horizontal layout, handy for viewing multiple calendars for scheduling meetings with other users.

View modes are available in two places. The ribbon’s Home tab displays the five view modes in the Arrange group of tools, as shown in Figure 7.1, whereas the View tab lists them in the Arrangement group of tools, as pointed out in Figure 7.2. Why two spots? Probably for convenience. Keeping the view modes easy to access with a click can help you shorten the time you spend looking for controls among the various tabs. To switch between view modes, click the view you want to display. For example, to see your calendar in Month view, click the Month button.

In addition to the view modes, you can also activate a sneak peek mode and check your calendar from any Outlook component using a pop-up display. To do so, hover your mouse pointer over the Calendar icon located at the bottom of the Folder pane, as shown in Figure 7.3. The sneak peek lets you know if you have any appointments or meetings scheduled for the day, and it clues you into the current date.

Methods of navigating the Calendar vary slightly between the different view modes. In Month view, for example, your calendar is presented as a grid of date squares, looking like a monthly paper calendar you might hang on the wall. To select a date in Month view, click it. When you do this, you can immediately start typing in event information (an event is an all-day activity, such as a birthday or anniversary). Calendar always displays the current date marked in bold, as shown in Figure 7.4.

To move back and forth between months, you can click the navigation arrows at the top of the calendar. Click Back to move back a month in the display, or click Forward to move forward a month in the display. You can also use the scrollbar on the far right of the program window to move between months.

The Folder pane that appears on the left side of the program window displays miniature calendars of the previous and next months, which is extremely helpful when you want to see past and previous dates. Click the navigation arrows at the top of the Folder pane to move back and forth among the months. Click a date on the miniature calendar to view it in Day view.

Speaking of the Day view, your schedule appears in hourly increments, as shown in Figure 7.5. The same is true in Week and Work Week view—see Figure 7.6. Not only are the hours listed for the entire day, but they are divided into half hours with the help of a dotted line. Each day starts at 12 AM at the top and ends at 11:59 at the bottom. Use the scrollbar to move up and down the time slots. The same as in Month view, you can use the navigation arrows at the top to move from day to day or week to week. Notice the Folder pane stays the same as in Month view, displaying the months before and after the current date you’re viewing. You can click a date on the miniature monthly display to jump to it in Day, Week, or Work Week view.

The same navigation arrows are available in Schedule view, as shown in Figure 7.7. Rather than a vertical listing of hours in your day, however, Schedule view shows the times listed horizontally across the screen. That’s because Schedule view is designed specifically for viewing two or more calendar schedules, such as your colleagues’, so you can arrange meeting times to accommodate everyone’s convenience.

If you’re viewing two or more calendars, you can see them listed in the Folder pane, including any multiple calendars you’re using on your computer. To view another calendar in the list, click its name.

To jump to a date, click the Go to Date icon, shown in Figure 7.8. When clicked, this opens the Go to Date dialog box (see Figure 7.9). Type in the date and press Enter or click OK. Calendar immediately whisks you to the date.

The Weather bar can remember up to five locations, and it keeps them handy in a drop-down list for future use, as shown in Figure 7.11. To view a forecast, display the list and click the location.

To add your own location to the list, follow these steps:

1. Click the Weather location options drop-down arrow.

2. Click Add Location.

3. Type in your city and state, or city and country.

4. Press Enter when finished.

The Weather bar reflects the new setting. Now, if they’d just incorporate a clock next to the weather bar, I’d leave this open on my computer screen all day long!

To remove a city from the list, display the drop-down menu again and move the mouse pointer over the city you want to delete. Click the X next to the name, and it’s removed from the list.

The simplest way to record an event is to type it in directly on the calendar. To add an event in Month view, click the date on the giant calendar display and type in your event title, such as Bob’s Birthday, Sales Conference, or Author Appreciation Day. Press Enter and the event is added.

You can use the same method to add an event in Work Week or Week view, but click the day’s date at the top of the schedule and type in the event name, similar to Figure 7.13.

To add an event in Day view, navigate to the date and click the area at the top, just below the day’s date (see Figure 7.14). Type in an event name and press Enter.

You can add multiple events to a single day, or make an event span as many days as you need. For example, your sales conference may cover three days of the week, or a vacation may require seven days. If an event requires more details, such as a location or multiple days, you can open the form window I was telling you about earlier and add more information.

To utilize the form method of recording an event, double-click the date. If you’re viewing your calendar in Day, Week, or Work Week view, double-click the date at the top of the view, not a time slot in the schedule. By default, the All Day Event check box is already selected for you in the form, as pointed out in Figure 7.15. This indicates that the item is an event and not an appointment. If you deselect this check box, the item becomes an appointment.

You can tap into additional features and tools found in the form window’s tabs to customize an event. To fill out the details, click in a form field and type away. Everything’s optional. For example, type a name for the event in the Subject box or a location for the event in the Location box. When you type in a subject, the form window’s title bar changes to reflect the event’s name.

If the event spans several days, choose a start and end date. The large notes area lets you jot down any additional notes about the event, such as Don’t forget to pick up my tux before leaving town for the wedding. When you finish, click the Save & Close button.

Anytime you want to view information about a particular event, hover your mouse pointer over it to see a quick peek of details, such as whether a reminder is set (learn more about reminders coming up). If you click an event, the Appointment tab appears on the ribbon with tools for setting reminders, recurring status, or tagging the event with priority settings.

If you want to create a recurring event—one that happens with regularity, such as a birthday, anniversary, or tax day—you can assign it recurring status using the event form window (see Figure 7.16). With the Event form window open, click the Options button on the Event tab and click Recurrence. This opens the Appointment Recurrence dialog box, shown in Figure 7.17.

To change the recurrence pattern, choose how often the event appears on the calendar, then fine-tune the settings based on the type of pattern you choose. For example, if you’re setting a weekly event, like “Half Price Tuesday” or “Carpool Day,” you can specify which day of the week the event always occurs. Click OK to save your changes.

If you ever need to remove a recurring event, open the event’s form window again and display the Recurrence dialog box, this time clicking the Remove Recurrence button.

You can use a special form to fill out appointment details and save it to your calendar. You can use a variety of methods to summon the Appointment form window:

• Click the New Appointment button on the Home tab.

• Double-click a time slot in Day view.

• Double-click any time slot in Week or Work Week view.

• Double-click any date in Month view, but deselect the All Day Event check box.

• Right-click the calendar and click New Appointment.

• Press Ctrl+N.

Like the Event form window, the Appointment form window, as illustrated in Figure 7.18, offers all the same tools and options. Yes, it’s actually the same window, but with a different name at the top (and a tab name changes to Appointment instead of Event). If you click the All Day Event check box, the form becomes an Event form, but if the box is unchecked, the window is the Appointment form.

You can fill out as many details about the appointment as you need. For example, click in the Subject box and type in a title or description of the appointment. Assigning a title can help you quickly see what type of appointment it is from any of the calendar views. Brief titles work best, such as Staff Meeting or Dentist Appointment. When you type in a subject, the form window’s title bar changes to reflect the new title.

If your appointment needs to specify a location to help you keep track of where you need to be, click in the Location box and include information such as a conference room number, address, building, restaurant, street, or city.

Next, specify a start and end date and time for the appointment. To change the date, you can type directly into the fields, or click the tiny calendar icon at the end of the box and choose a date from the pop-up calendar. If you already double-clicked the correct date you wanted for the appointment, Outlook displays the date in the Start Time and End Time boxes.

You can set both a start time and an end time for the appointment to specify a duration. To change the time, click the time drop-down arrows and choose a time from the list, or just type the time directly into the boxes. By default, time is listed in increments of 30 minutes, so you can set an appointment for 11:30, for example. If you want to use 15-minute increments, type the time in directly, such as 11:15 AM. If you’re sharing your calendar information with others, the appointment time appears as “busy” in your schedule.

You can type up any notes about the appointment in the wide-open notes area. For example, you may want to jot down items you need to bring to the appointment, such as an insurance card your dental office may require, or information about what you’re going to do at the appointed time.

When you’re finished filling out appointment details, click the Save & Close button. Outlook closes the form and adds the appointment to your calendar, as shown in Figure 7.19. The time span you indicated when setting a start and end time show up as a block of light-blue color.

To revisit the appointment details at any time, double-click the appointment to reopen the form again. For even quicker details, you can also hover your mouse pointer over the appointment in your calendar to see a quick peek. Also, when you select an appointment, which just takes a click, Outlook displays an Appointment tab on the ribbon. This tab is the same as the Appointment tab in the Appointment form window. You can use the tools to help you work with the appointment, such as setting a recurrence, tagging it, or setting up a reminder.

If you need to move an appointment, you can click and drag its left edge and drop it where you want it in the schedule, whether it’s a new time slot or a new date.

By default, Outlook automatically adds a 15-minute reminder to your appointments, but no reminder is added to events, so if you want one, you’ll have to add it. Here are several ways to handle reminders:

• To add a reminder from the form window, click the Options button and choose when you want to be reminded by clicking the Reminder drop-down arrow and making a selection.

• To add a reminder to an existing appointment or event already on your calendar, click the item to display the Appointment tab on the ribbon. Next, click the Reminder drop-down arrow and make a selection.

• When the reminder alert appears, you can choose to turn it off by clicking the Dismiss button, or you can put it off for a little longer using the Snooze button, just like your alarm clock. You can even specify when you want to be reminded again.

Follow these steps to create an invite:

1. Click the New Meeting button on the ribbon’s Home tab.

2. Add the email addresses for the people you want to invite. If they happen to be Outlook contacts, you can click the To button and specify attendees from your address book.

3. Type in a title for the meeting in the Subject field.

4. Type in a location for the meeting.

5. Indicate a start and end date and time for the meeting.

6. Type in your email message text.

7. Click Send.

Outlook sends the email and adds the meeting to your own calendar.

To open the Tracking feature, click the Tracking button, pointed out in Figure 7.22. You can use the list box area to make changes to the status of your attendees. Click the Response box to display a drop-down menu and choose whether the person has accepted, declined, is tentatively coming, or you’ve received no response (None). The tabs at the bottom of the window also let you see the status for a particular response at a glance.

You can use the tools found in the Meeting window’s Tracking display to send out more emails, such as a reminder or date change, or cancel the meeting entirely. Here are a few actions you can take:

• To email a particular person in the list, hover the mouse pointer over the person’s name and click the Email icon that appears.

• To email everyone, click the Contact Attendees button on the window’s Meeting tab.

• To cancel the meeting and email everyone, click the Cancel Meeting button on the Meeting tab.

• To invite more attendees, click the Forward button and email others.

• Another way to invite someone else is to type the person’s name at the bottom of the list. Outlook prompts you to save the changes and send the user an invite.

• To view your original invitation, click the Appointment button on the Meeting tab.

To reopen the Meeting window anytime, double-click the scheduled meeting on your calendar.

To email your calendar, click the Home tab and click E-mail Calendar. The Send a Calendar via E-mail dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 7.24. A message window opens with the calendar included. Now you can fill in the rest of the information to create your email message.

To publish your calendar online, you first need to know the WebDAV server address—that’s a server that supports Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning protocols. Check with your server administrator to find out the details, but if you’re good to go, click the Publish Online drop-down arrow on the Home tab and click Publish to WebDAV Server. The Publish Calendar to Custom Server dialog box opens, as shown in Figure 7.25. Type in the web address for the location of the server and choose the date range you want to publish. Click OK to post the calendar online.