Calendar - Event Description - Hyperlink

Discussions about the Calendar Tool at lds.org. Questions about the calendar on the classic site should be posted in the LUWS forum.
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rklindb
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Calendar - Event Description - Hyperlink

#1

Post by rklindb »

I hope this hasn't been answered prior, but my searches were fruitless.

I'd like to be able to put a hyperlink in the Event Description field (within the Calendar). Potential uses would be to link to a Google Doc agenda, or to an Ensign article. I realize that the text of the link can be put there currently, but the copy and paste (using an iPad) is not working for some of the users. Ideally that text would become an active link. Any plans on doing this? Any workaround or suggestions?

Thanks.
jdlessley
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#2

Post by jdlessley »

I don't know about plans to allow hyperlinks in calendar event details. And while not a work-around, the use of URL shortening services such as TinyURL, Google URL Shortener, bitly, and others make it easier to share a long URL without taking a lot of text space.
JD Lessley
Have you tried finding your answer on the ChurchofJesusChrist.org Help Center or Tech Wiki?
techgy
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#3

Post by techgy »

rklindb wrote:I hope this hasn't been answered prior, but my searches were fruitless.

I'd like to be able to put a hyperlink in the Event Description field (within the Calendar). Potential uses would be to link to a Google Doc agenda, or to an Ensign article. I realize that the text of the link can be put there currently, but the copy and paste (using an iPad) is not working for some of the users. Ideally that text would become an active link. Any plans on doing this? Any workaround or suggestions?

Thanks.
Although this isn't a direct response to your specific topic, we're all expecting that at some point "News" articles and items similar in format to the current "Classic" web sites, will be developed. I don't have any information as to when. It's possible that a news article could contain a link, but I'm only speculating.
Have you read the Code of Conduct?
russellhltn
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#4

Post by russellhltn »

In the Classic sites, the Church has been very restrictive on what links they allow. I'm not sure as they'd allow links to third party sites, but it would be nice if there was a link to a news item when the new items portion is updated.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

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jcevans
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#5

Post by jcevans »

Hi,
I created a doc, stored it online and pasted the link in the details of an event. Should it look / act like a link? It appears that they cannot click on it, they need to paste the link into their browser. Or, do i need to do something special to designate that it is a link. I know href does not work.
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aebrown
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#6

Post by aebrown »

jcevans wrote:I created a doc, stored it online and pasted the link in the details of an event. Should it look / act like a link? It appears that they cannot click on it, they need to paste the link into their browser. Or, do i need to do something special to designate that it is a link. I know href does not work.

Links in calendar events are not currently supported. So even if you put a URL in the description, it will just look like text. So you're right that for now, members would have to copy the link and paste it into their browser.

This question was raised during the beta, and this was the simple reply (the link in the following quote won't work for most people, since it is in a limited-access forum section that was used for the calendar beta):
jdcr256 wrote:This is an item on our backlog.
Questions that can benefit the larger community should be asked in a public forum, not a private message.
kisaac
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#7

Post by kisaac »

aebrown wrote:Links in calendar events are not currently supported. So even if you put a URL in the description, it will just look like text.
And, you will need to make the statement following it "copy the above link and paste it into your URL Browser line." And I guarantee somebody will have to want to see that REALLY BAD to go through all that, if they know what a browser URL line is!

The question raised earlier in the Beta of V2 (that aebrown mentioned) was from me, and I really wish we had hyperlink ability. The event description is not good for flyers and other long instructions, like maps to ward parties, or detailed canning assignments. The silver lining is that when the emailing option returns, and the system emails your event description, your recipients email program probably will convert it into a clickable link.

Here are the instructions from the V1 calendar help files:
Attach Documents (e.g., Fliers) to Events

Currently the calendar does not allow you to attach fliers to events. However, this should not pose a serious problem since uploading and displaying files on the web is possible with another method, such as Google. To refer to a Google-hosted file in your event description:
  1. Sign up for a Google account (or some other web service that allows you to upload files).
  2. Go to docs.google.com.
  3. In the upper-left corner, click Upload.
  4. Drag and drop your file into the target rectangle.
  5. In the Private option at the bottom, select Anyone with the link or Public on the Web.
  6. Click Start Upload. After the file uploads, the file name becomes a hyperlink.
  7. Click the hyperlinked file name.
  8. In the Web address, copy the URL that appears for the file. (It will be long.)
  9. Go to a URL shortening service, such as tinyurl.com or bit.ly and shorten the URL.
  10. Insert this shortened URL into your calendar event description.
jcevans
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#8

Post by jcevans »

thanks all. I thought i read something about hyperlinks a few months ago, but my memory is fading with the years..... or growing with my imagination and i can't tell the difference!
kisaac
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#9

Post by kisaac »

kisaac wrote:The silver lining is that when the emailing option returns, and the system emails your event description, your recipients email program probably will convert it into a clickable link.
(Workaround update! While waiting for true link ability!)

Now that we are told emails notifications have returned(see this post) (which I have not tried yet, however,) I think once again the link you type into an event description using the above process "attach documents (e.g. Fliers to events)"will now be converted by some email programs (Gmail does this) into a "clickable link" when a recipient receives your email notification of the event. So, when they read the email notification, the hyperlink becomes "clickable." (Not from the LDS.org calendar, but from an email program as an email reminder about the event is received.)

Just make sure it is the full link in your event description, (copyied from your URL Line) so the email program converts it....like This:
https://tech.lds.org/forum/
If I copy the above link as text from the url line, this forum also "auto-converts" it into a clickable link.
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