Time issue when exporting calendars
Alain Rochon
I use Thunderbird and Lightning to create a schedule for my training
organization. Once all courses are entered in Lightning, I then proceed
to export the calendar to a "csv" file. This file is then imported in
our training database.
I have discovered that all entries in Lightning correctly display event
times 08:30 AM to 05:00 PM but when exported the file shows SOME random
entries as 07:30 AM to 04:00 PM. I started entering events in the
calendar several weeks back during DST and completed the calendar
yesterday. The entries that are exported as 7:30am aren't necessarily
entries made or corrected since November 2. Our timezone is GMT-5,
North America Eastern.
There doesn't seem to be a logical pattern as to which events are
incorrectly timed. Even if I edit the event (not the time, it still
shows 8:30 to 5:00), the export file still shows 7:30 to 4:00.
Am I missing something or have I discovered a bug?
Alain
Alain Rochon
Hi All
Does anyone have a clue as to why Lightning displays the correct
start/stop time for events but the exported data is off by 1-hour on
random events?
Alain
moznews...hb@calen.de
> ... all entries in Lightning correctly display event
> times 08:30 AM to 05:00 PM ...
Please check if the events have the same timezone set. Lightning allows events
without a timezone to be set. These events live in a "floating timezone".
Hb
Alain Rochon
All events that I've checked have the timezone set to America/Toronto.
If I click on the link in the edit event window, the "Please Specify the
Timezone" window opens and displays the correct date and time of the
event. When the calendar is exported, the event starts one-hour prior
to the set time.
Alain
moznews...hb@calen.de
> All events that I've checked have the timezone set to America/Toronto.
> If I click on the link in the edit event window, the "Please Specify the
> Timezone" window opens and displays the correct date and time of the
> event. When the calendar is exported, the event starts one-hour prior
> to the set time.
I expect an issue with your operating system.
Do you user Lightning or Sunbird?
Which version?
Please set the timezone to UTC/GMT and to local time for some events and
export again.
Did you check the exported CSV files with an editor or with a spreadsheet?
Last resort: Try attachment 306959 from
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=359083 as described there. This
file should export date/times in ISO format.
Hb
Alain Rochon
> Alain Rochon schrieb:
>> All events that I've checked have the timezone set to America/Toronto.
>> If I click on the link in the edit event window, the "Please Specify the
>> Timezone" window opens and displays the correct date and time of the
>> event. When the calendar is exported, the event starts one-hour prior
>> to the set time.
>
> I expect an issue with your operating system.
automatically update, nor do I want to.
>
> Do you user Lightning or Sunbird?
>
> Which version?
Thunderbird 2.0.0.23 with Lightning 0.9.
>
> Please set the timezone to UTC/GMT and to local time for some events and
> export again.
setup at GMT -5, Eastern. As far as I know, Windows always boots with
Local Time.
Following your suggestion (or what I think is your suggestion), I
created a new event and this time selected "Local Time" besides the
start time on the New Event window. I then exported to calendar to a
csv file and verified that the time was correct.
I then edited one of the events with incorrect time, selected "Local
Time" as above, and re-exported the calendar. The time is now correct,
unlike the numerous times I tried to re-edit and correct the time.
This begs for my next question: How do you make this a permanent option
when creating new events?
I answered my own question, but thought I'd share, by going to
about:config, searching on "timezone" and editing the only entry that
showed up for me: "calendar.timezone.local" and removing the value which
for me was "America/Toronto".
>
> Did you check the exported CSV files with an editor or with a spreadsheet?
Always with NoteTab Pro from Fookes Software.
>
> Last resort: Try attachment 306959 from
> https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=359083 as described there. This
> file should export date/times in ISO format.
>
> Hb
Many thanks for your help.
Alain
moznews...hb@calen.de
>> I expect an issue with your operating system.
> I wouldn't be the first time: Windows XP, partially patched. I do not
> automatically update, nor do I want to.
I had this opinion some years ago too. Then I decided it's easier to trust
the guys in Redmond than to hope that the bad guys don't trust me.
> This begs for my next question: How do you make this a permanent option
> when creating new events?
My Lightning (1.0pre version) has in the New Event window an Options -
Timezone menuitem. This toggles if the event has a timezone set. The state
is remembered.
> I answered my own question, but thought I'd share, by going to
> about:config, searching on "timezone" and editing the only entry that
> showed up for me: "calendar.timezone.local" and removing the value which
> for me was "America/Toronto".
Unusual way. Perhaps harmful.
Hb
Alain Rochon
> Alain Rochon schrieb:
>>> I expect an issue with your operating system.
>> I wouldn't be the first time: Windows XP, partially patched. I do not
>> automatically update, nor do I want to.
>
> I had this opinion some years ago too. Then I decided it's easier to trust
> the guys in Redmond than to hope that the bad guys don't trust me.
>
>> This begs for my next question: How do you make this a permanent option
>> when creating new events?
>
> My Lightning (1.0pre version) has in the New Event window an Options -
> Timezone menuitem. This toggles if the event has a timezone set. The state
> is remembered.
has the same Option --> Timezone, and this 0.9 version also remembers.
Thank you for the training.
>
>> I answered my own question, but thought I'd share, by going to
>> about:config, searching on "timezone" and editing the only entry that
>> showed up for me: "calendar.timezone.local" and removing the value which
>> for me was "America/Toronto".
>
> Unusual way. Perhaps harmful.
now I curious. Why do you say this might be harmful? What is the
benefits of timezone on the individual events? Is there a write-up
describing this feature?
Many thanks, I really appreciate your feedback.
>
> Hb
Alain
moznews...hb@calen.de
>> Unusual way. Perhaps harmful.
> ... Why do you say this might be harmful?
Because I don't know if you perhaps might lose data.
> What is the benefits of timezone on the individual events?
If you don't travel or share your calendar with people in your timezones
there is no benefit. It only increases the possibility of errors.
> Is there a write-up describing this feature?
https://wiki.mozilla.org/Calendar:Timezones "Floating time zone"
Hb