Add Copy to Calendar integration with Full Calendar plugin

[geetduggal]

Motivation

This feature bridges the gap between task management and calendar planning by allowing users to seamlessly copy Kanban cards to their calendar. The integration is motivated by the workflow of placing lists next to calendars and easily being able to add list items to calendars, as discussed in "Have You Been Using Your Calendar All Wrong?".

The core insight is that many productivity workflows benefit from the ability to:

• Plan with lists (Kanban boards for organizing tasks and ideas)
• Execute with calendars (time-blocked calendar events for actual work)
• Bridge the gap between planning and execution seamlessly

This feature enables users to maintain their Kanban boards as planning and organization tools while easily moving actionable items to their calendar for time-blocked execution.

Technical Approach

Integration Design

The feature integrates with the Full Calendar plugin's "Full note" mode, which uses markdown files with frontmatter to represent calendar events. This approach was chosen because:

• Native Obsidian integration: Uses standard markdown files that can be edited manually
• Compatibility: Works with existing Full Calendar setups
• Flexibility: Events can be easily modified after creation
• Portability: Calendar data remains in readable markdown format

Implementation Details

Core Components

1. Calendar Source Discovery: Reads Full Calendar plugin configuration from .obsidian/plugins/obsidian-full-calendar/data.json
2. Calendar Picker UI: Displays available calendars with color-coded visual indicators
3. Event Creation: Generates markdown files with appropriate frontmatter
4. Settings Integration: Provides user control over feature availability

Event Format

Events are created as all-day events on the current day with the following frontmatter:

---
title: <sanitized-card-title>
allDay: true
date: YYYY-MM-DD
endDate: YYYY-MM-DD (next day)
completed: null
---

This format ensures compatibility with Full Calendar's expectations while providing a sensible default that can be easily adjusted within the calendar interface.

Edge Case Handling

The implementation includes robust handling for several edge cases:

Directory Path Handling:

• Implements smart detection: checks if literal directory exists before treating eg./* as a wildcard
• Provides fallback path normalization for characters that may cause filesystem issues

Error Recovery:

• Graceful fallback for missing Full Calendar plugin
• User-friendly error notifications with specific failure reasons
• Robust file creation with collision detection
• Automatic directory creation when needed

User Experience:

• Integrates with existing context menu patterns
• Respects platform differences (mobile vs desktop UI)
• Maintains consistent icon and interaction patterns
• Provides clear visual feedback for success/failure states

Settings Integration

• Toggle Control: Users can enable/disable the feature via plugin settings
• Documentation: Settings include explanation of requirements and configuration file location
• Default State: Feature defaults to disabled to avoid confusion for users without Full Calendar plugin

Testing

Manual Testing Scenarios

Basic Functionality

1. Setup: Install and configure Full Calendar plugin with at least one calendar source
2. Enable Feature: Toggle "Enable Copy to Calendar" in Kanban plugin settings
3. Basic Copy: Right-click on a Kanban card → "Copy to calendar" → Select calendar
4. Verify: Confirm file creation in correct directory with proper frontmatter

Edge Cases

1. Special Characters: Test with directories containing *, ?, <, >, |, :, ", \, /
2. Wildcard Patterns: Test both /* wildcard configurations and literal /* directory names
3. Missing Dependencies: Test behavior with Full Calendar plugin disabled/uninstalled
4. Permission Issues: Test in directories with restricted write permissions
5. File Collisions: Test duplicate card titles and filename collision handling

Platform Testing

1. Mobile: Verify context menu integration on mobile devices
2. Desktop: Confirm submenu behavior and keyboard navigation
3. Cross-platform: Test consistent behavior across operating systems

Integration Testing

1. Multiple Calendars: Test with various calendar configurations
2. Calendar Types: Verify compatibility with different Full Calendar source types
3. Existing Events: Confirm no interference with existing calendar functionality
4. Plugin Reload: Test feature persistence across plugin reloads

[PhoenaVN]

Hi. I'm interesting with your idea and wanna try it. But I can't find out "Enable Copy to Calendar" in Kanban plugin settings. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks a lot.

[geetduggal]

Hi @PhoenaVN I added the setting as a part of this PR, and it looks like this when I test it on my setup:

I'm not sure it makes sense to make a part of the official Kanban plugin, which I absolutely adore, but maybe @mgmeyers has some thoughts there. Thanks in advance for your consideration! (I'd imagine some sort of squash-merge of this PR)

I've been using the feature for the last couple of weeks and it's been quite handy to be able to copy cards over to my calendar. Feels like a low-key superpower to keep my mind organized by linking lists in a kanban view with time.

[Ravenclawer]

This is amazing, could you release it , we don't know how to install it