Frequently Asked Questions
Concept Handling Bugs/limitations
Concept
I do not use iCal, but Outlook/Sunbird/Google Calendar... can I still use the BirthdayScannerX?
Sure. BirthdayScannerX can generate an ICS calendar file. This file format is understood by all calendar applications. See here for details.
TopApple already has a "Birthdays" calendar in iCal. Why do I need the BirthdayScannerX?
Apple's solution has some shortcomings:
- Apples "Birthdays" calendar is readonly - you cannot modify it.
- It has no reminders. That means you won't get alerted of upcoming birthdays - the whole point of this program.
- It works only for Birthdays, but not for anniversaries etc.
- It only works for iCal, whereas BirthdayScannerX can export your Birthdays as ICS file and you import that into any other calendar application, even on Windows or Linux.
Does BirthdayScannerX have to run all the time to remind me of birthdays?
No. BirthdayScannerX just imports the birthdays to iCal. iCal does the reminding.
Note (if you recently switched to Mac): iCal alerts even work if iCal is not running. In the background of MacOSX there is a service always running and reminding you of upcoming events. iCal itself does not have to be active for that to work.
TopHandling
Can I change the events manually in iCal after importing?
Yes you can.
There are two things to consider:
You should leave the text "created by zencat BirthdayScanner..." alone, if possible - here is why.
If the birthday event text contains the years count (e.g. "Tom Miller (46 years)"), you can change the event, but only for one year - future events will not be changed - see here why that is.
TopI cannot change the event text in iCal for all future events, only for the one I am editing.
Probably the event title contains the year count of the event (%years%). In that case, the event title changes each year (because the count goes up). This means that iCal does not allow you to modify all events as one series.
If you want to modify the events as one series after importing, do not use event texts with years in it. See here for how to do it.
TopCan I re-import Dates which are already imported? Will they get updated, if e.g. the name of the jubilee changed?
Yes you can. Yes, they will get updated (if you did mark them for import in the Contact list).
BirthdayScannerX "knows" which events it already imported.
I get double entries in iCal.
Please check:
What is this funny text (“created by zencat Birthdayscanner ...”) in the Notes of an event?
This is the "Creation Mark" which is needed for BirthdayScannerX to "know" events it already imported. That way, if you import twice, it can update those events instead of creating new one. You can remove this text if it bothers you, but you will have to deal with double entries if you re-import into that calendar.
How to switch off this text:
You can tell BirthdayScannerX to not generate the Creation Mark: go to "Preferences" -> "Import Settings" and uncheck "Include Creation Mark in Event Notes". You will have to deal with double entries yourself (which is not a big deal provided you generate a new calendar when re-importing birthdays, and delete the old one).
TopThe text in iCal is english (“Birthday”), but I want it to be in my mother tongue - “День рождения”, “Geburtstag” or “Anniversaire”.
This only should happen if BirthdayScannerX was not yet localized for your language (as of August 09, BirthdayScannerX is localized for English and German).
As a workaround, you can modify the event text and spell out "Birthday" in your language, for example:
"%firstname% %lastname% : День рождения !"
Note that this is just a hack - because now, all events will show "День рождения", even if they are not birthdays, but name days or anniversaries. If it really bugs you, just help me with the localization to your language :)
TopI do not like the event text in iCal. Can I change it?
Sure. In the main screen, "What should the event look like?" -> "Change".
TopBirthdayScannerX created a new calendar for me named "Birthdays and Anniversaries". I do not like the name/the color of that calendar.
Just change it in iCal like you would change any other calendar: e.g. by control-clicking the calendar -> "Get Info".
TopBugs/limitations
I want to have a message with sound.
This is currently not yet possible. Will be implemented in future versions.
TopI exported an ICS file, but I don’t see the number of years in the event texts
Displaying the number of years is currently only supported if you import directly to iCal, not if you save an ICS file.
TopI found a bug.
Tell me! (See "Contact")
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