Inspiration
Recently my family moved to a digital calendar, using Google's calendar. We missed a calendar we could easily glance at without pulling out our phones, so I set about using our Amazon Echo Show's display.
What it does
When opened, and having linked to your google account, it will show a few using APL very similar to Google's monthly calendar view. It shows calendar events from any calendar you've added to your default view within Google with matching colours. It also includes any google tasks or reminders you might have. You can ask about your events by name.
How I built it
Built using the C# library from amazon hosted on Lambda with .net core, as well as the fantastic open source libraries here: https://github.com/timheuer/alexa-skills-dotnet
Challenges I ran into
The two biggest challenges were; getting the Google account linking to work without expiring after an hour. Turns out you need to get the url _ just _ right. The second, and biggest challenge was getting the APL to display correctly and consistently on all physical devices I had as well as within the online emulator.
Accomplishments that I'm proud of
I'm quite pleased with the APL I've ended up with, it felt quite a lot like I was really pushing what could be done with it in terms of complexity of layout.
What I learned
This was my second major skill (after Magic Mate) and the most involved. I learned a lot more about APL.
What's next for My Monthly Calendar
I'm always keen to integrate new enhancements as the skill API adds new features.
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