Schedule Conflict Manager

Conflict alert
Calendar view
OAuth authentication for calendar access (read only)

Inspiration

The main inspiration for this program was the times my parents weren't aware that I was in a school club meeting, and I wasn't aware that they had an important meeting, which ultimately led to some communication issues. If I had this web app, me and my parents would have a peace of mind, knowing that we were accounting for each other's events.

What it does

This web app acts as an upgraded version of a calendar, because it combines the schedules of family members, and compiles them into a single location. The app checks if any important events from different family members overlap. If so, it notifies everyone involved, so that they can update their schedules accordingly.

How we built it

The web page was built using a Python web framework called Flask, which is known for powering PINTEREST, of all things. I used Jinja2 for extra formatting, but the most important component of the stack was the Google Calendar API. It uses Google OAuth to take a Google account and sync all of the user's calendar data onto Schedule Sync.

Challenges we ran into

The most important challenge from the get-go was that was completely alone. I was doing this solo. While it meant that I had more freedom with the product, I strongly believe that this project could be even better if I had a good team to work with.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Honestly, finishing Schedule Sync at all was an accomplishment in of itself. As mentioned earlier, I had to work by myself, and I genuinely thought I wasn't going to get even a decent end result. I'm glad I decided to keep going anyway.

What we learned

Because my program relied on the Google Calendar API, I learned about how to work with Google APIs, which is a broadly useful skill.

What's next for Schedule Conflict Manager

My first idea is porting this to either a desktop or mobile app. This medium allows the program to constantly update, which is vital to ensure that everyone is notified about schedule conflicts. A web app could technically do the job, but a mobile app is generally more convenient to a family looking to setup there.