Did you know iCal could do this?

2008-10-22 09:42 AM Category General Mac | Beginner | Intermediate | iCal | Mac OS X 10.5, Leopard

There has been a search function in iCal since it was released. It works by typing in a few letters that are in the title of the event into the search area at the top of the iCal window. You will then see a list of events with those letters in their title at the bottom of the window.

But, how can you make a list of events from one or more calendars?

First you need to select the specific calendar (or multiple calendars) by selecting them. You can show or hide calendars events by checking or unchecking the box by the calendar’s name.

Now, if you want a list of events, how do you get that?

You simply type a period in the search box! Then any calendars that are checked in the list of calendars will be shown in a list form at the bottom of the calendar.

Now that you have a list, you can sort them by calendar, date, type or title by clicking the desired column header in the list view.

You can also do multiple sorts. For example, if you wanted the events to be in date order, sorted by calendar, you would first do a sort by date, then click the calendar header to apply the next sort.

iCal calendar with notations

The calendar list view has a hidden talent! You can select multiple events by clicking on their row in the list.

If you want to select a group of events that appear next to each other, select the first event, then hold down the Shift key and click the last event you want to choose. Now all the items between your two clicks will be selected.

Selecting multiple contiguous events in iCal

If you want to select multiple events that are not contiguous (in a row), select the first event, hold the Command key and select more events. By using the Command key, you can skip around in the list.

Select multiple events in iCal

When you have selected the desired events, you can copy them using Command-C or by going to the menu Edit > Copy. Then you can paste them into another document such as this list of events that I copied into TextEdit (you could also use Word or iWork). You would use Command-V or go to the menu Edit-Paste to have them appear.

Notice that any notes that have been added to the event also show up when you copy the calendar.

List of iCal events in a word processor

I am finding lots of uses for these hidden iCal talents!

If you would like to learn even more about iCal or other programs on your computer or iPhone, why not schedule a tutoring session with us at Bob LeVitus Consulting? Sessions last one hour. They cost $60.00. Give us a call at 408 627-7577 or send an email to urgentrequest@boblevitus.com.