<page xmlns="http://projectmallard.org/1.0/" xmlns:its="http://www.w3.org/2005/11/its"
      type="topic" id="calendar-free-busy">

  <info>
    <desc>Using the Free/Busy view for setting up meetings.</desc>

    <link type="guide" xref="calendar-sharing-information" />

    <revision pkgversion="3.0.2" version="0.2" date="2011-07-31" status="final"/>
    <credit type="author">
      <name>Andre Klapper</name>
      <email>ak-47@gmx.net</email>
    </credit>
    <credit type="author">
      <name>Novell, Inc</name> <!-- Content partially from http://library.gnome.org/users/evolution/2.32/usage-calendar-apts.html.en and http://library.gnome.org/users/evolution/2.32/usage-calendar-apts.html.en#usage-calendar-freebusy -->
    </credit>
    <license>
      <p>Creative Commons Share Alike 3.0</p>
    </license>    

  </info>

<title>Free/Busy information</title>

<p>You can use the Free/Busy search for meetings to determine the availability of invitees.</p>

<!-- TODO: Recheck once https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=655494 is fixed -->

<p>In addition to the standard meeting scheduling tools, you can use the Free/Busy view to check whether people are available in advance. The Free/Busy feature is normally a function of dedicated groupware servers such as Microsoft Exchange and Novell GroupWise. However, you can also publish Free/Busy information online, and access Free/Busy information published elsewhere. If not everyone you collaborate with publishes Free/Busy data, you can still use <link xref="calendar-meetings-sending-invitation">meeting invitations</link> to coordinate schedules with other people.</p>

<p>To access the free/busy view:</p>
<steps>
<item><p>Click <guiseq><gui>File</gui><gui>New</gui><gui>Meeting</gui></guiseq>.</p></item>
<item><p>Click <gui style="button">Add</gui> to add the email addresses of people you want to invite.</p></item>
<item><p>Click the <gui>Free/Busy</gui> button on the toolbar, or click <guiseq><gui>Options</gui><gui>Free/Busy</gui></guiseq>.</p></item>
<item><p>Adjust the meeting time, either by dragging the meeting borders or by using the <gui>Autopick</gui> buttons to choose a time automatically, then click <gui style="button">Close</gui>. Attendees on an Exchange server have the appointment updated automatically; others receive email notification of any change in plans.</p></item>
</steps>

<list>
<item><p>Attendee List:</p><p>The Attendee List shows the people who have been invited to the appointment.</p></item>
<item><p>Schedule Grid:</p><p>The Schedule Grid shows the published Free/Busy information for the people you have invited. This is where you compare schedules to find free time to schedule the appointment. Individuals have visible scheduling information only if they use the same Novell GroupWise or Microsoft Exchange server you do (that is, if they are in the same organization as you), or if they publish free/busy information at a URL you can reach and you have entered that URL into their contact cards using the contact editor.</p></item>
</list>

<p>You can publish Calendar and Free/Busy information to a WebDAV server, FTP server, a remote machine through SSH or to any other web server with HTTP PUT support.</p>

<section id="no-groupware">
<title>Accessing Free/Busy Data Without a Groupware Server</title>

<p>If individuals give you a URL for Free/Busy data or for their web calendar, you can add the URL under <guiseq><gui>Personal Information</gui><gui>Web Addresses</gui></guiseq> in the <link xref="contacts-usage-edit-contact">Contact Editor</link>. Then, when you schedule a meeting with them, Evolution looks up the schedule and displays it in the Free/Busy data.</p>
</section>

</page>
