Today I focused on refining the shift calendar integration to ensure full functionality migration from our Google Apps Script implementation to the new PHP/Laravel backend. The calendar component is particularly critical since it’s the primary interface managers use for scheduling.
I started by thoroughly analyzing the existing calendar implementation, which relied heavily on Google’s client library for displaying and manipulating events. The challenge was to replicate this functionality using our new backend while maintaining all the interactive features users have come to expect. I identified several key components that needed migration: event rendering, drag-and-drop rescheduling, click-to-edit functionality, and filter controls.
For the basic calendar structure, I decided to continue using FullCalendar on the frontend but completely rewrote how it receives and sends data. I created dedicated API endpoints in Laravel that format shift data specifically for FullCalendar consumption, including proper handling of recurring shifts and special display attributes. This required implementing custom serializers that transform our database models into the exact structure FullCalendar expects.
A significant portion of the day went into implementing event source adapters that connect our Laravel backend to the calendar display. I created a ShiftEventSource service that efficiently retrieves and formats shifts based on the current view’s date range, applying appropriate filters for departments, employees, and shift types. This service includes caching mechanisms to improve performance when users switch between views without changing the underlying data.
I also began rewriting the event manipulation handlers that enable managers to modify shifts directly from the calendar interface. The original implementation used Google Script functions triggered by calendar interactions; I replaced these with AJAX calls to our RESTful Laravel API. The new approach actually improves responsiveness since updates no longer need to go through Google’s Apps Script execution environment.
One particularly challenging aspect was maintaining state consistency between the calendar display and our backend. In the original implementation, certain operations would occasionally get out of sync, requiring manual refreshes. I implemented a more robust approach using event listeners that automatically refresh affected portions of the calendar when changes occur on the server side, ensuring what users see always reflects the current state in the database.
By the end of the day, I had completed the basic calendar rendering functionality and started work on the interactive features. The calendar now correctly displays shifts from our new database with proper color-coding and formatting, though some of the more advanced interaction capabilities still need to be migrated. Tomorrow I’ll focus on completing the drag-and-drop rescheduling and edit functionality to fully match our original implementation.