Lunar Calendar

[Mark]

Those of us in the Middle East use a completly different calendar to the Georgian calendar already interigated into IPB.



I think the option to use different calendars (the 2 main ones are Georgian and Lunar, there is also a 3rd which is used quite a lot, but I can't remember the name) would put IPB well above the rest.



I wouldn't expect this for 2.2 (though that would be great!) but maybe for 3.0?

[FCB-Mo]

The luner calender is so inconsistant, no one can agree when a month begins and ends

[Mark]

But it is used throughout most of the world.

[FCB-Mo]

but it is inconsistant so you cant have it on the forum because it would be impossible for the forum to tell when one month has finished and another one begins unlike the more normal calender used in which each month (bar 1 february every 4 months) is the same year after year

[Mark]

Not true. It would be possible for IPS to store a lunar calendar somewhere that they update yearly. The software then checks that calendar (yearly)

[Quillz]

Most of the world uses the lunar calendar? I didn't know that.

[bfarber]

It would be possible for IPS to store a lunar calendar somewhere that they update yearly

What, then, about people that do not renew support or purchase a new license?

[cricket]

doesn't have to be stored on the ipb server. Could be stored in the database or in a text file that the script parses.

[FCB-Mo]

Not true. It would be possible for IPS to store a lunar calendar somewhere that they update yearly. The software then checks that calendar (yearly)

Doesnt make a difference, the fact no one knows when each month ends and begins means that IPS will basicly have to release a new calender file every month and even then, half the arab world will still argue that the calender is either a day out or too early

[Mark]

Most of the world uses the lunar calendar? I didn't know that.

Well, I am a Professor ;) It is myu job to teach ;)

What, then, about people that do not renew support or purchase a new license?

I was thinking along the lines of they get it anyway. Like the file is stored at http://invisionpower.com/calender and the IPB script simply updates it's calendar every month to correspond with that.
Your the intelligent coder, Brandon, I am just the guy with ideas, I am sure you'll find a way.

doesn't have to be stored on the ipb server. Could be stored in the database or in a text file that the script parses.

^ That sounds like a good idea ^

Doesnt make a difference, the fact no one knows when each month ends and begins means that IPS will basicly have to release a new calender file every month and even then, half the arab world will still argue that the calender is either a day out or too early

is a lunar calendar for this year for sale, is an online one for download. [*]If it really bothers you, then maybe we could have a place to import our own calendar format

[*]You're really not helping this discussion [*]It's not only arabs who use the calendar, most of the world [*]The months start and end based on the moon. [*]You can know, actually. Here here

[FCB-Mo]

It's not only arabs who use the calendar, most of the world

lol, sure they do, thats why most things in this world use the traditional 12 month calender which is consistant because the year is always the same. Have u ever seen a plan ticket use the dates of the lunar calender? Ever seen some form of media (TV or radio) using the lunar calender and not the normal calender? Ever come accross any big organisations which use the lunar calender?

You can know, actually. Here is a lunar calendar for this year for sale, here is an online one for download.

Now give that to most people and they will start saying that those calenders are a day out or a day forward and would probably not use that calender

The months start and end based on the moon.

Yet no one can ever agree if a full moon is actually a full moon

[Mark]

lol, sure they do,

The world doesn't revolve around you and your culture, you know.

Have u ever seen a plan ticket use the dates of the lunar calender?

Have you every spelt the word "plane" correctly?

Ever seen some form of media (TV or radio) using the lunar calender and not the normal calender?

Any TV news show in the eastern world....

Ever come accross any big organisations which use the lunar calender?

FWBO

Now give that to most people and they will start saying that those calenders are a day out or a day forward and would probably not use that calender

That's why they're both the same then?

Yet no one can ever agree if a full moon is actually a full moon

/me picks up the Gregorian calendar in his study. He notices that it shows the full moon.
/me goes in to the kitchen. Looks at that calendar, notices that it shows the full moon in the same location.
(April 13th)
/me looks through the months. Notices the quater, full and new moons matching on every page.
/me thinks he has prooved a point and stops at October.

[FCB-Mo]

The world doesn't revolve around you and your culture, you know.

No it doesnt. FYI, im arabic so the lunar calender is in my culture but i find it stupid never the less

Anyway, whatever, i doubt this will be added to IPB

[Mark]

Well I am in the UK, however am having lots of Asians (mainly my friends in Thailand) complaining that they can't understand the calendar. It wouldn't take a lot (I count 3 files relating to the calendar - and one is a task and another is a portal plug-in) to design a new calendar with a selection, or that we can import.

[elj]

I don't see the point, to be honest.

[bfarber]

There is public calendar.php, admin calendars.php, lib func_boardstats.php, portal plugin task...

And if you haven't noticed, the public calendar.php file is one of the largest public source files - close to usercp.php

The calendar is much more difficult to manage than you'd think just mapping it out in your head - and to find a way to manage two wouldn't be as easy as you make it seem. ;)

Also, it's important to note - 99% of any date or time functions in php are run through the date() function, which, as it happens, does not have any support for the Lunar calendar:

http://us3.php.net/manual/en/function.date.php

So every function to obtain weekdays or even when the full moon occurs, would need to be handrolled...

[Mark]

Well it is an idea for IPB3, and I am not expecting it to be done over-night.
With ACP lang files coming - surely IPS wantsit's products to be as internationally friendly as possible?

There is public calendar.php, admin calendars.php, lib func_boardstats.php, portal plugin task...

It was a quick count ;)

And if you haven't noticed, the public calendar.php file is one of the largest public source files - close to usercp.php

No I hadn't noticed, however, as everything is being redone in IPB3 anyway, surely you're going to overhaul the calender file too?

The calendar is much more difficult to manage than you'd think just mapping it out in your head

I assume it is, however as I said before, surely you're going to redo it anyway in 3?

and to find a way to manage two wouldn't be as easy as you make it seem.

Skin selector, language selector were both huge achievements, calendar selector?

Also, it's important to note - 99% of any date or time functions in php are run through the date() function, which, as it happens, does not have any support for the Lunar calendar:

Make them work like the other 1% then ;)

[j0e]

yes impliment a sun dial as well. my Roman friends are frustrated with this universal time nonsense!!!!

[Luke]

There really is no need to do this at all... Where it may be used by some countires, it definetly is not the majority. Thus, it would be not worth the time or effort.

However, someone could always create a component for you if you paid them :D

[elj]

I think you'd only be talking a very small percentage of IPS' target market, which wouldn't be worth a feature this size...

[altoyes]

is this relevent

13 moon calendar
http://www.13moon.com/nature's%20cal%20page.htm

cheers

[Strange_Will]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Calendar

Can't you just make each month 29.530589 days and carry over the remainder to the next month?

[Rοb]

+1

I think a chinese calendar incorporated into the software with animated rats, snakes, monkeys etc would be an awesome addition, maybe even add sound effects such as onMouseover="effect('eek-eek')" etc?

[Edit]"onMouseover" wasn't a pun. Make that clear.

[Tommeh.]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Calendar

Can't you just make each month 29.530589 days and carry over the remainder to the next month?

This is the sort of request that will have the developers banging their heads on their desks ;)

[Strange_Will]

This is the sort of request that will have the developers banging their heads on their desks ;)

I am a developer, now unless I don't understand the lunar calendar, it shouldn't be that hard, especially with IPB's system. Yeah I think it's a pain too, but I don't think the inaccuracy thing is really the problem.

Not to mention, you could probably work out a small algorithm that makes it so you don't even have to save the remainder either.