274095 - Allow entering duration instead of specific end time

Status: NEW

(Calendar :: General, enhancement)

Description

[Jason Pratt]

User-Agent:       Opera/7.54 (Windows NT 5.1; U)  [en]
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8a5) Gecko/20041112 Mozilla Sunbird/0.2b

When entering an event, it is often easier to think about how long the event 
will last, rather than the specific time that it's over.  From a usability 
standpoint, there is significant cognitive effort involved in doing the addition 
in your head, especially when the interface uses a 24-hour format.

It would be nice if the interface mapped well to this use pattern.  In Outlook, 
this is accomplished by having the end-time be a straightforward combo box that 
lists the end time, with the duration to the right in parentheses.  One option 
would be to have a preference that allowed this interface instead of the more 
complicated interface in place now.

Another option would be to simply add another combo box to the right of the End 
time combo box, which just held duration information.  Whenever either the End 
time combo box or the duration combo box was changed, the other would update to 
reflect the change.


Reproducible: Always
Steps to Reproduce:
1. Click New Event button
2. Try to enter an end time without getting confused

Actual Results:  
I got confused and wished I could just specify the duration of the event.


Expected Results:  
Should have offered me a way to specify the duration of the event.

Comment 1

[Matthew (lilmatt) Willis]

Reassigning all automatically assigned bugs from Mostafa to nobody@m.o

Bugspam filter: TorontoMostafaMove

Comment 2

[Fabi]

This would really be a great feature! No one else interested??

Comment 3

[Tony Mechelynck [:tonymec]]

(In reply to comment #2)
> This would really be a great feature! No one else interested??

I'm interested but I won't make an issue of it -- I'm good enough at mental arithmetic for my Sunbird needs.

Comment 4

[[e-mail]]

This is EXACTLY the feature that I need as well.  For instance, I have a recurring task that runs for 42 days.  I can't for the life of me figure out 42 days forward.  I have to count every day on the calendar up to 42 then pick that date as the end date.

Comment 5

[Philipp Kewisch [:Fallen] [:📆][:🧩]]

Maybe we can integrate this into the end date picker somehow. For tasks, see also bug 512426.