Enhancing Event Management: Adding Date and Time Features in Open Source

As part of my Release 3 contribution to the Event Blend Frontend project, I focused on improving the event management functionality by addressing two important issues:

1. Feature/add event dates and times (#123)
2. Add start and end time in create event (#65)

These changes were pivotal in enhancing the user experience for event creation, ensuring better functionality and usability.

Overview of the Issues

The original system allowed users to add only start and end dates for events. There was no functionality to include start and end times, which limited the precision and practicality of event scheduling. Additionally, the backend supported datetime values, but the frontend did not utilize this feature effectively.

My contributions were focused on:

• Adding start time and end time inputs alongside the date inputs in the event creation form.
• Validating the input to ensure the end datetime is always later than the start datetime.
• Updating the data sent to the backend to include combined date and time values in ISO format.

Steps Taken to Solve the Issues

1. Frontend Form Enhancement

   • Updated the event creation form by adding fields for start time and end time.
   • Used the useSignal hook to capture and manage date and time values in real time.

2. Validation Logic

   • Implemented a client-side validation to ensure the end datetime is after the start datetime. If invalid, an alert prevents the form submission.

3. Data Formatting for Backend

   • Modified the data structure sent to the backend, combining date and time values into a single ISO format string.

4. User Interface Improvement

   • Enhanced the user interface with labels and placeholders to guide users on filling out the new fields effectively.

Challenges and Collaboration

One challenge was ensuring proper validation and formatting while maintaining a seamless user experience. Communication with the maintainer via Discord was essential to clarify implementation details and expectations. This direct line of communication was instrumental in quickly resolving uncertainties, particularly regarding data formatting requirements and UI design choices.

Results and Impact

These updates improved the event creation process by allowing users to define precise event timings. The new functionality aligns with modern user expectations and streamlines the scheduling process for organizers and participants.

For a more detailed overview of my work, you can view the related Pull Request here.