Problem:
Is it possible to pull through the event start and end dates as a dynamic source in a view from The Events Calendar plugin?
Solution:
We don't fully know how to display data of third party plugins using Toolset, out of the box, but in theory you can display ALL data in your install - not only Toolset data - as long it's native WordPress data type (post meta, taxonomy, post type, etc etc).
To proceed, it's necessary to determine where the start and end date information is stored and in what format it's saved. Ideally, this information should be stored as a post meta field in a timestamp date format.
Here's a straightforward way to check if Toolset Views can access the data you need:
- Create a View and select the "Events" post type.
- Add a "Query Filter" to your View.
- Examine the available options in the Query Filter to identify the specific name of the data you're looking for (in this case, the start and end date).
If you can find the data you need in the Query Filter options, it means that Views can read it. This also means the data is likely stored as either a taxonomy, post field, or native post data.
To determine the date format, especially if it's stored as a post field, you can use the wpv-post-field shortcode to display it and observe the value it produces. More details on this shortcode can be found here: https://toolset.com/documentation/programmer-reference/views/views-shortcodes/#vf-153444. You might need to temporarily enable the legacy Toolset Views for that. Please check this article to see how: https://toolset.com/course-lesson/enabling-legacy-version-of-toolset-views
Based on input from other users, it appears that The Events Calendar plugin stores the start and end dates in HIDDEN Custom Fields named _EventStartDate and _EventEndDate. Please note that Hidden Custom Fields are not visible in WordPress by default. You must make them visible first by going to Toolset > Settings > Front End Content > Hidden custom fields.
Once you've made them visible, you can find these fields in Views as query options or display them using the shortcode mentioned above.
Relevant Documentation:
For additional assistance, you may find these forum threads helpful:
https://toolset.com/forums/topic/need-help-displaying-content-based-on-the-event-start-date/
https://toolset.com/forums/topic/view-of-the-event-calendar-output/
https://toolset.com/forums/topic/using-the-events-calendar/
https://toolset.com/forums/topic/the-events-calendar-recurrring-events-view/
