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_posts/2022-01-07-kalendar.md

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+---
+layout: single
+title:  "I Was About to Write a To-Do App for the Linux Desktop... and then I found Kalendar."
+date:   2022-01-08 22:45:00
+categories: [Software Development]
+tags: linux python qt6 qt desktop kde
+comments: true
+---
+
+![kalendar01](/assets/images/screenshots/kalendar01.png){:class="img-responsive" .align-center}
+
+2022 was a great year for my Python skills. I had some unique problems to solve in my day job that got me over the hump of learning the language, and finally I'm able to write comfortably without googling syntax every five minutes. Quickly my team's Github repo filled up with borderline-unnecessary one-off scripts to solve all sorts of niche problems in our environment. Due to the nature of being a system administrator at a SaaS-heavy company, most of these scripts deal with third-party APIs: moving data from "service a" to "service b", pulling information about "service c" and correlating it with "service d", etc. These types of scripts are fun to write because they have narrow scopes and easily achievable goals, and I find completing them to be immensely satisfying.
+
+Filled with confidence in my Python skills I set out to embark on my first GUI project - a desktop to-do application with CalDAV sync. I built a local-only terminal client, I bought a book and started learning PyQT, and I sat down today to write the first of a series of blog posts where I would document the project. I got to the part of the blog post where I confidently say that there are currently no Linux desktop apps with this functionality, and I thought "maybe I should Google this once more and confirm there's really nothing out there." Well, shit.
+
+## Enter Kalendar
+
+The last time I researched this space, there were no functional standalone to-do apps that support CalDAV sync. The closest I could find was Thunderbird, my beloved email client, which is far more complex than what I'm looking for. Kalendar didn't even pop up on my radar. Even today when I searched, I almost didn't find it. I ended up seeing it on the Nextcloud Tasks Github page in a list of compatible apps with sync. Within minutes, I had it installed and synced with my tasks in Nextcloud, and WOW, this thing is good. 
+
+It bills itself mainly as a new calendar app, but my task lists feel right at home here. The task view is designed almost exactly as I envisioned for my own app, toggleable lists on the left and tasks on the right. Type on the bottom and hit enter to quickly create a new task and it quickly syncs up to Nextcloud. I hate how good this is.
+
+## What now?
+
+I've lost all motivation to write my own app, but I still want to learn GUI development! I've got my remedial Python skills and my QT6 book ready to go! If this was ten years ago, there would probably be lots of voids to fill in the Linux desktop app space, but as it stands today there are very few missing pieces. 
+
+Does anyone have any desktop app ideas? Something missing from their day-to-day workflow? Are any projects you know of using PyQT that I could contribute to? Please let me know in the comments or send me a message!
+