Method, apparatus and computer program product for providing a channel calendar in a group-based communication system

A computer-implemented method for rendering a calendar object in a user interface in a first client application associated with a group-based communication system, said group-based communication system supporting a plurality of members and comprising:

• a plurality of group-based communication system interfaces and a plurality of group-based communication channels accessible via each of the plurality of group-based communication system interfaces,
• said method comprising:
• generating a channel calendar identifier associated with a group-based communication channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels in the group-based communication system;
• receiving a calendar sharing request associated with the channel calendar identifier,
• wherein the calendar sharing request comprises a request to access the calendar object from the group-based communication channel, and
• wherein the calendar object comprises a calendar object metadata set;
• in response to receiving the calendar sharing request, retrieving the calendar object and the calendar object metadata set;
• causing rendering of the calendar object for display via the first client application associated with the group-based communication channel of a client device;
• automatically update the user interface of the first client application to display the calendar object in a channel calendar pane based at least in part on the calendar object metadata set of the calendar object;
• wherein the client device is associated with a pre-shared calendar object in the group-based communication system and, the pre-shared calendar object is associated with a pre-shared event object;
• generating a sharing link corresponding to the pre-shared event object;
• receiving, via the user interface of the first client application of the client device, an event sharing request associated with the sharing link;
• and
• causing rendering of the pre-shared event object for display via the user interface of the client device associated with the group-based communication channel;
• generating a calendar summary message comprising a summary of upcoming calendar objects;
• and
• causing rendering of the calendar summary message for display via the first client application associated with the group-based communication channel of the client device.

A computer program product for rendering a calendar object in a user interface of a first client application associated with a group-based communication system, said group-based communication system supporting a plurality of members and comprising:

• a plurality of group-based communication system interfaces and a plurality of group-based communication channels accessible via each of the plurality of group-based communication system interfaces, said computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising an executable portion configured to:
• programmatically generate, by the first client application associated with the group-based communication system, a channel calendar identifier associated with a group-based communication channel of the plurality of group-based communication channels in the group-based communication system;
• receive a calendar sharing request associated with the channel calendar identifier,
• wherein the calendar sharing request comprises a request to access the calendar object from the group-based communication channel, and
• wherein the calendar object comprises a calendar object metadata set;
• in response to receiving the calendar sharing request, retrieve the calendar object and the calendar object metadata set;
• cause rendering of the calendar object for display via the first client application associated with the group-based communication channel of a client device;
• automatically update the user interface of the first client application to display the calendar object in a channel calendar pane based at least in part on the calendar object metadata set of the calendar object;
• wherein the client device is associated with a pre-shared calendar object in the group-based communication system and wherein the pre-shared calendar object is associated with a pre-shared event object;
• generate a sharing link corresponding to the pre-shared event object;
• receive, via the user interface of the client device, an event sharing request associated with the sharing link;
• and
• cause rendering of the pre-shared event object for display via the user interface of the client device associated with the group-based communication channel;
• generate a calendar summary message comprising a summary of upcoming calendar objects;
• and
• cause rendering of the calendar summary message for display via the first client application associated with the group-based communication channel of the client device.