Calendar Module : errormsg 'A folder with name 'X' already exists'

[Verbunk]

Hi Guys,

When I try to create a new calender I get an error message that states it already exists, 'A folder with name 'X' already exists'. It only happens when trying to create a calender with one certain name but I can't see it listed in the list of available calender's and it isn't an option when I can assign an appointment to a calender.

Any tips on how I can make it visible or otherwise find out what's wrong?


-J

Update: Ok, make that two names I can't use.

[dkarp]

There's one folder namespace, and all your mail folders and address book and calendars all live in it. So if there's a "work" mail folder, you can't create a "work" address book or a "work" calendar".

We don't show you all existing folders from every application because, in general, people don't want to see their addressbooks in the calendar app.

[Verbunk]

Well, you are right. My calender inside the address book module would be inconvenient. But it seems kind of limiting not to have the ability to make the names like that. I mean, I have work people in my address book and I have work tasks I need to remember in my calender.

For the meantime I have changed the spelling of the two conflicting names (actually school and skool, which is kinda ironic), is this something that would make a good wishlist item, or is it pretty deeply ingrained into Zimbra...

-J

[mangantyr]

This behavior is surely bad enough for individual usage, but in a corporate environment this "inconvenience" multiplies quickly and becomes a real user irritant and tech support nightmare.

For example, instead of having a calendar, stored search, and notebook each named by a client, say "Acme", you instead end up with "Acme mail", "Acme calendar", and so on. Repeat twenty times, and it gets really ugly, not to mention silly-looking. Add to the fact that the fixed width of the left column quickly makes legibility an issue. Ugh.

From an system design point of view, I must admit I'm getting a slightly queasy feeling from imagining that a user generated label is being used as a unique identifier within the system itself (the horror), or are you just enforcing uniqueness for our convenience? If so, please don't. This is a classic situation where I'd rather have more freedom to do the "wrong" thing, like naming two folders the same (it's not a file system after all), than having the "comfort" of being prevented of doing something potentially confusing.

Thoughts?

I'll go and vote and/or file a bug for this now...

m.

[Verbunk]

Yep, what he said.

Maybe a prefix like mail_ and addr_ etc on all that stuff but isn't shown during rendering?

[schemers]

Please file an RFE/bug on this if there isn't one and vote on it. I've been complaining about this internally for the longest time.

We really should let you pick where you want the new container placed, which would then let you have multiple objects with the "same" name.

[bjared]

I have a similar problem, except this is where the folder does exists, doesn't let you create one with that name, and is associated with e-mails when you perform a search.

Basically, the run-down of my scenario is:

1. User says, "Hey, where's my Stoneridge folder?"
2. I tried to re-create it, and it says it already exists!
3. I look, and it's not there.
4. I try to add it, and it indeed claims to already exist.
5. I find this thread on how address books and calendars can affect this.
6. There are no address books nor calendars with that name.
7. I re-index the mailbox.
8. Still no folder displayed.
9. Do a search where content = 'stoneridge' and I get e-mail hits that claim they are inside the "Stoneridge" folder. ...
10. Commence scratching of the head.

Anyone have any ideas? Where does zimbra pull the e-mail folder list? The folder is obviously there, but no interface can display it.
The advanced search 'folder' tab doesn't show it (by the way, this user has so many folders that there is a "Show remaining folders" option which doesn't work, and checking the checkbox next to it results in an error)

Hmm, y'know...maybe this is coincidence, but the folder that is missing seems to be between "STI..." and "Stors...", and "STI..." is the last folder displayed until I click on that plus sign. I'm going to add another folder, to see if "STI..." disappears, and possibly shows the hidden folder....

Yup. (I had to log out and log back in) that is indeed what is happening. I now see "Stoneridge" and no longer the "STI..."

Anyway...how often do you get a problem + work-around in the same post?

EDIT: We're running ZCS NE 5.0.8

--Brian

[mmorse]

Bug 29205 - Show Remaining Folders misses a folder
Bug 29323 - "+ Show Remaining Folders" breaks when there are large subfolders

Temp solutions:
-Use lite client (not perfect of course)
-Add a fake folder alphabetically between the the last folder shown and the
folder that is not being shown.

Example:
AA
BB
+ Show remaining folders

Then add folder BC.

You'll get:
AA
BB
CC

Because BC is not shown.

For future reference/to display the users folder structure:
zmmailbox -z -m user@domain.com gaf

[bjared]

Sweet, I was going to search for those next. I didn't know about the zmmailbox command either. Nice tip.