Data sources

• Any SQL database.
  • Multiple date fields per record supported.
• An LDAP server
• Birthday reminder files (.bdf)

Output formats

• ASCII table
• HTML
• Email (text + HTML parts)
• iCalendar

Command line

After configuration, you can test and use bdrem via command line:

$ bdrem
-----------------------------------------------------------
Days  Age  Name                  Event      Date        Day
-----------------------------------------------------------
   0   32  Foo Bar               Birthday   20.03.1982  Do
   1   33  Andrea Milestone      Birthday   21.03.1981  Fr
   7   32  Hugh Success          Birthday   27.03.1982  Do
  12       Welt                  Scherztag  01.04.????  Di

Usage:
  ./bin/bdrem.php [options]
  ./bin/bdrem.php [options] <command> [options]

Options:
  -n NUM, --next=NUM                Show NUM days after date
  -p NUM, --prev=NUM                Show NUM days before date
  -r renderer, --renderer=renderer  Output mode
  --list-renderer                   lists valid choices for option renderer
  -e, --stoponempty                 Output nothing when list is empty
  -d date, --date=date              Date to show events for
  -c FILE, --config=FILE            Path to configuration file
  -h, --help                        show this help message and exit
  -v, --version                     show the program version and exit

Commands:
  readme  Show README.rst file
  config  Extract configuration file

E-Mail

To send birthday reminder e-mails, use the mail renderer:

$ bdrem --renderer=mail

If you only want an email if there is a birthday, use --stoponempty:

$ bdrem --renderer=mail --stoponempty

Make sure your config file contains $mail_from and $mail_to settings.

iCalendar

Exporting birthday events into an .ics file is easy:

$ bdrem --renderer=ical > birthdays.ics

It is possible to access the calendar via HTTP, too:

http://example.org/bdrem/?renderer=ical

You can subscribe to it in your calendar or email application. Integration has been tested with Thunderbird's Lightning and Claws Mail's vCalendar plugin.

HTML page

Simply point your web browser to the .phar file, or index.php. You will get a colorful HTML table:

Birthday file

If you have a .bdf file from birthday reminder or birthday reminder 3, you can use it with bdrem.

Configure your source as follows:

$source = array('Bdf', '/path/to/birthday.bdf');

LDAP server

bdrem can read birthdays and other events from persons in an LDAP server. It is known to work fine with evolutionPerson objects. Attributes birthDate and anniversary are read.

Configure it as follows:

$source = array(
    'Ldap',
    array(
        'host'   => 'ldap.example.org',
        'basedn' => 'ou=adressbuch,dc=example,dc=org',
        'binddn' => 'cn=FIXME,ou=users,dc=example,dc=org',
        'bindpw' => 'FIXME'
    )
);

SQL database

Events can be fetched from any SQL database supported by PHP's PDO extension - MySQL, SQLite, PostgreSQL and so on.

You may configure every little detail of your database:

$source = array(
    'Sql',
    array(
        'dsn' => 'mysql:dbname=bdrem;host=127.0.0.1',
        'user' => 'FIXME',
        'password' => 'FIXME',
        'table' => 'contacts',
        'fields' => array(
            'date' => array(
                //column name => event title
                'c_birthday' => 'Birthday'
            ),
            //column with name, or array with column names
            'name' => array('c_name'),
            //sprintf-compatible name formatting instruction
            'nameFormat' => '%s',
        )
    )
);

[default]
    date format = %Y-%m-%d

[global]
    # TDS protocol version
    tds version = 8.0
    client charset = UTF-8

dblib:host=192.168.1.1;dbname=Databasename