cl_gcalcli

SMACC2 client library for Google Calendar integration via gcalcli

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README

cl_gcalcli - SMACC2 Google Calendar Client

A SMACC2 client library for Google Calendar integration via the gcalcli CLI tool. This client enables state machines to react to Google Calendar events.

Prerequisites

• gcalcli installed and authenticated (pip install gcalcli)

• Google Calendar API credentials configured

• ROS2 and SMACC2 installed

Architecture

ClGcalcli (Orchestrator)
    ├── CpSubprocessExecutor (smacc2 core - generic subprocess execution)
    ├── CpGcalcliConnection (connection health monitoring)
    ├── CpCalendarPoller (agenda polling + TSV parsing)
    └── CpCalendarEventListener (pattern matching + event dispatch)

Components

Component	Purpose
CpSubprocessExecutor	Generic subprocess execution (smacc2 core)
CpGcalcliConnection	Connection health monitoring, heartbeat, authentication
CpCalendarPoller	Periodic agenda fetching and parsing
CpCalendarEventListener	Event pattern matching and triggering

Client Behaviors

Behavior	Type	Purpose
CbDetectCalendarEvent	Async	Wait until matching event’s start time arrives
CbStatus	Sync	Get connection state and current events
CbWaitConnection	Async	Wait for gcalcli connection with timeout
CbMonitorConnection	Sync	Continuous connection monitoring
CbQuickAdd	Async	Add event via gcalcli quick
CbRefreshAgenda	Sync	Force immediate agenda refresh

CbDetectCalendarEvent Parameters

configure_orthogonal<OrCalendar, CbDetectCalendarEvent>("TestEvent", false, 5);
//                                                       pattern    regex  minutes_before

The minutes_before parameter controls when the behavior triggers relative to the event’s start time. The value 5 means “trigger 5 minutes before the event’s start time.”

This is intentional - it allows the robot/system to prepare before a meeting actually starts. You can change it:

• 0 = trigger exactly at start time

• 5 = trigger 5 minutes early

• 10 = trigger 10 minutes early

If you want to trigger at the actual start time, change it to:

configure_orthogonal<OrCalendar, CbDetectCalendarEvent>("TestEvent", false, 0);

Events

// Connection events
EvConnectionLost<TSource, TOrthogonal>
EvConnectionRestored<TSource, TOrthogonal>
EvAuthenticationRequired<TSource, TOrthogonal>

// Calendar events
EvCalendarEventDetected<TSource, TOrthogonal>  // Contains: event, matched_pattern
EvCalendarEventStarted<TSource, TOrthogonal>   // Contains: event
EvCalendarEventEnded<TSource, TOrthogonal>     // Contains: event
EvAgendaUpdated<TSource, TOrthogonal>          // Contains: events vector

Usage Example

Orthogonal Setup

#include <cl_gcalcli/cl_gcalcli.hpp>
#include <cl_gcalcli/client_behaviors.hpp>

class OrCalendar : public smacc2::Orthogonal<OrCalendar>
{
  void onInitialize() override
  {
    cl_gcalcli::GcalcliConfig config;
    config.gcalcli_path = "gcalcli";  // from PATH
    config.poll_interval = std::chrono::seconds{30};
    config.heartbeat_interval = std::chrono::seconds{60};
    config.agenda_days = 7;

    this->createClient<cl_gcalcli::ClGcalcli>(config);
  }
};

State Machine Example

#include <cl_gcalcli/cl_gcalcli.hpp>
#include <cl_gcalcli/client_behaviors.hpp>
#include <cl_gcalcli/events.hpp>

using namespace cl_gcalcli;

// Wait for connection state
struct StWaitConnection : smacc2::SmaccState<StWaitConnection, SmMain>
{
  using reactions = mpl::list<
    Transition<EvCbSuccess<CbWaitConnection, OrCalendar>, StWaitForMeeting>,
    Transition<EvCbFailure<CbWaitConnection, OrCalendar>, StConnectionError>
  >;

  static void staticConfigure()
  {
    configure<OrCalendar, CbWaitConnection>(std::chrono::seconds{30});
  }
};

// Wait for meeting to start
struct StWaitForMeeting : smacc2::SmaccState<StWaitForMeeting, SmMain>
{
  using reactions = mpl::list<
    // Transition when "Standup" event START TIME arrives (5 min before)
    Transition<EvCbSuccess<CbDetectCalendarEvent, OrCalendar>, StMeetingStarted>,
    // Handle connection loss
    Transition<EvConnectionLost<CpGcalcliConnection, OrCalendar>, StConnectionError>
  >;

  static void staticConfigure()
  {
    // Wait for "Standup" (regex), trigger 5 minutes before start time
    configure<OrCalendar, CbDetectCalendarEvent>(".*Standup.*", /*regex=*/true, /*minutes_before=*/5);
    // Monitor connection health
    configure<OrCalendar, CbMonitorConnection>();
  }
};

// Meeting started state
struct StMeetingStarted : smacc2::SmaccState<StMeetingStarted, SmMain>
{
  static void staticConfigure()
  {
    configure<OrCalendar, CbStatus>();
  }

  void onEntry()
  {
    // Access detected event from behavior
    CbDetectCalendarEvent* behavior;
    this->getOrthogonal<OrCalendar>()->getClientBehavior(behavior);
    if (behavior)
    {
      auto event = behavior->getDetectedEvent();
      if (event)
      {
        RCLCPP_INFO(getLogger(), "Meeting: %s", event->title.c_str());
      }
    }
  }
};

Quick Add Example

struct StAddEvent : smacc2::SmaccState<StAddEvent, SmMain>
{
  using reactions = mpl::list<
    Transition<EvCbSuccess<CbQuickAdd, OrCalendar>, StDone>,
    Transition<EvCbFailure<CbQuickAdd, OrCalendar>, StError>
  >;

  static void staticConfigure()
  {
    configure<OrCalendar, CbQuickAdd>("Team meeting tomorrow at 3pm for 1 hour");
  }
};

Configuration

Parameter	Default	Description
gcalcli_path	"gcalcli"	Path to gcalcli executable
config_folder	std::nullopt	Optional gcalcli config folder
calendars	{}	Calendars to monitor (empty = all)
poll_interval	30s	How often to poll agenda
heartbeat_interval	60s	How often to check connection
agenda_days	7	Days ahead to fetch
max_consecutive_failures	3	Failures before connection lost

Data Structures

CalendarEvent

struct CalendarEvent {
  std::string id;
  std::string title;
  std::string calendar_name;
  std::string location;
  std::string description;
  std::chrono::system_clock::time_point start_time;
  std::chrono::system_clock::time_point end_time;
  bool is_all_day;

  bool isActiveNow() const;
  bool willStartWithinMinutes(int minutes) const;
  bool hasEnded() const;
  int minutesUntilStart() const;
};

EventWatch

struct EventWatch {
  std::string pattern;       // Pattern to match event titles
  bool use_regex = false;    // True = regex, False = substring match
  int minutes_before = 0;    // Trigger N minutes before start
  bool trigger_on_start = true;
  bool trigger_on_end = false;
  bool continuous = false;   // Keep watching or one-shot
};

Dependencies

• smacc2

• Boost (thread, regex)

• gcalcli (external CLI tool)

Getting Started

Step 1: Install gcalcli

# Option A: Using apt (Debian/Ubuntu)
sudo apt install gcalcli

# Option B: Using pipx (recommended for latest version)
pipx install gcalcli

Step 2: Set Up Google Calendar API Credentials

The default gcalcli OAuth token is restricted. You need to create your own Google API credentials:

2.1 Create a Google Cloud Project

1. Go to https://console.cloud.google.com/

2. Click “Select a project” → “New Project”

3. Name it something like gcalcli-personal

4. Click Create

2.2 Enable the Calendar API

1. Go to APIs & Services → Library

2. Search for “Google Calendar API”

3. Click on it and click Enable

2.3 Configure OAuth Consent Screen

1. Go to APIs & Services → OAuth consent screen

2. Select External → Create

3. Fill in:

   • App name: gcalcli

   • User support email: your email

   • Developer contact: your email

4. Click Save and Continue

5. On Scopes page, click Add or Remove Scopes

6. Add: https://www.googleapis.com/auth/calendar

7. Click Save and Continue

8. Add your email as a test user

9. Click Save and Continue

2.4 Create OAuth Credentials

1. Go to APIs & Services → Credentials

2. Click Create Credentials → OAuth client ID

3. Application type: Desktop app

4. Name: gcalcli

5. Click Create

6. Copy the Client ID and Client Secret

Step 3: Initialize gcalcli

gcalcli --client-id=YOUR_CLIENT_ID.apps.googleusercontent.com init

When prompted, enter your Client Secret. A browser window will open for OAuth authentication.

Step 4: Verify Installation

# List your calendars
gcalcli list

# View upcoming events
gcalcli agenda

Troubleshooting

OAuth Redirect Failed

If you see “Unable to start local webserver on port 8080”, old gcalcli processes may be blocking the port:

# Kill any stuck gcalcli processes
pkill -f gcalcli

# Try again
gcalcli --client-id=YOUR_CLIENT_ID.apps.googleusercontent.com init

Creating a Dedicated Robot Calendar

For testing or robot-specific events, create a separate calendar:

1. Go to https://calendar.google.com/

2. Click the + next to “Other calendars”

3. Select “Create new calendar”

4. Name it (e.g., “Robot”)

5. Click Create calendar

Then configure cl_gcalcli to use it:

cl_gcalcli::GcalcliConfig config;
config.calendars = {"Robot"};  // Only monitor this calendar
this->createClient<cl_gcalcli::ClGcalcli>(config);

Testing Event Detection

Create a test event and verify detection:

# Create an event 10 minutes from now
gcalcli --calendar="Robot" quick "TestEvent at 2:30pm today for 15 minutes"

# Verify it appears
gcalcli --calendar="Robot" agenda

Reference

• gcalcli GitHub

• gcalcli API Auth Documentation