Each item in the list of events on the events page has a unique id. That was formerly included an integer derived from the php loop that was generating the html. For example, the first list would have the id eventChrono0 and thus the URL http://web.uvic.ca/humanities/aboutus/events.php#eventChrono0.

Blair wanted to include a link in his emails to specific items in that list. The problem with the previous convention is that as time went by and events scrolled off the list, the sequential integer for a given event would change and the links in the email wouldn't work.

So, I wrote a little method that derives a number from the value for the link element in the XML of the UVic events calendar which looks like this example:
<link>http://events.uvic.ca/?view=day&cal=262&day=15&month=09&year=2010#event_heading_68885</link>
and render an id of the form eventChrono68885 and a URL of the form
http://web.uvic.ca/humanities/aboutus/events.php#eventChrono68885

As the ids from the events calendar are permanent, that addresses the main problem. I'm not sure if the numbers in the events calendar are unique, but it sure looks that way. Worst case scenario is that 2 events have the same id (page would fail to validate) and the link on one would go to the right page, but the wrong div. Other potential problem is if the Events calendar changes the format for the content of its link element.