Using ICalendar (.ICS) files for Event Scheduling
Here is a very easy way to schedule events from within your application. This assumes you have a way to send emails with attachments. If you are dealing with a high volume situation, you may with to write the data to a table and have the database (or some other process) send them out.
The iCalendar format is designed to transmit calendar-based data and is meant “provide the definition of a common format for openly exchanging calendaring and scheduling information across the Internet”. It is supported by a number of products including Outlook, Lotus Notes, Google Calendar, Yahoo Calendar to name a few. See the article on Wikipedia for for additional information.
To schedule an event, create and send the following file:
BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 METHOD:REQUEST PRODID:-//MyCompany//MyGreatSoftware//EN BEGIN:VEVENT UID:12345 CLASS:PUBLIC DTSTAMP:20110624T145010 DTSTART:20110628T090000 DTEND:20110628T110000 SUMMARY:Follow Up with Big Customer LOCATION:Office ORGANIZER:CN="Smith, Agent" mailto:agent.smith@email.com PRIORITY:5 SEQUENCE:0 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR
In order to update or cancel a previously entered item you must know the UID and change the SEQUENCE segment. For a cancel, you change the METHOD from REQUEST to CANCEL.
Update previously sent event.
BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 METHOD:REQUEST PRODID:-//MyCompany//MyGreatSoftware//EN BEGIN:VEVENT UID:12345 CLASS:PUBLIC DTSTAMP:20110624T145010 DTSTART:20110628T093000 DTEND:20110628T113000 SUMMARY:Change to Followup with Big Customer LOCATION:Office ORGANIZER:CN="Smith, Agent" mailto:agent.smith@email.com PRIORITY:5 SEQUENCE:1 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR
To Cancel an event.
BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 METHOD:CANCEL PRODID:-//MyCompany//MyGreatSoftware//EN BEGIN:VEVENT UID:12345 CLASS:PUBLIC DTSTAMP:20110624T145010 DTSTART:20110628T093000 DTEND:20110628T113000 SUMMARY:Cancel Follow up with Big Customer LOCATION:Office ORGANIZER:CN="Smith, Agent" mailto:agent.smith@email.com PRIORITY:5 SEQUENCE:1 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR
Note the Organizer doesn’t have to be a valid email address. Outlook allows you to look at appointments in .ics format which can give you some further insight into the process (how to set reminders and such). Note that not all applications will recognize all atributes of the .ics file.
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