Integrating a web-based app with Outlook

[Encierro Solutions]

My application (php / mysql / web-based) helps compliance managers with
assignments in their organization. The application has a task assignment
function that I'm trying to integrate with Outlook 2003 and 2007. I have
encountered multiple problems and have some questions:

1. When importing the .ics file into Outlook 2003, events with the same UID
don't update. If an event (VEVENT) has a UID of 456ABC and is scheduled to
begin at 12 noon, and the same event and UID is subsequently imported due to
a change to begin at 1PM, the original appointment remains.

2. What ICS command deletes a VEVENT. That is, once scheduled, how is it
deleted, inactivated, etc. from a command in a .ics file (versus, deleting
from within Outlook).

3. I can save the .ics file generated by the application to file, consisting
of multiple events, and successfully import it into Outlook 2003 ( I saw one
note saying that Outlook 2003 couldn't import multiple events, but it works
for me). But if I try to "open" the same file from the browser (IE7), it will
launch Outlook, and only find the first event. Subsequently, if I try to
"save to file" or "open" again, I get an Internet error. Is this a known
problem? Is there a fix?

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

I can answer part the third question but not the other two. Importing and
opening items are two different operations. Outlook 2003 can import a
multi-item .ics file only through the File | Import and Export command.
Opening the .ics file directly -- whether from a web page or the local hard
drive -- results in the behavior you're seeing; only the first item is
processed. That behavior in Outlook 2003 cannot be changed.

Details of Outlook's implementation of VEVENT are not documented, so you're
pretty much on your own trying to get #1 and #2 to work. The iCalendar
specification should have information on #2, but it may be that the best
you'll be able to do is mark an appointment as canceled. Creating updates and
cancellations within Outlook and looking at the iCalendar content might
provide some clues.