J
J Wray
On our PC and MAC network a meeting request from a mac user using iCal is not
compatible with a PC user with Outlook 2003, even though both programs claim
to be using the standard RFC 2445 (http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2445.txt) for
iCal (.ics) support.
I've been looking at the code generated by iCal on the Mac and trying to see
where outlook breaks. Here is the Outlook error:
"This error can appear if you have attempted to save a recurring Lunar
appointment in iCalendar format.
To avoid this error, set the appointment option to Gregorian instead of
Lunar."
What I've discovered from modifying the .ics (iCal) code and attempting to
view it on PC is that the VTIMEZONE breaks things. Outlook on PC seems to
only include a VTIMEZONE definition IF there is an RRULE present. RRULE is a
"repeat rule" that is set in the "reccurance" section of a meeting setup.
However, according to the RFC 2445 spec. it can be included when there is not
an RRULE present. iCal includes the VTIMEZONE in their meeting requests by
default.
here is the iCal code:
BEGIN:VCALENDAR
METHOD:REQUEST
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
PRODID:-//Apple Computer\, Inc//iCal 1.5//EN
VERSION:2.0
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
LAST-MODIFIED:20050128T210116Z
BEGIN:STANDARD
DTSTART:20041031T060000
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZNAME:EST
END:STANDARD
BEGIN
AYLIGHT
DTSTART:20050403T010000
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZNAME:EDT
ENDAYLIGHT
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DURATIONT1H
ATTENDEE;CN="Testor":mailto:[email protected]
DTSTAMP:20050128T210114Z
UID:985A66F0-716F-11D9-9CFE-000A95E9864C
SEQUENCE:2
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20050207T170000
SUMMARY: Meeting Test
DESCRIPTION: To Debug
ORGANIZER;CN="JOHN M. Sencion":mailto:[email protected]
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR
If you add one line of code (in BEGIN: STANDARD) outlook PC understands the
request:
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1;BYDAY=-1SU;BYMONTH=10
I assert that Outlook is not following the RFC 2445 Specification
guidelines. Can anyone confirm or deny this claim? Everything in the code
generated by iCal on Mac seems to follow the specification.
If this isn't the proper newsgroup to post this I'd appreciate suggestions
as to where I should be posting.
Thanks!
compatible with a PC user with Outlook 2003, even though both programs claim
to be using the standard RFC 2445 (http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2445.txt) for
iCal (.ics) support.
I've been looking at the code generated by iCal on the Mac and trying to see
where outlook breaks. Here is the Outlook error:
"This error can appear if you have attempted to save a recurring Lunar
appointment in iCalendar format.
To avoid this error, set the appointment option to Gregorian instead of
Lunar."
What I've discovered from modifying the .ics (iCal) code and attempting to
view it on PC is that the VTIMEZONE breaks things. Outlook on PC seems to
only include a VTIMEZONE definition IF there is an RRULE present. RRULE is a
"repeat rule" that is set in the "reccurance" section of a meeting setup.
However, according to the RFC 2445 spec. it can be included when there is not
an RRULE present. iCal includes the VTIMEZONE in their meeting requests by
default.
here is the iCal code:
BEGIN:VCALENDAR
METHOD:REQUEST
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
PRODID:-//Apple Computer\, Inc//iCal 1.5//EN
VERSION:2.0
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
LAST-MODIFIED:20050128T210116Z
BEGIN:STANDARD
DTSTART:20041031T060000
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZNAME:EST
END:STANDARD
BEGIN
AYLIGHTDTSTART:20050403T010000
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZNAME:EDT
END
AYLIGHTEND:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DURATION
T1HATTENDEE;CN="Testor":mailto:[email protected]
DTSTAMP:20050128T210114Z
UID:985A66F0-716F-11D9-9CFE-000A95E9864C
SEQUENCE:2
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20050207T170000
SUMMARY: Meeting Test
DESCRIPTION: To Debug
ORGANIZER;CN="JOHN M. Sencion":mailto:[email protected]
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR
If you add one line of code (in BEGIN: STANDARD) outlook PC understands the
request:
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1;BYDAY=-1SU;BYMONTH=10
I assert that Outlook is not following the RFC 2445 Specification
guidelines. Can anyone confirm or deny this claim? Everything in the code
generated by iCal on Mac seems to follow the specification.
If this isn't the proper newsgroup to post this I'd appreciate suggestions
as to where I should be posting.
Thanks!