Calendar in iCal (.ics) subscription format?

[SharkD]

Since the calendar on the website is getting to be quite long (definitely not a complaint -- it's actually quite exciting to see so much going on) would it be possible for the chapter to provide an electronic calendar in the iCal format (.ics files)?

This way, users of Mozilla's calendar module, Apple's iCal and any other program that supports the open-standard format can subscribe to the calendar and have their calendars automagically update whenever the chapter's calendar changes.

(Heck, you could even use PHPiCalendar to format the events listing on the site, if that made life easier.)

[1996 328ti]

One big problem with the CMS I am using is the lack of a calendar or events section. I'm doing it in a roundabout way. I actually have to manually sort by date. They do scroll off based by date at least. I was also experimenting with a calendar http://www.nccbmwcca.org/index.php?id=28,376,0,0,1,0 but is not working the way I want. Plus there is no support. I have found a way to bring in html pages which is making a few things easier for me. Now that I can do that I should look into a new calendar program. A very, very, very small percentage use Apples. Last month was 90.4% Windows, 8.1% Mac and 1.4% other. I contribute much of that Mac percentage.

Tell me more about iCal.

[SharkD]

Steven,

I wouldn't overestimate how many of the MacOS hits stem from you alone -- I use Macs almost exclusively, as do a couple of the club members that I'm close friends with...

..Regardless, though the iCal format was standardized by Apple, it's fully supported by software on both major platforms (and *NIX).

Right now, the applications which support iCal (.ics/rfc2445) format calendars, include:

• Apple iCal
• Microsoft Outlook, Entourage
• Mozilla calendar project (Also available for Firefox and Thunderbird)
• Palm Desktop (PC)
• Lotus Notes
• Novell Netmail
• Sun Communigate Pro
• Sun JavaCal
• Horde Kronolith

PHPiCalendar (http://sourceforge.net/project/showf...70]sourceforge project downloads[/url]) can even parse the iCal files into an RSS feed. (Due to the phpBB bug, - the "new" PHPiCal site is "willingly offline until further notice," but the Sourceforge pages are still being updated and there is a relatively large userbase (including me and icalshare.com) that have been using the latest stable release for some time without any problems.)

Calendar Standards:
vCalendar — A standard that dates back to 1996, vCal is a basic electronic calendaring and scheduling exchange format. It was developed by the Versit Consortium, whose key members included Apple, AT&T, IBM and Siemens. VCal traditionally has been used in handheld devices and mobile phones.

iCalendar — iCal outlines a common format for the exchange of calendaring and scheduling information across the Internet. A product of the Internet Engineering Task Force, iCal was published as a standards track document in 1998. The IETF also published two companion protocols in 1998: iTIP, which specifies how calendaring systems use iCal objects to interoperate with other calendaring systems; and iMIP, which specifies a binding between iTIP and Internet e-mail transports. The iCal protocols offer basic calendaring interoperability such as sending, receiving and responding to meeting invites among users of different calendaring software. ICal has gained support across the messaging industry since it became available in Outlook 2002, which shipped last summer.

Calendar Access Protocol — A companion to iCal, CAP is the key missing link in calendaring interoperability across the Internet. The IETF has worked on CAP for several years, but has not yet finalized it. CAP lets a calendar user use a calendar user agent to access an iCAL-based calendar store. CAP offers advanced calendaring support, including the ability to query, create, modify and delete iCal events, and it specifies how to search for available free time. Authors of the CAP drafts include engineers from AOL/Netscape and Steltor.

[1996 328ti]

I was looking over at sourceforge. Couldn't get a handle on demos on some of them. I'll take another look.
BTW-I've been a Mac user since the Lisa.

From Feb 1-12
Operating Systems
Versions Hits Percent
WIN 186709 93.9 %
Windows XP 109135 54.9 %
Windows NT 284 0.1 %
Windows Me 1080 0.5 %
Windows 98 6623 3.3 %
Windows 95 54 0 %
Windows 2003 1675 0.8 %
Windows 2000 67858 34.1 %
MAC 8472 4.2 %
Mac OS X 7714 3.8 %
Mac OS 758 0.3 %
OTHERS 3503 1.7 %
Unknown 2842 1.4 %
Linux 661 0.3 %

[SharkD]

The PHPiCalendar function is essentially drag-n-drop: you simply place/post/publish your .ics files into a folder designated "Calendars" and it handles all the heavy lifting. (You can change the calendar directory via the config scripts.) It's read-only, and there haven't been any significant bugs found.

To see exactly what a it produces, go to http://www.icalshare.com/ and choose to preview a calendar. (They have their own stylesheets, but if you ignore their site-specific elements, you'll get the gist. If you really want to see an unadorned PHPiCalendar, PM me for a l/p for access to the calendars on my site.)

• Step-by-step (ad nauseum) on how to install for PHPicalendar: http://www.gregwestin.com/phpicalendar.php
• Much more streamlined step-by-step: http://www.afp548.com/articles/Jaguar/webcal.html (Step 3? There is no step 3.)

BTW, I'd wager that at least some of those "OTHERS" and generic "WIN" users are Macs that either don't report correctly, or are masquerading their browsers. (Even I use Safari's debug menu to masquerade as MSIE 6.0 from time to time.)

Oh, and I've Mac user since my Dad bought an SE/30 in 1987 (I was 8); Apple user since 1985 (IIe). (And oddly, despite being an ADC premier member for a few years, it has absolutely nothing to do with my chosen career.)

[1996 328ti]

Oh, and I've Mac user since my Dad bought an SE/30 in1987 (I was 8); Apple user since 1985 (IIe). (And oddly, despite beingan ADC premier member for a few years, it has absolutely nothing to do with my chosen career.)

My SE/30 cost me $3200.

[1996 328ti]

Calendars have been removed. I have another idea.

[AlfaEric]

... I have another idea.

I always get worried when I hear that...

---Eric

[1996 328ti]

You are not the only one.
Whenever I call the National office I often tell them that too.
And they are often worried as well.

[AlfaEric]

Steven,
There is an extra "/" on the main page URL when you click on the Sept. 24th Autox event. The next time you are updating the calendar could you fix it?

Thanks,

---Eric

[1996 328ti]

Steven,
There is an extra "/" on the main page URL when you click on the Sept. 24th Autox event. The next time you are updating the calendar could you fix it?

Thanks,

---Eric

Fixed. Thanks.