Generating an iCalendar .ics file using ColdFusion

It's in the queue for cflib.org inclusion. The last function I submitted took so long I had to ping Ray to finally get it posted. Might need to do that again, but I just submitted to that site last week on 4/10.

Awesome post. Thanks Troy. This will be useful.

I just checked cflib.org and couldn't find this UDF on there :( Looks good though, I may have an application for something similar.

Hi
I was trying to put your code to our website. when I run it, I can create the iCal file, but when I open it, I got a error to import ti the outlook.
The error message: 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.
here is my test website:
http://1bosdev1.conferon.com/demo/demo2007/Agenda/...
Please help me. We would like to use your code in our application.

Thanks
Jason

Here is a nice tool to validate iCalendar objects. Thanks to Dan R for finding a few fixes and posting soon to cflib.
http://severinghaus.org/projects/icv/

Hi Troy! Thanks for the great tag. Can you tell me how to modify it slightly to default to Central Time?

Thanks,
Robert

I'm having the same issue as Jason above. I say the same thing, it looks great but I'm getting an error about it trying to use Gregorian rather than Lunar. I didn't see a post with the solution for this.

Any suggestions? I really want to use this code but I seem to be tripping at the finish line when it goes to save to Outlook.

On 3/27, Andrew M asked:
Wondered if you could explain to me how to adjust the timezone of the iCalUS() script. Specifically to default to pacific time. I also had a hard time decyphering how the time offset for daylight savings works. Thanks in advance, very useful function.

On 3/30, I replied back with:
In the code, these values are setup for Eastern time
vCal = vCal & "TZOFFSETFROM:-0500" & CRLF;
vCal = vCal & "TZOFFSETTO:-0400" & CRLF;

so to modify to Pacific, I think you'd change to this (2 spots in the code)
vCal = vCal & "TZOFFSETFROM:-0800" & CRLF;
vCal = vCal & "TZOFFSETTO:-0700" & CRLF;

The DST should just work, it uses the logic (copied from Wikipedia) which started in 2007, most of the United States and Canada observe DST from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. This corresponds to these 2 lines of code.
vCal = vCal & "RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1;BYDAY=2SU;BYMONTH=3" & CRLF;
vCal = vCal & "RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1;BYDAY=1SU;BYMONTH=11" & CRLF;

Troy, I tried out your Demo page and this is a great tool. Question I have is how to integrate my existing query into the variable fields?
I have added my query to the top of the page, but keep getting "Element ON is undefined in FORM."

Here is my code:
----------------------
<cfquery name="rsEmailCallDataOL" datasource="salesPipeline">
SELECT tblCallTracker.wkClsCallRem, tblCallTracker.wkClsCallBack, tblWeeklyRpt.wkRptID, tblCallTracker.wkClsEntDate, tblCallTracker.wkClsNum, tblWeeklyRpt.wkRptCustName, tblCallTracker.id_ClsWkRpt, tblCallTracker.wkClsID, user_usr.name_usr, user_usr.email_usr, tblWeeklyRpt.wkRptCustCity, tblWeeklyRpt.wkRptContact
FROM ((tblCallTracker
LEFT JOIN tblWeeklyRpt ON tblWeeklyRpt.wkRptID=tblCallTracker.id_ClsWkRpt)
INNER JOIN user_usr ON user_usr.id_usr=tblWeeklyRpt.wkRptUser)
WHERE tblCallTracker.wkClsID = <cfqueryparam value="#URL.id_com#" cfsqltype="cf_sql_numeric">
</cfquery>

<b>newAppointment.ics</b>
<cfoutput>
<cfform method="post" name="formOL" id="formOL">
<table>
<tr>
<td align="right">Account Exec</td>
<td><cfinput type="Text" name="on" value="#rsEmailCallDataOL.name_usr#" size="30"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">Email</td>
<td><cfinput type="Text" name="oe" value="#rsEmailCallDataOL.email_usr#" size="30"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">Contact Name</td>
<td><cfinput type="Text" name="desc" value="#rsEmailCallDataOL.wkRptContact#" size="60">
(use \n sequences for newlines)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">Customer Name</td>
<td><cfinput type="Text" name="sub" value="#rsEmailCallDataOL.wkRptCustName#" size="30"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">Phone Number</td>
<td><cfinput type="Text" name="loc" value="#rsEmailCallDataOL.wkClsNum#" size="30"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">Called Date/Time</td>
<td><cfinput type="Text" name="st" value="#rsEmailCallDataOL.wkClsEntDate#" size="20">
(format: <b>m/d/yyyy HH:mm</b> OR <b>h:mm TT</b> -- this is Eastern time)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right">Call Back Date/Time</td>
<td><cfinput type="Text" name="et" value="#rsEmailCallDataOL.wkClsCallBack#" size="20">
(format: <b>m/d/yyyy HH:mm</b> OR <b>h:mm TT</b> -- this is Eastern time)</td>
</tr>
</table>
<cfinput type="Submit" name="Submit" value="Submit">
</cfform>
</cfoutput>

<cfif IsDefined("Form.Submit")>
<cfset eventStr = StructNew()>
<cfset eventStr.organizerName = Form.on>
<cfset eventStr.organizerEmail = Form.oe>
<cfset eventStr.startTime = ParseDateTime(Form.st)>
<cfset eventStr.endTime = ParseDateTime(Form.et)>
<cfset eventStr.subject = Form.sub>
<cfset eventStr.location = Form.loc>
<cfset eventStr.description = Form.desc>
<cfcontent type="text/calendar" reset="Yes">
<cfparam name="URL.id_com" default="-1">
<cfheader name="Content-Disposition" value="inline; filename=newAppointment.ics"><cfoutput>#iCalUS(eventStr)#</cfoutput>
</cfif>
----------------------------------
Basically, I just want the Form to open up, (similiar to your Demo), but with the Form fields already pre-filled already with my data from query?
Thanks,
ja

I am using the iCalUS and it opens up the ics file in the browser.
I need it to not open in the browser, but be emailed...
What do I need to change in the following block of code to automatically email the generated .ics file??
<cfcontent type="text/calendar" reset="Yes">
<cfheader name="Content-Disposition" value="filename=newAppointment.ics" >
<cfoutput>#iCalUS(eventStr)#</cfoutput>
Thanks!

Would it work with CF8? Thanks.