Anyway, to provide an ics calendar file that will automatically sync with updates

Question

I see this calendar library in C # so that I can programmatically generate an ics file with a bunch of calendar events.

but I want a solution if I want to subscribe to the calendar so that this person is updated when adding or removing future events.

When you subscribe to the ics file on the server from Outlook, it looks like Outlook just gets a snapshot based on this from the Outlook help file: = (I assume it did the same as sending the calendar via email)

Email the calendar. You can send any of your calendars to another person in an email message. This is a type of online calendar called Calendar Snapshot. The calendar is displayed in the body of the email. However, an Office Outlook 2007 user who receives a snapshot of a calendar can open the calendar as an Outlook calendar. It can display a calendar snapshot and the current calendar in side-by-side mode or calendar overlay mode.

Is there any software solution that allows a person to subscribe to an iCalendar file (or another format) that will always be updated with the latest changes over time?

Answer 1

Outlook will be updated based on the .ics server file. Store the file on a web server somewhere (I successfully used the Wiki page), and then use the webcal: // address instead of the http: // address. Outlook should automatically select this.

Usually this will be updated as part of the "Sending / Receiving", but can also be configured through the "Account Settings ... Internet Calendars".

I did exactly what you are looking for, the same library and that’s it. The update worked with pleasure in a large organization with many people subscribing to calendar files.

It may also help: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/michael_affronti/archive/2006/05/10/594986.aspx

Answer 2

it looks like Outlook just gets a snapshot based on this from the Outlook help file: = (I assume it did the same as sending the calendar via email)

I do not think this is a valid assumption. My company’s firewall seems to block everything, so I can’t fully test it, but my Outlook subscription options are talking about updates.

Answer 3

Are you looking for push notifications or something like that?

Most iCal.ics-based calendars on the Internet suggest that they will be used in poll-like models similar to RSS or ATOM, in which the client will periodically check if any changes have been made and, accordingly, upload new content. I also understand that WebDAV-enabled servers may be able to allow some clients to directly modify these .ics files, but clients are still responsible for polling and updating their local calendar snapshot when they subscribe to it.

I don’t have much experience with Outlook calendar support for iCal, but I use Google Calendar, the built-in iPhone Calendar application quite widely, and I also used the Calendar Sunbird application in the past and they all work quite reliably, showing me updates when I check them .