Add an Outlook calendar event from a link on a web page

Question

Anyone knows how i can add a anchor to a web page that will force an Outlook Calendar file download? I need the file to open with outlook and the calendar info to be added to the user's calendar.

How can I create the MS outlook calendar files? Is there a standard/documented way I can create these calendar files using a script/automated way? (the script will be written in php)

thanks -

Answer 1

<?php
//This is the most important coding.
header("Content-Type: text/Calendar");
header("Content-Disposition: inline; filename=filename.ics");
echo "BEGIN:VCALENDAR\n";
echo "PRODID:-//Microsoft Corporation//Outlook 12.0 MIMEDIR//EN\n";
echo "VERSION:2.0\n";
echo "METHOD:PUBLISH\n";
echo "X-MS-OLK-FORCEINSPECTOROPEN:TRUE\n";
echo "BEGIN:VEVENT\n";
echo "CLASS:PUBLIC\n";
echo "CREATED:20091109T101015Z\n";
echo "DESCRIPTION:How 2 Guru Event\\n\\n\\nEvent Page\\n\\nhttp://www.myhow2guru.com\n";
echo "DTEND:20091208T040000Z\n";
echo "DTSTAMP:20091109T093305Z\n";
echo "DTSTART:20091208T003000Z\n";
echo "LAST-MODIFIED:20091109T101015Z\n";
echo "LOCATION:Anywhere have internet\n";
echo "PRIORITY:5\n";
echo "SEQUENCE:0\n";
echo "SUMMARY;LANGUAGE=en-us:How2Guru Event\n";
echo "TRANSP:OPAQUE\n";
echo "UID:040000008200E00074C5B7101A82E008000000008062306C6261CA01000000000000000\n";
echo "X-MICROSOFT-CDO-BUSYSTATUS:BUSY\n";
echo "X-MICROSOFT-CDO-IMPORTANCE:1\n";
echo "X-MICROSOFT-DISALLOW-COUNTER:FALSE\n";
echo "X-MS-OLK-ALLOWEXTERNCHECK:TRUE\n";
echo "X-MS-OLK-AUTOFILLLOCATION:FALSE\n";
echo "X-MS-OLK-CONFTYPE:0\n";
//Here is to set the reminder for the event.
echo "BEGIN:VALARM\n";
echo "TRIGGER:-PT1440M\n";
echo "ACTION:DISPLAY\n";
echo "DESCRIPTION:Reminder\n";
echo "END:VALARM\n";
echo "END:VEVENT\n";
echo "END:VCALENDAR\n";
?>

Just in case someone needs it in PHP. I was searching found this.

Answer 2

Create an outlook .ics file

See here for more information. The example is in .NET, but it is simply writing output, so very easy to translate to PHP.