Bug 54789 - ICal import fails if reminder is set to n minutes
Summary: ICal import fails if reminder is set to n minutes
Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 40933
Alias: None
Product: korganizer
Classification: Applications
Component: general (show other bugs)
Version: unspecified
Platform: openSUSE Linux
: NOR wishlist
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Cornelius Schumacher
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2003-02-18 10:30 UTC by Stefan Eilers
Modified: 2004-07-22 13:07 UTC (History)
0 users

See Also:
Latest Commit:
Version Fixed In:


Attachments

Note You need to log in before you can comment on or make changes to this bug.
Description Stefan Eilers 2003-02-18 10:30:30 UTC
Version:           3.1 (using KDE KDE 3.1)
Installed from:    SuSE RPMs
OS:          Linux

If you set for instance: Reminder 5 Minutes you will get the
following line in the ical-File:

[...]
BEGIN:VALARM
ACTION:DISPLAY
TRIGGER;VALUE=DURATION:-PT5M
END:VALARM
[...]

This seems to be wrong due to the fact that korganizer and
especially outlook (2000 SR 1) is unable to import this file.

If you change the trigger line to:

TRIGGER;VALUE=DURATION:PT5M

it works perfektly on outlook.. (5 minutes before event)

If you import this file into korganizer, it is now importing this file but shows the following:

Reminder: -5 Minutes .. ;)

Very interesting behaviour !
Comment 1 Stefan Eilers 2003-07-25 15:15:13 UTC
Now ? Is anybody fixing this bug ? 
Comment 2 Reinhold Kainhofer 2003-08-13 17:39:37 UTC
Oh, oh, if Outlook really behaves like that, that's another non-compliance with open 
standards.  RFC 2445 (the iCalendar specification, see e.g. 
http://xml.resource.org/public/rfc/html/rfc2445.html#anchor117 ) says in section 4.8.6.3: 
 
"Either a positive or negative duration may be specified for the "TRIGGER" property. 
An alarm with a positive duration is triggered after the associated start or end of the 
event or to-do. An alarm with a negative duration is triggered before the associated 
start or end of the event or to-do. " 
 
So, negative values are alarms before the event, and korganizer is completely right.  
Note however, that in korganizer positive values mean alarm before, and negative 
values mean after the event. Maybe this should be solved with a "before"/"after" 
combobox. 
 
Reinnhold 
Comment 3 Stefan Eilers 2003-08-13 20:50:22 UTC
Good, but why is korganizer not importing this file if it is negative ? 
 
If outlook behaves wrong, than this is nothing new. They define their work as 
standart.. :( 
 
But at least we have to talk to outlook, therfore there must exist a 
workaround. 
 
This combobox is a good idea..   
Comment 4 Reinhold Kainhofer 2003-08-13 21:02:50 UTC
Subject: Re:  ICal import fails if reminder is set to n minutes

On Wednesday 13 August 2003 20:50, Stefan Eilers wrote:
> Good, but why is korganizer not importing this file if it is
> negative ?

Hmm, this works for me with current CVS version (kde 3.2).

> If outlook behaves wrong, than this is nothing new. They define their work
> as standart.. :(
>
> But at least we have to talk to outlook, therfore there must exist a
> workaround.

I don't think this will be possible. KOrganizer (and iCalendar) also allows 
alarms after the start, and then the value is positive. So, Outlook seems to 
refuse (can't check, I don't have any copy of outlook) negative values, but  
we can't write out positive values, because that (1) violates the standard 
and (2) has a completely different meaning for KOrganizer.


> This combobox is a good idea..

This was just meant as an additional suggestion to make the alarm input more 
intuitive. Currently, the controls in the edit dialogbox read "Reminder: 5 
Minute(s)", so it's not clear that this means an alarm 5 minutes BEFORE the 
event, and that you can even enter negative values  to mean alarms AFTER the 
events start.
This, however, doesn't change the fact that we have to write out negative 
values for alarms before the event starts, so Outlook won't accept the 
events.

Reinhold

Comment 5 Stefan Eilers 2003-08-14 09:10:26 UTC
>> Good, but why is korganizer not importing this file if it is  
>> negative ?  
  
> Hmm, this works for me with current CVS version (kde 3.2).  
 
Ok.. I tested it with an older version. 
 
> I don't think this will be possible. KOrganizer (and iCalendar) also allows  
> alarms after the start, and then the value is positive. So, Outlook seems to  
> refuse (can't check, I don't have any copy of outlook) negative values, but  
> we can't write out positive values, because that (1) violates the standard  
> and (2) has a completely different meaning for KOrganizer.  
  
 
In practice, it doesn't matter if outlook is violating any standart ! The user 
just see that korganizer doesn't work as expected. And don't forget: A RFC 
isn't a standart, it is just a "request for comment". I have implemented many 
RFC's and most of them are violated in practice.. 
Thus, there have to be any solution.. 
 
Today, I will check whether vcal-files from korganizer for KDE 3.2 are still 
rejected (I will add the result here).  
If yes, I would suggest to add a configuration switch which emulates the 
behaviour of outlook. 
 
Bye, Stefan 
 
Comment 6 Cornelius Schumacher 2003-12-23 14:42:35 UTC
We could at least read the file correctly if we detect that it comes from Outlook by adding some compatability code.

What's the use case for this scenario, by the way? Why and when would you read or write Outlook iCalendar files?
Comment 7 Stefan Eilers 2004-05-12 13:55:22 UTC
For example if I send a mail with a contact to an outlook user or vice versa..
Comment 8 Reinhold Kainhofer 2004-07-22 13:07:14 UTC
Outlook refuses to import korganizer files due to several reasons. This is explained in more detail in bug report 40933. That report also provides a script to make the valid ics files from korganizer outlook-compatible (but no longer correct in korganizer).

I'm marking this report as a duplicate of 40933.

Cheers,
Reinhold

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 40933 ***