NAME

Data::ICal - Generates iCalendar (RFC 2445) calendar files

SYNOPSIS

    use Data::ICal;

    my $calendar = Data::ICal->new();

    my $vtodo = Data::ICal::Entry::Todo->new();
    $vtodo->add_properties(
        # ... see Data::ICal::Entry::Todo documentation
    );

    # ... or
    $calendar = Data::ICal->new(filename => 'foo.ics'); # parse existing file
    $calendar = Data::ICal->new(data => 'BEGIN:VCALENDAR...'); # parse from scalar
    $calendar->add_entry($vtodo);
    print $calendar->as_string;

DESCRIPTION

A Data::ICal object represents a "VCALENDAR" object as defined in the iCalendar protocol (RFC 2445, MIME type "text/calendar"), as implemented in many popular calendaring programs such as Apple's iCal.

Each Data::ICal object is a collection of "entries", which are objects of a subclass of Data::ICal::Entry. The types of entries defined by iCalendar (which refers to them as "components") include events, to-do items, journal entries, free/busy time indicators, and time zone descriptors; in addition, events and to-do items can contain alarm entries. (Currently, Data::ICal only implements to-do items and events.)

Data::ICal is a subclass of Data::ICal::Entry; see its manpage for more methods applicable to Data::ICal.

METHODS

new [ data => $data, ] [ filename => $file ], [ calname => $string ], [ vcal10 => $bool ], [ rfc_strict => $bool ], [ auto_uid => $bool ]

Creates a new Data::ICal object.

If it is given a filename or data argument is passed, then this parses the content of the file or string into the object. If the "vcal10" flag is passed, parses it according to vCalendar 1.0, not iCalendar 2.0; this in particular impacts the parsing of continuation lines in quoted-printable sections.

If a calname is passed, sets x-wr-calname to the given string. Although not specified in RFC2445, most calendar software respects x-wr-calname as the displayed name of the calendar.

If the "rfc_strict" flag is set to true, will require Data::ICal to include UIDs, as per RFC2445:

    4.8.4.7 Unique Identifier
    ... The property MUST be specified in the "VEVENT", "VTODO",
    "VJOURNAL" or "VFREEBUSY" calendar components"

If the "auto_uid" flag is set to true, will automatically generate a default UID for each type which requires it, based on the RFC-suggested algorithm. Explicitly-set UID attributes will override this auto-generated value.

If a filename or data argument is not passed, this just sets the object's "VERSION" and "PRODID" properties to "2.0" (or "1.0" if the "vcal10" flag is passed) and the value of the "product_id" method respectively.

Returns a false value upon failure to open or parse the file or data; this false value is a Class::ReturnValue object and can be queried as to its "error_message".

parse [ data => $data, ] [ filename => $file, ]

Parse a ".ics" file or string containing one, and populate $self with its contents.

Should only be called once on a given object, and will be automatically called by "new" if you provide arguments to "new".

Returns $self on success. Returns a false value upon failure to open or parse the file or data; this false value is a Class::ReturnValue object and can be queried as to its "error_message".

ical_entry_type

Returns "VCALENDAR", its iCalendar entry name.

product_id

Returns the product ID used in the calendar's "PRODID" property; you may wish to override this in a subclass for your own application.

mandatory_unique_properties

According to the iCalendar standard, the following properties must be specified exactly one time for a calendar:

      prodid version

optional_unique_properties

According to the iCalendar standard, the following properties may be specified at most one time for a calendar:

      calscale method

DEPENDENCIES

Data::ICal requires Class::Accessor, Text::vFile::asData, MIME::QuotedPrint, and Class::ReturnValue.

BUGS AND LIMITATIONS

Data::ICal does not support time zone daylight or standard entries, so time zone components are basically useless.

While Data::ICal tries to check which properties are required and repeatable, this only works in simple cases; it does not check for properties that must either both exist or both not exist, or for mutually exclusive properties.

Data::ICal does not check to see if property parameter names are known in general or allowed on the particular property.

Data::ICal does not check to see if nested entries are nested properly (alarms in todos and events only, everything else in calendars only).

The only property encoding supported by Data::ICal is quoted printable.

Please report any bugs or feature requests to "bug-data-ical@rt.cpan.org", or through the web interface at <http://rt.cpan.org>.

AUTHOR

Best Practical Solutions, LLC <modules@bestpractical.com>

LICENCE AND COPYRIGHT

This module is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself. See perlartistic.