iCal, what is it and how can it help?

iCal is your friend

In a world of multiple online service providers, having open cross-platform compatible data exchange would make all our lives so much more productive. While we can use services like IFTTT to automate some actions across apps and platforms, when it comes to our calendars there is already a fully open standard that you can use.

Quick Links:

• Google Calendar (Add To | Share From)
• Outlook Calendar (Add To | Share From)
• Apple Calendar (Add To | Share From)

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iCal File or webcal links

The usefulness of live webcal: links is that as events are added or updated to the main calendar, your calendar will automatically sync and stay up-to-date.

The iCal Files are ideal for offline use or when the calendar entries are fixed and don’t need updating centrally.

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Adding to Google Calendar

To subscribe to a live calendar in Google, go to your calendar on the internet and click on the (+) symbol, from the options you can choose;

• New Calendar
  This option allows you to create a new blank calendar on your account
• Browse Calendars Of Interest
  Selecting this takes you to a sorted list of google calendars you can add to your account. Options include regional holidays, sporting fixtures for your favourite team (Football, Cricket, Rugby etc)
• From URL
  This option allows you to enter a webcal:// address to any published calendar.
• Import
  this option allows you to import a static calendar file.

Select From URL and enter the webcal address you have to add the calendar to your list of ‘Other Calendars’ of if you are importing a static file, select Import and browse for the iCal file. (If you are importing a static iCal file, you have the option to add the calendar entries from the file to one of your existing calendars or to a new blank calendar, if you are using a webcal link Google will always addit as a new calendar)

Google Calendar will show all your visible calendars overlaid with different colours for events in different calendars.

Click the colour box in-front of the calendar name to switch a calendar view on or off.

Click the three dots after the calendar name to get more options on the calendar, such as what colour to use, and what to call the calendar.

Sharing Google Calendar

If you have a calendar that you want to share either publicly (anyone can add the calendar) or to specific people only (such as a family or team calendar);

• Create your calendar, giving it a suitable name and start putting in the events.
• Click the three dots after the calendar name and select SETTINGS AND SHARING.
• In the ACCESS PERMISSIONS box you can choose if you want to make the calendar public or not.
• To share with other Google users, simply type their name or google email address in the SHARE WITH SPECIFIC PEOPLE box
• You’ll have the option of setting how much access they have to your calendar from there.
• If you’re sharing with non-google users, scroll down to the INTEGRATE CALENDAR section and copy the link for PUBLIC ADDRESS IN ICAL FORMAT or SECRET ADDRESS IN ICAL FORMAT depending on if you’ve set your calendar to public or not.

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Adding to Outlook Calendar

You can use iCal files and webcal links both on the web version of outlook and the desktop client.

Adding via Outlook.com

Open Outlook.com and navigate to your calendar, click on the ADD CALENDAR option in the menu above the calendar.

The options are:

• Secondary Calendar
  • Add a new, blank calendar.
• Holiday Calendar
  • Search through a list of public holidays.
• From File
  • Used to add a static iCal File as a new calendar.
• From The Internet
  • Used to add the webcal: link to a live calendar.

Select FROM FILE if you want to import and iCal File, or select FROM THE INTERNET to add a webcal address.

New OUTLOOK.COM

If you’re already using the new outlook.com, the steps are a little different:

• Click on DISCOVER CALENDARS
• From here you can choose from a range of popular public calendars such as holidays or sporting events
• Select FROM FILE to upload an iCal file as a new calendar.
• Select FROM WEB to add a webcal: link

Adding via Outlook desktop app

To add a static iCal file:

• Browse to your calendar tab.
• Click on FILE in the ribbon.
• Go to OPEN & EXPORT.
• Select either OPEN CALENDAR or IMPORT/EXPORT.
• If you select IMPORT/EXPORT You’ll need to select the iCal option from the list.
• Browse for the file and follow the prompts

To add a webcal link:

• Browse to your calendar tab.
• Right-click on your Calendar group heading and select ADD CALENDAR or click on the OPEN CALENDAR icon in the Manage Calendar section on the ribbon.
• Choose FROM INTERNET.
• Enter the webcal: address of the shared calendar.

Sharing via Outlook.Com

• Open Outlook.com and navigate to your calendar
• Click on the SHARE option in the menu above the calendar.
• Enter the email address you want to share your calendar with.
• Select if they have View Only, or Edit rights.
• Click SHARE.

If you don’t have the email you want to share to, or want to share via other apps, send the email to yourself with the appropriate rights, then pickup the link from your email and re-share it.

New OUTLOOK.COM

If you’ve already swapped to the new outlook.com, the ability to share a calendar has not been added yet. We suspect the function will be added either to the right-click options on a calendar name, or as an option below the DISCOVER CALENDARS used to add a shared calendar.

Sharing from Outlook desktop app

The Outlook desktop app has many sharing options that are very useful if you’re connected to a corporate Exchange server, and some ‘share via email’ options.

Right-click on a calendar in the app and choose SHARE to see what features are available, you can specify a date range of events to share, and other access settings, but unless your calendar is hosted on a publicly accessible server, you won’t be able to shave live updates.

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Adding to Apple Calendar

Apple calendar supports both iCal files (.ics) and webcal links. To add them to your calendar:

• Open Apple Calendar.
• Go to FILE and select IMPORT for iCal files or NEW SUBSCRIPTION for webcal links
• Browse for the iCal file or enter the webcal link
• Click IMPORT.
• Choose to import the iCal into a new calendar or add to an existing calendar.
• Click OK

Sharing Apple Calendar

• Click the SHARE button to the right of the calendar name and select PRIVATE or PUBLIC depending on who you want to share the calendar with.
• If sharing privately, enter the recipients email address and click enter, then select the level of access.
• If you’re sharing publicly, you can add email addresses to send out invites.
• Click SEND