How to generate .ics file using PHP for a given date range and time

Question

I am trying to find an effective method to generate a downloadable ".ics" file using PHP, based on a given date range (start date - end date) and reminder time.

Could any one provide me a sample PHP code to create this feature.

Solution

http://web.archive.org/web/20120419230026/http://jamiebicknell.tumblr.com/post/413492676/ics-generator-php-class

Note: original blog post is gone; preserving with arhcive.org link.

---

Copy and paste the information of the above link:

<?php
class ICS {
    var $data;
    var $name;
    function ICS($start,$end,$name,$description,$location) {
        $this->name = $name;
        $this->data = "BEGIN:VCALENDAR\nVERSION:2.0\nMETHOD:PUBLISH\nBEGIN:VEVENT\nDTSTART:".date("Ymd\THis\Z",strtotime($start))."\nDTEND:".date("Ymd\THis\Z",strtotime($end))."\nLOCATION:".$location."\nTRANSP: OPAQUE\nSEQUENCE:0\nUID:\nDTSTAMP:".date("Ymd\THis\Z")."\nSUMMARY:".$name."\nDESCRIPTION:".$description."\nPRIORITY:1\nCLASS:PUBLIC\nBEGIN:VALARM\nTRIGGER:-PT10080M\nACTION:DISPLAY\nDESCRIPTION:Reminder\nEND:VALARM\nEND:VEVENT\nEND:VCALENDAR\n";
    }
    function save() {
        file_put_contents($this->name.".ics",$this->data);
    }
    function show() {
        header("Content-type:text/calendar");
        header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="'.$this->name.'.ics"');
        Header('Content-Length: '.strlen($this->data));
        Header('Connection: close');
        echo $this->data;
    }
}
?>

Output the ICS file to the browser and give the user the option to open or save

<?php
$event = new ICS("2009-11-06 09:00","2009-11-06 21:00","Test Event","This is an event made by Jamie Bicknell","GU1 1AA");
$event->show();
?>

Save the ICS file onto the server in the current working directory

<?php
$event = new ICS("2009-11-06 09:00","2009-11-06 21:00","Test Event","This is an event made by Jamie Bicknell","GU1 1AA");
$event->save();
?>

Comments

[thoyyu]

Cannot access the page using this link:

[hakre]

who is the author of the code and under which licensing terms is it available? The website you linked does not work any longer.

[m4t1t0]

For me the site works perfect, on the other hand this is the author twitter.com/jamiebicknell ask him.

[Steve Ives]

Sorry for resurrecting an old post, but I can't see how the section described as "Output the ICS file to the browser and give the user the option to open or save", allows the user to open or save.

[Alex G]

Using other non-maintained resource is not a good solution...

[degenerate]

@SteveIves the part of the header that says Content-Disposition: attachment; is what tells the browser it's a file download. That is what OP meant by "allows the user to open or save". I also updated the answer with a link to an archive.org snapshot of the blog post, since it's gone now.