Is it possible to import a .ics file into an Access database in code?

[PW]

Hi,

That is what the format Google Calendar exports to.

I don't want it to go into a calendar, but rather in a form so a
client can mark off what they want to import into their reservation
table, etc...

-paulw

[PW]

*--

I probably want to import an .ics file also.

-paulw

[Ron Paii]

ics is a text file, you can open and process the information. Search "ics file format" will show a number of sites that explain the format.

[PW]

On Mon, 3 Jun 2019 14:23:23 -0700 (PDT), Ron Paii <ron8...@gmail.com>
wrote:

When I double-click on it, it automatically went into Outlook. But I
was able to delete the Google calendar.


-paulw

[PW]

On Mon, 03 Jun 2019 13:21:31 -0700, PW <P...@noemailaddress.com> wrote:

*---

I found a couple utilities to convert a .ics file to various formats
via a browser (.csv, .excel, .txt,....) but I need Access to do it. I
try to open it and get the "unrecognizable database format" error.

Plus, Google puts it in the users/paul/downloads folder.

-paulw

[Neil]

I don't know if you'll find a utility to allow a single "click-and-done"
solution, but you may be able to do a multi-step process with what you
have. For example, try to import the .excel or .csv formats into Access.

--
best regards,

Neil

[Ron Paii]

Right click and open with notepad.

In Access import it as text.

[PW]

On Tue, 4 Jun 2019 07:14:37 -0400, Neil <ne...@myplaceofwork.com>
wrote:

*--

Hi Neil,

Right now, I am only concerned about converting data from Access to a
ical/.ics file so I can import it into Google Calendars (a manual
process but easy).

So I need to figure out how to get an excel, text or csv file into
that format via code.

Thanks,

-paul

[PW]

On Tue, 4 Jun 2019 04:55:05 -0700 (PDT), Ron Paii <ron8...@gmail.com>

*---

I would like to concentrate on exporting a file from Access into a
.ics file format so that it can be imported by Google Calendar.

Thanks!

-paul

[Ron Paii]

Sorry, I though you were importing.

The link I provided and reading some test .ICS files should give you what you need to create a export function to write a .ICS file. The standard VBA read / write functions can handle the output.

[Neil]

OK... so you're going the other way! ;-)

Look into how to export the Access database into one of the comaptible
formats. You can search on the phrase to find resources best suited to
your learning style, but here's one you might find useful.

<https://www.quackit.com/microsoft_access/microsoft_access_2016/tutorial/export_data_from_microsoft_access.cfm>

--
best regards,

Neil

[PW]

On Tue, 4 Jun 2019 16:41:44 -0400, Neil <ne...@myplaceofwork.com>

Thanks Neil. I tried DoCmd.TransferText to convert a .txt file to
.ics and that didn't work.

Looks like handling .ics files isn't possbile with Access.

That website is a nice resource though!!

-paul

[PW]

On Tue, 4 Jun 2019 16:41:44 -0400, Neil <ne...@myplaceofwork.com>

*---

I just discovered that Google Calendar will import a .csv file but is
very strick on the headers, and data.

I think I can create a compatible one in Access and give it a shot!!

-paulw

[PW]

On Mon, 03 Jun 2019 13:21:31 -0700, PW <P...@noemailaddress.com> wrote:

*--

Well, big bummer! Google calendar only adds events with an import. It
does not replace anything.

So each time I import from the CSV I have another entry for the same
"room" in the calendar. And if an event for a date or date range no
longer exists in the CSV file, it still will exist on the Google
calendar.

The client would have to log into GC and manually delete all the
appointments/events first.

Too much to ask of them!

Looks like I am back to the drawing board on finding an on-line
calendar that I can use with Access. The problem is, after many hours
of research, every one is an appointment calendar (even Microsoft's
new Office 365 business calendar). Great for hair salons, meeting
rooms, whatever requires something like what the day view looks like
in Outlook.

That is not what I want.

I do not know how this competitor came up with his calendar (I looked
at the source code but couldn't tell). I assume he used .NET.

-paulw

[Ron Weiner]

It happens that PW formulated :

> ---
> This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
> https://www.avg.com

"Once Upon a time..." using Access 2000 I built a month view calendar
form that would track unlimited events per day, that allowed for drill
downs to get additional details for a specific event. And while I am a
bit fuzzy about how it was implemented all those years ago it used only
Access controls.

If memory serves I filled the form with 6 rows 7 colums wide of Labels
and List boxes. When the user selected the month the form would
reconfigure itself hiding/visiblizing and populating the visible
elements for the month. The whole thing was data driven, and yea, it
was pretty complex taking many hours of dev work to get it going.

Perhaps the above general outline of what I did will give you some
ideas how you might implement something similar for your app. If you
have interet in seeing what I did all those years ago, I believe that I
have an image of that old hard drive around here somewhere. I can
probably dig it out and post it somewhere public if need be.

Rdub

[Ron Paii]

I would't think any online calendar would work directly with Access and VBA. Search for "Google Calendar API"; you will find plenty of help and some videos. My choice with VBA would be .NET. Once you figure out how to create and edit Google calendar, you can add a COM wrapper to the code for use by VBA. Search "com wrapper for google api" for help with that.

[PW]

*---

Thanks Ron. If you find the image, let me know.

paul
at
williamson
enterprises
dot
com

My wife made a real spiffy wall calendar that sounds like what you
describe. But we need it for clients to check reservations and
availability on the web either via their website or something I would
set up at a domain.

Our app is running on AWS for some clients so they can access it
anywhere. But I am not sure how I would do a reservation system and
have it hosted there or wherever. I know we could come up with
something in Access but how would people see the availability and book
the room. All the data is in our Access application and I am
certainly not going to come up with our own booking.com, travelocity,
etc...!

Thanks,

-paulw

[PW]

On Tue, 25 Jun 2019 12:34:48 -0400, Ron Weiner <r...@domain.com> wrote:

*---

The thing so far with AWS is that I cannot figure out how to write to
a file that isn't in the accdbs (a temporary "work" table like the CSV
I populated for Google Cal to manually import).

-paulw

[Ron Weiner]

Paul

I found my old app, contacted my old client, (He stoped using the app a
few years ago, but since it was a work for hire, he owns the copywrite)
got permission to share the Calendar form, and attached it here.

Frankly I half expect the this post will fail and the attached file
will be lost somewhere between my PC and Eternal-September (my News
server host). I have never sent an attachment to a Newsgroup, but
there has got to be a first time for everything, So... Here goes.

Rdub

Yea Well "That Dog Woln't Hunt"! Hmmm... I use to have a website
hosted on... Well somewhere. Give me a day or two to figure out if it
still exists, and if I still have access to it, and how in holy Hanah
to point you to a link that will allow you to get the file. It's been
years.

Rdub

[PW]

>
>Paul
>
>I found my old app, contacted my old client, (He stoped using the app a
>few years ago, but since it was a work for hire, he owns the copywrite)
>got permission to share the Calendar form, and attached it here.
>
> Frankly I half expect the this post will fail and the attached file
>will be lost somewhere between my PC and Eternal-September (my News
>server host). I have never sent an attachment to a Newsgroup, but
>there has got to be a first time for everything, So... Here goes.
>
>Rdub
>
>Yea Well "That Dog Woln't Hunt"! Hmmm... I use to have a website
>hosted on... Well somewhere. Give me a day or two to figure out if it
>still exists, and if I still have access to it, and how in holy Hanah
>to point you to a link that will allow you to get the file. It's been
>years.
>
>Rdub

*--

I don't see it Ron. I am using Forte Agent and their newsgroup.

Check out the calendars at the Adventure Office website. I wonder what
they used to create them. That is not our business (tours,...) but
there are some features close to what we do but not on the web.

Any way, we just beat them out! A potential client picked us (my wife
and myself) and our application!

-paulw

[Ron Weiner]

<Snip>

Boy talk about a blast from the past. I found the site and uploaded a
Zip file containing an Access Frontend and Backend Database. The front
end DB has been stripped of everything but the Calendar forms, and all
cuatomer Date has been removed from the back end. When you get the
files unziped, you will need to link the frontend to the back end and
you should be good to go.

Now to get the File go Here: WWW.WorksRite.com
Then Click on the News Link in the LH Margin whicj will take you to the
News Page.
When on the News page Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the
"Access Data Driven Calendar Demo" link.

As an alternative you can download the file directly using this link:
http://0173b9e.netsolhost.com/WORKSRITE/download/ContactsDemo.zip

Anyway hope this proves to be of some value in you quest for a Month at
a time View data driven event tracking calendar.

Rdub

[PW]

*--

Thanks. I got it running. I will play with it this week.

My wife came up with a cool wall calendar. There is a video of it
here:
http://www.williamsonenterprises.com/clientsonly/trainingvideos.html

-paulw