Add to Outlook calendar (.vcs files) in Firefox.

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marcusnest
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Joined: June 24th, 2007, 1:40 am

Add to Outlook calendar (.vcs files) in Firefox.

Post by marcusnest »

I have placed buttons on my website to allow people to add an appointment date to their outlook. Its a .vcs file, and it works fine in IE. But it won't work in Firefox, instead it just opens a new tab just displaying the code for the appointment.

see: http://www.tasteaustralia.net/RossoPomodoro.html

I've seen it work before on other sites, although now I can't find them to copy the code.

Is there a simple fix?

Please help me if you can! Thanks. Marcus
marcusnest
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Joined: June 24th, 2007, 1:40 am

Post by marcusnest »

marcusnest wrote:I have placed buttons on my website to allow people to add an appointment date to their outlook. Its a .vcs file, and it works fine in IE. But it won't work in Firefox, instead it just opens a new tab just displaying the code for the appointment.

see: http://www.tasteaustralia.net/RossoPomodoro.html

I've seen it work before on other sites, although now I can't find them to copy the code.

Is there a simple fix?

Please help me if you can! Thanks. Marcus
No takers on my problem, it still has me stumped.
Is there anyone with an idea as to why it works in IE but not Firefox. Any pointers very welcome!

Thanks.
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jscher2000
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Post by jscher2000 »

Your Apache server is configured to send .vcs files as text/plain, which Firefox takes literally. (IE is different, it works around incorrect MIME types by sniffing the content and/or maintaining its file extensions tables.) If you have access to the .htaccess file for your site, you can have assign a different type. Wikipedia suggests either "text/x-vcard" or "text/directory", but others probably would work around this problem (e.g., "application/blahblah").
marcusnest
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Post by marcusnest »

jscher2000 wrote:Your Apache server is configured to send .vcs files as text/plain, which Firefox takes literally. (IE is different, it works around incorrect MIME types by sniffing the content and/or maintaining its file extensions tables.) If you have access to the .htaccess file for your site, you can have assign a different type. Wikipedia suggests either "text/x-vcard" or "text/directory", but others probably would work around this problem (e.g., "application/blahblah").


Great start, I have looked into this and although its still not working, its a leap in the right direction. Can anyone assist me further? I'm not sure its MY apache server rather than the MIME types associated to my website.

So, for a vcs file, that is an outlook calendar file, what do I need to place into CpanelX under the MIME section to allows Firefox to open these file types.
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Grist
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Post by Grist »

MIME Type: text/x-vCalendar
Extension: vcs
marcusnest
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Joined: June 24th, 2007, 1:40 am

Post by marcusnest »

Thank you both, it now does exactly what its supposed to.

regards, a very grateful amateur web designer!
wtc
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Joined: February 17th, 2010, 2:17 pm

Re: Add to Outlook calendar (.vcs files) in Firefox.

Post by wtc »

Reading with GREAT interest about this topic, as I have the exact same issue - IE works out of the box, Firefox just keeps showing the .vcs file text, and the event is never added to the Outlook Calendar.

I have tried adding an .htaccess file to my site (both on the actual directory and highest level directory, just in case). I have searched all over the 'net for information on what the correct syntax should be, and may simply have it wrong. Currently, the context of the .htaccess file reads simply:

AddType text/x-vCalendar .vcs

Right or wrong, it is not causing any difference at all. Nada.

My site is hosted on GoDaddy, and they DO have a brief article about this very topic: http://help.godaddy.com/article/2504 but it had few details about what actually goes into the .htaccess file. The posts above are helpful, but apparently I am still missing something important.

Any ideas?
wtc
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Joined: February 17th, 2010, 2:17 pm

Re: Add to Outlook calendar (.vcs files) in Firefox.

Post by wtc »

also - here is something from a previous post above that has me confused:

"So, for a vcs file, that is an outlook calendar file, what do I need to place into CpanelX under the MIME section to allows Firefox to open these file types."

uh....what is CpanelX? Is that some tool within the actual Apache server? I don't believe I have access to the actual server, being hosted with GoDaddy. Instead, I am to use the .htaccess method to make adjustments...or so, that's my thinking as of right now.

Help! this one is driving me nuts...!

Terry
dtobias
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Re: Add to Outlook calendar (.vcs files) in Firefox.

Post by dtobias »

.vcs files really have nothing intrinsic to do with M$ Outhouse; I believe it was originally an Apple iCal format, but it's been standardized in an RFC document as a non-platform-specific data format, and is rather imperfectly supported by the crappy M$ program.
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jscher2000
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Re: Add to Outlook calendar (.vcs files) in Firefox.

Post by jscher2000 »

wtc wrote:Help! this one is driving me nuts...!

I think it would be less confusing to just have one thread about this question: Opening a .vcs vCalendar file via Outlook in Firefox.
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Pim
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Re: Add to Outlook calendar (.vcs files) in Firefox.

Post by Pim »

My guess is he replied to this thread first, before noticing it was a very old thread, and then decided to start a new one!
Groetjes, Pim
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Re: Add to Outlook calendar (.vcs files) in Firefox.

Post by LIMPET235 »

Locking this oldie. Continue the discussion here: viewtopic.php?f=25&t=1757875
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