export to ical problem

[Aussie John]

Im exporting a single calc field which has info needed for an .ics ical file.

Unfortunately I cant work out how to keep the returns so the resulting file info is on its own line.

as below

BEGIN:VCALENDAR

VERSION:2.0

METHOD:PUBLISH

BEGIN:VEVENT

DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20070109

DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20070111

SUMMARY:event two2

END:VEVENT

BEGIN:VEVENT

DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20070108

DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20070109

SUMMARY:event day

END:VEVENT

END:VCALENDAR

I end up with the resulting lines running together. The calc export field has all the returns.

thanks in advance

[Søren Dyhr]

Perhaps you should investigate this:

http://www.jonathanstark.com/downloads/FMPtoiCal.fp7.zip

--sd

[Aussie John]

Thanks Søren. I did look at that but it is only for version 8

[Søren Dyhr]

No just rewrite the scripts using a global field instead for the storage of errors - Like the attached snappies!

--sd

[sbg2]

Have you tried Export Field Contents?

[Aussie John]

Thanks I found that option after posting. Unfortunately it does something to the file so ical wont read it. Interestingly if I copy the field and paste into a text file it does work.

[Fenton]

It's probably the fact that FileMaker Export Field Contents outputs UTF-16 encoding, which some apps have trouble reading. Since you're on a Mac you could use AppleScript and shell script to write the field to a file instead; the default encoding is utf-8, which apps are happy with. Without getting too fancy as to the file location, this will write the field to a file on the Desktop. Run it in a Perform AppleScript step. The fields need to be on the current layout for this simple form:

copy cell "filename" of current record to fileName

copy cell "Text_" of current record to exportMe

do shell script "echo -n " & quoted form of exportMe & " > ~/desktop/" & quoted form of fileName

-- -n prevents a final line feed from being added

Alternatively you could use an XML export, with an XSL stylesheet. You'd need a found set of 1 for this, as it's a regular Export.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>



xmlns:fm="http://www.filemaker.com/fmpxmlresult" exclude-result-prefixes="fm" >

	

	

		

	

Edited January 12, 2007 by Guest
xsl added

[Aussie John]

thanks Fenton - that works

can you tell me what "quoted form of" means?

[Fenton]

In Unix command line things (commands, parameters, etc.) are typically separated only by a space. So data, which often contains spaces, needs to be protected, enclosed with single quotes, and any special characters escaped. That's what "quoted form of" does.

[comment]

Alternatively you could use an XML export, with an XSL stylesheet. You'd need a found set of 1 for this, as it's a regular Export.

I am missing a piece here: if you have a found set of 1, couldn't you export it as tab-separated text, and specify UTF-8? I mean why bother with the XSLT?