Chandler ecosystem interoperability overview

A full picture of Chandler Project interoperability has many facets:

• Clients vs servers
• Read-only vs Read-write
• Multiple protocols: HTTP, SSL, IMAP, SMTP, POP, iMip (iTip), ICS, webcal, etc

The list of possibly-interoperating software is (very) long. Below is outlined first the perceived "most important" software packages. Below that comes another list of software we've heard of but are not focused on understanding.

Additional resources:

Interoperability for Chandler Desktop and Chandler Server

Chandler Desktop import/export

http://chandlerproject.org/Notes/OneDotZeroDesktopBugs#Interop

Instructions for subscribing to Chandler Hub using iCal, Lightning/Sunbird, Evolution, Chandler Desktop

http://chandlerproject.org/Journal/PublishInstructions

Chandler Project package interop shortlist

Desktop clients

• Chandler Desktop
• Outlook 2007 (Win)
• Outlook 2003 (Win)
• iCal 3.x (Mac)
• Lightning (Sunbird by proxy) (Win)
• iCal 2.x (Mac)
• Evolution (Ubu)

Web services

• Chandler Hub
• Google calendar
• Yahoo calendar
• Facebook
• Flickr
• Twitter
• Amazon

Email clients

• Thunderbird
• Apple Mail
• Google mail
• Yahoo mail

Web browsers

• Firefox 2 (Win,Mac,Ubu), MSIE 6+7 (Win), Safari 3 (Mac)

Calendar servers

• Chandler Server (Cosmo)
• Apple Calendar Server
• Bedework
• Oracle calendar server (OCS)

Email servers

• Exchange, Postfix, Courier IMAP, uw-imapd, Java System Messaging Server, Gmail, Yahoo mail, Hotmail/MSN, Dotmac

Chandler Project package interop extended list

• Desktop clients
  • Outlook Express (Windows Mail in Vista)
  • Windows Calendar (bundled in Vista)
  • Lotus Notes
  • Lotus Agenda
  • Entourage 2004 (Mac)
  • Meeting Maker
  • Calgoo : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calgoo
  • OneNote
  • Palm Desktop
  • Mulberry (CalDAV)
  • Ecco Pro
  • Outlook 2003 + RemoteCalendars^? plugin (http://remotecalendars.sourceforge.net/ )
  • Daylite: http://www.marketcircle.com/daylite/index.html
  • Now Up-to-Date: http://www.nowsoftware.com/
• Web services
  • Zimbra
  • MySpace
  • 30Boxes
  • Stikkit
  • Quickbase (by Intuit)
  • Remember the Milk
  • 37 Signals (Basecamp, Ta-da List, Backpack)
  • iCalx
  • iFreeBusy.com
  • Achievo
• Email clients
  • Mulberry
  • Eudora for Mac
  • Hotmail, Earthlink, AOL
• Web browsers
  • Firefox 3, Safari 2, Opera 9, Opera mini, iPhone, BlackBerry, MSIE 5, Firefox 1.5, AOL, Netscape, Konqueror, Epiphany
• Calendar servers
  • RSCDS, Zimbra, Hula, Citadel, DeskNow^? : http://www.desknow.com/
  • Funabol (SyncML, Sync4j, Outlook, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, Palm, iPod, iPhone) : http://www.funambol.com/opensource/ http://www.funambol.com/solutions/devices.php
  • IceWarp^? : http://www.icewarp.com/products/groupware/caldav.php
• Email servers
  • Dovecot, Courier SMTP, Cyrus, Blackberry
• Mobile
  • JME, Symbian, Opera mini, SyncML (Nokia, Motorola, Ericsson, Samsung), Palm, iSync, Windows Mobile
• Contact managers
  • ACT
  • Plaxo
• Web-based CalDAV clients
  • None being tracked currently
• Protocols
  • GroupDAV (Kontact, Evolution, Mozilla Calendar, OpenGroupware^?.org, SOGo, Citadel) : http://www.groupdav.org/
  • CardDAV
  • Kolab (Kontact, Outlook, Horde, Thunderbird, Kolab Server) : http://www.kolab.org/
  • SMS
• Wiki PIM list : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_personal_information_managers

Interop details

• Chandler Desktop to Outlook/Exchange (Win):
  • Yes: Set up email accounts in Chandler Desktop. Chandler can create the event/task folders.
  • Yes (needs confirmation): Export an ICS file from Chandler Desktop for events/tasks then import that ICS into Outlook.
  • No: Subscribe to Exchange calendars, tasks via CalDAV or Exchange protocols

• Outlook/Exchange (Win) to Chandler Desktop:
  • Yes: Drag an email in Outlook from the inbox or other folder to the Chandler event/task folders.
  • Yes (with helper app): Export an ICS file from Outlook for events/tasks then import that ICS into Chandler Desktop. Caveats: Outlook built-ins don't export all data, neither do most other tools. Have tested and recommend a $10 tool; see here: ChandlerDesktopImportExport
  • No, by default: Outlook sends invites to Chandler Desktop that can be read as events
  • Yes, with hack: Outlook invites read by Chandler Desktop. Need to configure Outlook to send iCalendar: http://www.scheduleworld.com/configureOutlook2003.html

• Outlook/Exchange to Chandler Hub:
  • (Outlook 2003) Yes (needs confirmation): Subscribe to an "Internet Calendar" in Outlook, using a Hub webcal URL (http or https). View calendar side-by-side.
  • (Outlook 2003 with plugin) Yes but unverified: View Hub webcal URL overlayed with other Outlook calendars
  • (Outlook 2007) Yes but unverified: View Hub read-only webcal URL overlayed with other Outlook calendars
  • No (all Outlook versions): Subscribe to Hub collection via CalDAV
  • No: Perform freebusy query against Chandler Hub calendar

• Chandler Desktop to most any IMAP server (inbox service):
  • Yes: Set up and test email accounts; creates event/task folders.
  • Tested: Exchange, Courier, uw-imapd, Java System Messaging Server, Dotmac, Google Mail
  • Google Mail (IMAP) instructions

• Chandler Server to most any SMTP server (outbox/sending service):
  • Tested: Exchange, Postfix, Gmail, Yahoo mail, Hotmail/MSN

• Chandler Desktop to most any http/https public/authenticated iCalendar-format calendar (*.ics):
  • Yes: Subscribe read-only to collection via URL (subscribes are bi-directional if DAV server allows it); overlay calendar with other collections
  • Yes: Publish to a DAV server, by configuring a WebDAV client in Chandler and choosing Options when publishing.

• Chandler Desktop to most any *.ics file on local filesystem:
  • Yes: Can import events, todos; includes auto-triage and stamping
  • Yes (needs confirmation): Can merge individual ICS files into an existing collection (not just create a new collection)

• Chandler Hub to most any *.ics file on local filesystem:
  • No support

• Most any client wanting to import *.ics exported by Chandler Desktop:
  • Yes: Can read *.ics calendar with events and tasks exported by Chandler Desktop

• Most any client wanting to import *.ics exported by Chandler Hub:
  • Yes: Can read *.ics calendar with events and tasks exported by Chandler Hub

• Chandler Desktop to most any WebDAV server:
  • Yes: Publish a collection read-write to server. Sync with changes made on server. Currently the format is a directory of EIMML files, or optionally a monolithic .ics file.

• iCal 3.x (Mac) to Chandler Hub:
  • Yes: Create/modify/delete event/task via CalDAV in Hub collection
  • Yes: Picks up changes made to events to Hub collection
  • Yes: Work in offline mode against a Chandler Hub read/write collection
  • WARNING: Publishing a new collection from iCal 3.x to Chandler Hub breaks iCal 3.x permanently (Bug#11216)
  • No: Create/delete Hub collection
  • No: Schedule an event (invites) with Hub user using CalDAV Scheduling
  • No: Delegation (ACLs)
  • Yes: Docs for publish/subscribe to Cosmo: http://chandlerproject.org/Projects/CosmoWithiCal
  • No: Lighting can query for meetings and send invites via CalDAV scheduling with Chandler Hub users

• Lightning (Sunbird by proxy) (Win) to Chandler Hub:
  • Yes: Create/delete event/task in CalDAV collection
  • Yes: Picks up changes made to events to Hub collection
  • Yes: Can publish via DAV a monolithic ICS file to your Hub account
  • Unreliable: Modify event in CalDAV collection. https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=390492
  • No: Create/delete collection on Chandler Hub server
  • Yes: Docs for publish/subscribe to Cosmo. http://chandlerproject.org/Projects/CosmoWithLightning
  • No: Cosmo UI has direct links (pulldown) for Lightning client
  • Unknown: Work in offline mode against a Chandler Hub read/write collection
  • Never: Lightning does CalDAV freebusy queries against Chandler Hub. See https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=398975; Lightning will go CalDAV scheduling draft instead.
  • No: Lighting can query for meetings and send invites via CalDAV scheduling with Chandler Hub users

• Evolution (Ubu) to Chandler Hub:
  • Problematic interop. A needed patch has gone uncommitted. Crashes during some Cosmo-related operations (synchronize, after the VEVENT CalDAV REPORT; bug #9813)
  • Yes: Subscribe to Chandler Hub webcal collection (read-only)
  • No?: Create/delete collection on Chandler Hub server
  • No?: Create/delete an event
  • No?: Modify an event/task
  • Unknown: Work in offline mode against a Chandler Hub read/write collection

• iCal 2.x (Mac) to Chandler Hub:
  • Yes: Can subscribe to Chandler Hub collection to webcal web services.
  • No: Can upload webcal and see via web UI
  • Hard: Publication of calendar to Hub (webcal PUT/upload). Can use WebDAV for storage of uploaded ICS (ala dotmac) but creation of tickets and URLs virtually impossible

• Firefox 2 (Win,Mac,Ubu), MSIE 6+7 (Win), Safari 2+3 (Mac)
  • All work: Log in to Hub, Create an account in Hub, Browse Hub dashboard and calendar, Create/update Hub items

• Mobile device to Chandler Desktop:
  • No support

• Mobile device to Chandler Hub:
  • No support

• Chandler Hub to offsite CalDAV collection:
  • No support

• Chandler Hub to offsite webcal collection (HTTP/HTTPS *.ics URL):
  • No support

• Outlook Web Access to Chandler Desktop:
  • Yes: Can receive emailed invites sent by Chandler Desktop

• Outlook Web Access to Chandler Hub:
  • Unknown

• Chandler Desktop to Google Calendar:
  • Yes: Desktop has plugin available, recurrence is not yet supported
  • Yes: Read and display Google Calendar public/private calendar as overlay in Chandler Desktop
  • No: Change event in Chandler Desktop and have written to Google Calendar

• Google Calendar to Chandler Hub:
  • Yes: Google Calendar can subscribe to ticketed webcal URL for read-only sync and overlay display
  • No: Any updates/writes from Google Calendar to Chandler Hub

• Google Calendar to Chandler Desktop:
  • Yes: Export an ICS from Google Calendar then import that ICS into Chandler Desktop. See ChandlerDesktopImportExport for details

• Chandler Desktop to Zimbra calendar via CalDAV:
  • TBD

• Zimbra web UI to Chandler Hub collection via CalDAV:
  • TBD

• Zimbra web UI to Chandler Desktop via IMAP:
  • Yes: Drag emails from Zimbra UI into Chandler task folders

• Chandler Desktop to Twitter:
  • Yes: Desktop has plugin available
  • Yes: Subscribe to Twitter channel via XMPP and see all messages on calendar timeline

• Chandler Desktop to Flickr:
  • Yes: Desktop has plugin available

• Chandler Desktop to Amazon:
  • Yes: Desktop has plugin available
  • Yes: Perform Amazon product search and have results appear as collection

• Yahoo calendar to Chandler Hub:
  • TBD
  • Probably: Import/export ICS from/to Desktop and Hub (import only)

• Chandler Hub to Yahoo calendar:
  • No support

• Chandler Desktop to RSCDS:
  • Yes: Basic functionality; server author has tested interop.

• Chandler Desktop to Apple Calendar Server:
  • Yes: Basic functionality; server author and OSAF have tested interop.

Interop questions for product categories

Desktop clients

• Can subscribe to Hub-provided webcal
• Can subscribe to Hub collection via CalDAV
• Can create/delete event (and task) in Hub-hosted CalDAV collection
• Can modify event (and task) in Hub-hosted CalDAV collection
• Can cr subscribe to Hub-provided webcal
• Desktop can import events, todos via app-created ICS file
• App can import events, todos via Desktop-generated ICS file
• App can import events, todos via Hub-generated ICS file
• Recurrence. Create, display, modify, delete. Splitting recurrences.
• Event modifications. Create, display.
• Synchronize operation via CalDAV works
• Can send/receive invitations/replies (iTip)
• Can subscribe to free-busy (*.icb, *.vcf?) files
• Can publish free-busy files/URLs (*.icb)

Web services

• Webcal/ICS. Import/export.
• Gdata for Google Calendar

Email clients

• Receipt of iMip message
• Receipt of vCard message
• Receipt of EIM message

Web browsers

• Login to Hub. Create Hub account.
• Display dashboard/calendar. All Hub features work.

Calendar servers

• Create/update/delete calendar
• Create/update/delete event, task

Email servers

• Create Chandler Events/Tasks folders
• Send

Additional interoperability issues to track

• Splitting upload of webcal into individual events (iCal 2.x read-write webcal)
• Protocols: WebDAV, HTTP proxy, SSL+TLS for HTTP, IMAP, SMTP, POP
• Authentication: LDAP, Shibboleth, OAuth, OpenID
• Timezones