date - Perl Data::ICal print event time as T000000Z instead of omitting it -

i'm trying generate ical feed using data:ical events printed without time. i've read time not required if it's 000000 google calendar not handle events without time properly.

here example script , output. need output to in utc timezone.

#!/usr/bin/perl -w use strict; use date::ical; use data::ical; use data::ical::entry::event; use datetime; use data::dumper;  sub get_utc_offset($) {     ($orig_tz_str) = @_;      # using set winter date avoid problems daylight savings time     $utc_compare_datetime = datetime->new(         year      => 2012,         month     => 1,         day       => 1,         hour      => 1,         minute    => 1,         time_zone => 'utc'     );      $tz             = datetime::timezone->new(name => $orig_tz_str);     $utc_offset     = $tz->offset_for_datetime($utc_compare_datetime);     $utc_offset_str = datetime::timezone->offset_as_string($utc_offset);      return $utc_offset_str; }  sub add_ical_event($$$$$$) {     ($calendar, $start, $end, $summary, $description, $timezone) = @_;     $offset   = get_utc_offset($timezone);     $description = 'none' if (!$description);      $event = data::ical::entry::event->new();     $event->add_properties(         summary     => $summary,         description => $description,         dtstart     => date::ical->new( ical  => $start, offset => $offset )->ical,         dtend       => date::ical->new( ical  => $end,   offset => $offset )->ical,         dtstamp     => date::ical->new( epoch => time                      )->ical     );     $calendar->add_entry($event); }   # tests # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------  $timezone = 'america/new_york';  $calendar = data::ical->new(); $calendar->add_properties(     method         => "publish",     prodid         => "-//test cal//nonsgml calendar//en",     'x-wr-calname' => 'test cal' );  (%events) = (     1 => {         summary     => 'test shift tool - testing shift',         description => '',         start       => '20130828t160000',         end         => '20130828t190000',         timezone    => $timezone     },     2 => {         summary     => 'new member meeting',         description => '',         start       => '20130722t190000',         end         => '20130722t210000',         timezone    => $timezone     },     3 => {         summary     => 'public',         description => '',         start       => '20130630t130000',         end         => '20130630t140000',         timezone    => $timezone     } ); foreach $key (sort keys %events) {     $e = $events{$key};     add_ical_event(         $calendar,         $e->{start},         $e->{end},         $e->{summary},         $e->{description},         $e->{timezone}     ); } print $calendar->as_string; 

notice events have start or end dates without time. when manually add t000000z, events imported google calendar. suggestions on how force events have time?

begin:vcalendar version:2.0 method:publish prodid:-//digital cheetah//nonsgml calendar//en x-wr-calname:digital cheetah begin:vevent description:none dtend:20130829z dtstamp:20130823t214317z dtstart:20130828t210000z summary:test shift tool - testing shift end:vevent begin:vevent description:none dtend:20130723t020000z dtstamp:20130823t214317z dtstart:20130723z summary:new member meeting end:vevent begin:vevent description:none dtend:20130630t190000z dtstamp:20130823t214317z dtstart:20130630t180000z summary:public end:vevent end:vcalendar 

i've read time not required if it's 000000

that's not rfc says. let's refer following sections:

• 4.3.4 date
• 4.3.5 date-time
• 4.8.7.2 date/time

i'll quote relevant format specifications, here:

date               = date-value  date-value         = date-fullyear date-month date-mday date-fullyear      = 4digit  date-time  = date "t" time ;as specified in date , time                              ;value definitions  dtstamp    = "dtstamp" stmparam ":" date-time crlf 

when output includes dtstamp, ical specification expects date-time following it.

which brings date::ical , ical method. return ical date or date-time? turns out, tries guess format want checking whether timestamp has time of 000000. see @ line 286 of ical.pm.

it expect data::ical::entry handle scenario. missing validation code on end, @ moment i'm not seeing that's relevant. looks accepts property values without checking them.

depending on perspective, sounds bug or limitation of libraries.

so... how should fix this? ideally, 1 of these libraries should check , handle scenario. in meantime, though, need on feet:

quick , dirty fix: if time zero, bump 1 second; ical return valid inaccurate date-time string.

a little better: check return value ical; if it's date, reformat date-time.

test before using it, maybe this:

dtstart => $ical =~ s/(\d{8})z/$1t000000z/r;