Format date output in a nonRendered xPage - xpages

Question

I am attempting to implement Julian Buss' terrific method of ical output as a non rendered xpage (http://blog.youatnotes.de/web/youatnotes/blog-jb.nsf/dx/how-to-implement-an-icalendar-feed-with-xpages.htm?opendocument&comments). But I am unable to get the date to show up as a proper ISO date format yyyymmdd
I am getting my date from a notes view. Formatting the columns has no affect. I have tried various methods of formatting the date using javascript and failed.
I am not sure if what I am doing is possible. If I should be looking at making the change to the Notes view. Or should I make the change in javascript?
Also open to alternative methods of producing an ics file from a notes database.
Here is the code from my non rendered xpage
<xp:this.afterRenderResponse><![CDATA[#{javascript:var exCon = facesContext.getExternalContext();
var writer = facesContext.getResponseWriter();
var response = exCon.getResponse();
var nview:NotesView = database.getView("ical");
nview.setAutoUpdate(false);
var vc:NotesViewEntryCollection = nview.getAllEntries();
var ve:NotesViewEntry = vc.getFirstEntry();
var values;
var date;
var body;
var period;
var i = 0;
response.setContentType("text/calendar");
response.setHeader("Cache-Control", "no-cache");
writer.write("BEGIN:VCALENDAR\r\n");
writer.write("VERSION:2.0\r\n");
writer.write("X-LOTUS-CHARSET:UTF-8\r\n");
while (ve) {
values = ve.getColumnValues();
date = ve.getColumnValues()[1];
edate = ve.getColumnValues()[2];
body = values.elementAt(3);
period = values.elementAt(2);
writer.write("BEGIN:VEVENT\r\n");
writer.write("DTSTART:"+date+"T080000\r\n");
writer.write("DTEND:"+edate+"T080000\r\n");
writer.write("DESCRIPTION:"+body+"\r\n");
writer.write("END:VEVENT\r\n");
ve = vc.getNextEntry(ve); } writer.write("END:VCALENDAR\r\n");
writer.endDocument(); }]]></xp:this.afterRenderResponse>
This is the output from an event
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART:08/12/2004T080000
DTEND:08/13/2004T080000
DESCRIPTION:Patrick Sawyer: Out of Office
END:VEVENT

Answer 1

Patric,
best you write that output in Java. Create a class where you pass the writer and the database as parameter. Inside use the SimpleDateFormat to bend your date object to your will.
... and recycle!
JavaScript:
var exCon = facesContext.getExternalContext();
var writer = facesContext.getResponseWriter();
var response = exCon.getResponse();
response.setContentType("text/calendar");
response.setHeader("Cache-Control", "no-cache");
var ich = new com.yourdomain.IcalHelper();
ich.renderIcal(database,writer);
writer.endDocument();
Java Class:
import java.io.PrintWriter;
import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
import java.util.Vector;
import lotus.domino.Database;
import lotus.domino.DateTime;
import lotus.domino.NotesException;
import lotus.domino.View;
import lotus.domino.ViewEntry;
import lotus.domino.ViewEntryCollection;
public class IcalHelper {
private static String NL = "\r\n";
#SuppressWarnings("rawtypes")
public void renderIcal(Database db, PrintWriter writer) throws NotesException {
writer.write("BEGIN:VCALENDAR");
writer.write(NL);
writer.write("VERSION:2.0");
writer.write(NL);
writer.write("X-LOTUS-CHARSET:UTF-8");
writer.write(NL);
// Adjust the pattern to your needs
SimpleDateFormat sdf = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyymmdd-T0800000");
View nview = db.getView("ical");
ViewEntryCollection vc = nview.getAllEntries();
ViewEntry ve = vc.getFirstEntry();
while (ve != null) {
ViewEntry nextVe = vc.getNextEntry(ve);
// Here is the writing of the entry
Vector values = ve.getColumnValues();
DateTime date = (DateTime) values.get(1);
DateTime edate = (DateTime) values.get(2);
writer.write("BEGIN:VEVENT");
writer.write(NL);
writer.write("DTSTART:");
writer.write(sdf.format(date.toJavaDate()));
writer.write(NL);
writer.write("DTEND:");
writer.write(sdf.format(edate.toJavaDate()));
writer.write(NL);
writer.write("DESCRIPTION:");
writer.write(values.get(3).toString());
writer.write(NL);
writer.write("END:VEVENT\r\n");
date.recycle();
edate.recycle();
ve.recycle();
ve = nextVe;
}
vc.recycle();
nview.recycle();
writer.write("END:VCALENDAR\r\n");
}
}
P.S.:
In 9.0.1 the calendar API does ICAL

Answer 2

try it with NotesDateTime and Date
...
var dt:NotesDateTime;
var edt:NotesDateTime;
var jdt:Date;
var jedt:Date;
var ve2:NotesViewEntry
while (ve) {
values = ve.getColumnValues();
dt = session.createDateTime(ve.getColumnValues()[1]);
jdt = dt.toJavaDate;
edt = session.createDateTime(ve.getColumnValues()[2]);
jedt = edt.toJavaDate;
body = values.elementAt(3);
period = values.elementAt(2);
writer.write("BEGIN:VEVENT\r\n");
writer.write("DTSTART:"+ jdt.getYear + jdt.getMonth + jdt.getDay +"T080000\r\n");
writer.write("DTEND:"+ jedt.getYear + jedt.getMonth + jedt.getDay +"T080000\r\n");
writer.write("DESCRIPTION:"+body+"\r\n");
writer.write("END:VEVENT\r\n");
ve2=ve;
ve.recycle;
ve=null;
ve = vc.getNextEntry(ve2);
ve2.recycle;
ve2=null;
dt.recycle;
edt.recycle;
dt=null;
edt=null;
}