sdolenc/0.md

One method of quickly creating a lot of events in google calendar is to import a CSV file. However, there is no support for directly adding "recurring" events (birthdays, anniversaries, etc). Here's the workarond.

Summarized steps

create csv file with events (no recurring)
import csv into a new, temporary google calendar
export temporary google calendar to an ics file
edit ics file to change events into recurring
import ics file into a new, permanent google calendar.
delete temporary google calendar

Detailed steps

1. create csv file with events (no recurring)

The CSV format can be found at https://support.google.com/calendar/answer/37118?hl=en

2. import csv into a new, temporary google calendar

3. export temporary google calendar to an ics file

4. edit ics file to change events into recurring

4a. manually by adding RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY between each set of VEVENT begin/close statements. For example:

BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180520
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180521
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY
...
END:VEVENT

or

4b. automatically by running this python

import icalendar
import os

def make_recurring():
    directory = os.path.dirname(__file__)
    with open(os.path.join(directory, 'noRecur.ics'), 'r') as fr:
        data = fr.read()

    cal = icalendar.Calendar.from_ical(data)
    for event in cal.subcomponents:
        if 'RRULE' not in event.keys():
            event.add('rrule', {'freq': ['YEARLY']})

    with open(os.path.join(directory, 'withRecur.ics'), 'wb') as fw:
        fw.write(cal.to_ical())

5. import ics file into a new, permanent google calendar.

6. delete temporary google calendar

sdolenc · 2021-07-21T17:32:34Z

Sorry to hear it isn't working yet. I need to add a bunch of recurring events to a calendar so I'll try this locally soon and get back to you around early August. For example: I might try out python-dateutil instead of icalendar, add typer for file name input, and I may temporarily deploy a small azure function that does this. Not sure yet

In the meantime: there are three other strategies you could try.

On Windows: notepad++ can record and play keystrokes as "macros". You can open the ics to add recurrence that way. If this is your first notepad++ macro then it may take a few tries to get something that works.
On linux, mac, git bash, or putty: sed can add lines to files. Ensure it does it "globally" throughout the file instead of just once. The flag should be g. For example
- "Insert lines using Regular expression" from http://www.yourownlinux.com/2015/04/sed-command-in-linux-append-and-insert-lines-to-file.html says sed '/PATTERN/ i <LINE-TO-BE-ADDED>' FILE.txt will "insert the line before every line where pattern match is found."
- https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/312121/add-a-line-in-file-with-awk-called-from-bash gives other examples
If you want to stick with the python example I wrote above then consider attaching a debugger to it with VS Code or PyCharm so you can see what happens at each step

Let me know how it goes. Best of luck!

ghost · 2021-07-24T05:55:07Z

Sorry for late reply, I tried the notepad++ route and it works!
I'll try other options some other time since I needed to do this ASAP. But I just want to say thank you so much for sparing your time and helping me. I'll look forward to your new version :)

Hsad1644 · 2021-08-02T07:41:46Z

The code below is ready to use requiring you to add the path of the noRecur.ics file in __file__ (the one exported from the temp calendar)

Code

import icalendar
import os
__file__ = "" # paste full path of the noRecur.ics file here within the double quotes
# the directories can be separated using //
# EXAMPLE - C://Users//apa//OneDrive//Documents//[email protected]//noRecur.ics


def make_recurring():
    directory = os.path.dirname(__file__)
    with open(os.path.join(directory, 'noRecur.ics'), 'r') as fr:
        data = fr.read()

    cal = icalendar.Calendar.from_ical(data)
    for event in cal.subcomponents:
        if 'RRULE' not in event.keys():
            event.add('rrule', {'freq': ['WEEKLY']}) # /!\ Change frequency of recurrence as per requirement here in all caps
# WEEKLY, YEARLY and MONTHLY are valid not so sure about DAILY

    with open(os.path.join(directory, 'withRecur.ics'), 'wb') as fw:
        fw.write(cal.to_ical())


make_recurring()

Running the code

Once the code is saved on your system, say as test.py, open sh or cmd and type -

python test.py

sdolenc · 2021-08-02T22:23:01Z

Thanks @Hsad1644 !

I'll eventually try out your suggested version and update the gist accordingly 👍

Hsad1644 · 2021-08-03T02:42:52Z

Thanks @Hsad1644 !

I'll eventually try out your suggested version and update the gist accordingly 👍

Its pretty much the same thing
I just added some comments and that one line to call make_recurring() 😃

Aimed at python amateurs. That's all.

Much thanks for this. I'm trying to incorporate it into a web app which will be useful for preparing a timetable from an .xlsx file for students in my university.

megalois · 2021-11-15T18:47:14Z

Great work, thanks!

dzigner · 2022-02-03T22:03:48Z

@Hsad1644
Just ran the python code - thank you. it works.

sdolenc · 2022-02-03T22:09:52Z

@dzigner i think running
pip install icalendar
will fix this

https://pypi.org/project/icalendar/

dzigner · 2022-02-03T22:37:25Z

@sdolenc
I have updated my comment - thanks

gprehder · 2022-08-14T20:01:09Z

Thank you for the code, it help me a lot!! One question, I've tried different ways but I didn't get it to work with recurring UNTIL. I always get an error stating that I should use datetime, but it does not work.

Thank you

abvgu · 2023-01-09T15:25:13Z

Greetings! I needed to bulk upload a lot of annual events to the Google calendar. Your code worked great. Thanks a lot!

okimselim · 2023-02-12T07:10:43Z

Why waste time with python? Just open the .ics in a text editor and find/replace all

END:VEVENT

with

RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY
END:VEVENT

Done in 2 seconds.

Hsad1644 · 2023-02-13T14:42:59Z

Yeah I lost that script to my cache memory xP (so thanks for your comment since you led me back to it). This is what i do now. alt + D on vscode helps a bunch because I use this for making my semester's weekly schedule.

The script was more like a solution to add to an app that I have planned to make for our uni.

sdolenc/0.md

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Summarized steps

Detailed steps

1. create csv file with events (no recurring)

2. import csv into a new, temporary google calendar

3. export temporary google calendar to an ics file

4. edit ics file to change events into recurring

5. import ics file into a new, permanent google calendar.

6. delete temporary google calendar

sdolenc commented Jul 21, 2021 •

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sdolenc/0.md

Summarized steps

Detailed steps

1. create csv file with events (no recurring)

2. import csv into a new, temporary google calendar

3. export temporary google calendar to an ics file

4. edit ics file to change events into recurring

5. import ics file into a new, permanent google calendar.

6. delete temporary google calendar

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Hsad1644 commented Aug 2, 2021

Code

Running the code

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