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Update appointments and meetings by using EWS in Exchange

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Learn how to update appointments and meetings by using the EWS Managed API or EWS in Exchange.

The essential difference between meetings and appointments is that meetings have attendees, and appointments don't. Both appointments and meetings can be single instances or part of a recurring series, but because appointments don't include attendees, rooms, or resources, they do not require a message to be sent. Internally, Exchange uses the same object for both meetings and appointments. You use the EWS Managed API Appointment class or the EWS CalendarItem element to work with meetings and appointments.

Table 1. EWS Managed API method and EWS operations for updating appointments and meetings

EWS Managed API method Corresponding EWS operations
Appointment.Update
UpdateItem

UpdateItemResponse

Update an appointment by using the EWS Managed API

The following code example shows how to use the Appointment object to update properties associated with an appointment and the Update method to save the appointment to your calendar folder.

This example assumes that you have authenticated to an Exchange server and have acquired an ExchangeService object named service. The local variable appointmentId is an identifier associated with an existing appointment.

// Instantiate an appointment object by binding to it by using the ItemId.
// As a best practice, limit the properties returned to only the ones you need.
Appointment appointment = Appointment.Bind(service, appointmentId, new PropertySet(AppointmentSchema.Subject, AppointmentSchema.Start, AppointmentSchema.End));
string oldSubject = appointment.Subject;
// Update properties on the appointment with a new subject, start time, and end time.
appointment.Subject = appointment.Subject + " moved one hour later and to the day after " + appointment.Start.DayOfWeek + "!";
appointment.Start.AddHours(25);
appointment.End.AddHours(25);
// Unless explicitly specified, the default is to use SendToAllAndSaveCopy.
// This can convert an appointment into a meeting. To avoid this,
// explicitly set SendToNone on non-meetings.
SendInvitationsOrCancellationsMode mode = appointment.IsMeeting ? 
    SendInvitationsOrCancellationsMode.SendToAllAndSaveCopy : SendInvitationsOrCancellationsMode.SendToNone;
// Send the update request to the Exchange server.
appointment.Update(ConflictResolutionMode.AlwaysOverwrite, mode);
// Verify the update.
Console.WriteLine("Subject for the appointment was \"" + oldSubject + "\". The new subject is \"" + appointment.Subject + "\"");

Update an appointment by using EWS

The request and response XML in the following examples correspond to calls made by the EWS Managed API code in Update an appointment by using the EWS Managed API.

The following example shows the request XML when you use the UpdateItem operation to update an appointment.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<soap:Envelope xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:m="https://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/messages"
       xmlns:t="https://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types" xmlns:soap="https://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
  <soap:Header>
    <t:RequestServerVersion Version="Exchange2007_SP1" />
    <t:TimeZoneContext>
      <t:TimeZoneDefinition Id="Pacific Standard Time" />
    </t:TimeZoneContext>
  </soap:Header>
  <soap:Body>
    <m:UpdateItem MessageDisposition="SaveOnly" ConflictResolution="AlwaysOverwrite" SendMeetingInvitationsOrCancellations="SendToNone">
      <m:ItemChanges>
        <t:ItemChange>
          <t:ItemId Id="AAMkA" ChangeKey="DwAAAB" />
          <t:Updates>
            <t:SetItemField>
              <t:FieldURI FieldURI="item:Subject" />
              <t:CalendarItem>
                <t:Subject>Tennis Lesson moved one hour later and to the day after Wednesday!</t:Subject>
              </t:CalendarItem>
            </t:SetItemField>
          </t:Updates>
        </t:ItemChange>
      </m:ItemChanges>
    </m:UpdateItem>
  </soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>

The following example shows the XML that is returned in response to an UpdateItem request. The ItemId and ChangeKey attributes have been shortened for readability.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<s:Envelope xmlns:s="https://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
  <s:Header>
    <h:ServerVersionInfo MajorVersion="15" MinorVersion="0" MajorBuildNumber="815" MinorBuildNumber="6" Version="V2_7" 
 xmlns:h="https://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types" xmlns="https://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types" 
 xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" />
  </s:Header>
  <s:Body xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
    <m:UpdateItemResponse xmlns:m="https://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/messages" xmlns:t="https://schemas.microsoft.com/exc
hange/services/2006/types">
      <m:ResponseMessages>
        <m:UpdateItemResponseMessage ResponseClass="Success">
          <m:ResponseCode>NoError</m:ResponseCode>
          <m:Items>
            <t:CalendarItem>
              <t:ItemId Id="AAMkA" ChangeKey="DwAAAB" />
            </t:CalendarItem>
          </m:Items>
          <m:ConflictResults>
            <t:Count>0</t:Count>
          </m:ConflictResults>
        </m:UpdateItemResponseMessage>
      </m:ResponseMessages>
    </m:UpdateItemResponse>
  </s:Body>
</s:Envelope>

Update a meeting by using the EWS Managed API

When you update a meeting, in addition to saving the modified appointment item to the calendar folder, you also typically want to send updated meeting requests to attendees. The following code example shows how to update a meeting and send meeting requests.

This example assumes that you have authenticated to an Exchange server and have acquired an ExchangeService object named service. The local variable meetingId is an identifier that is associated with an existing appointment.

// Instantiate an appointment object by binding to it using the ItemId.
// As a best practice, limit the properties returned to only the Appointment ID.
Appointment meeting = Appointment.Bind(service, meetingId, new PropertySet(AppointmentSchema.Subject, 
                                                                           AppointmentSchema.Location, 
                                                                           AppointmentSchema.RequiredAttendees, 
                                                                           AppointmentSchema.Resources));
string oldSubject = meeting.Subject;
// Update properties on the appointment with a new subject, location, an additional required attendee, and a resource.
meeting.Subject = "Team building exercise has moved!";
meeting.Location = "4567 Contoso Way, Redmond, OH 33333, USA";
meeting.RequiredAttendees.Add("alisa@contoso.com");
meeting.Resources.Add("dlpprojector@contoso.com");
// Send the update request to the Exchange server.
meeting.Update(ConflictResolutionMode.AlwaysOverwrite, SendInvitationsOrCancellationsMode.SendToAllAndSaveCopy);
// Verify the update.
Console.WriteLine("Subject for the meeting was \"" + oldSubject + "\". The new subject is \"" + meeting.Subject + "\"");

After setting the properties on the Appointment object, save the meeting to your calendar folder and send updated meeting requests by using the Update method.

You can pass in one of two enumeration values as parameters when you call the Update method:

When you set the ConflictResolutionMode enumeration value to AlwaysOverwrite, your version of the meeting will always be saved to the calendar folder.

Update a meeting by using EWS

The request and response XML in the following examples correspond to calls made by the EWS Managed API code in Update a meeting by using the EWS Managed API.

The following example shows the request XML when you use the UpdateItem operation to update a meeting.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<soap:Envelope xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:m="https://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/messages"
               xmlns:t="https://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types" xmlns:soap="https://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
  <soap:Header>
    <t:RequestServerVersion Version="Exchange2007_SP1" />
    <t:TimeZoneContext>
      <t:TimeZoneDefinition Id="Pacific Standard Time" />
    </t:TimeZoneContext>
  </soap:Header>
  <soap:Body>
    <m:UpdateItem MessageDisposition="SaveOnly" ConflictResolution="AlwaysOverwrite" SendMeetingInvitationsOrCancellations="SendToAllAndSaveCopy">
      <m:ItemChanges>
        <t:ItemChange>
          <t:ItemId Id="AAMkA" ChangeKey="DwAAA" />
          <t:Updates>
            <t:SetItemField>
              <t:FieldURI FieldURI="item:Subject" />
              <t:CalendarItem>
                <t:Subject>Team building exercise has moved!</t:Subject>
              </t:CalendarItem>
            </t:SetItemField>
            <t:SetItemField>
              <t:FieldURI FieldURI="calendar:Location" />
              <t:CalendarItem>
                <t:Location>4567 Contoso Way, Redmond, OH 33333, USA</t:Location>
              </t:CalendarItem>
            </t:SetItemField>
            <t:SetItemField>
              <t:FieldURI FieldURI="calendar:RequiredAttendees" />
              <t:CalendarItem>
                <t:RequiredAttendees>
                  <t:Attendee>
                    <t:Mailbox>
                      <t:Name>Mack.Chaves@contoso.com</t:Name>
                      <t:EmailAddress>Mack.Chaves@contoso.com</t:EmailAddress>
                      <t:RoutingType>SMTP</t:RoutingType>
                    </t:Mailbox>
                  </t:Attendee>
                  <t:Attendee>
                    <t:Mailbox>
                      <t:Name>Sadie.Daniels@contoso.com</t:Name>
                      <t:EmailAddress>Sadie.Daniels@contoso.com</t:EmailAddress>
                      <t:RoutingType>SMTP</t:RoutingType>
                    </t:Mailbox>
                  </t:Attendee>
                  <t:Attendee>
                    <t:Mailbox>
                      <t:EmailAddress>alisa@contoso.com</t:EmailAddress>
                    </t:Mailbox>
                  </t:Attendee>
                </t:RequiredAttendees>
              </t:CalendarItem>
            </t:SetItemField>
            <t:SetItemField>
              <t:FieldURI FieldURI="calendar:Resources" />
              <t:CalendarItem>
                <t:Resources>
                  <t:Attendee>
                    <t:Mailbox>
                      <t:EmailAddress>dlpprojector@contoso.com</t:EmailAddress>
                    </t:Mailbox>
                  </t:Attendee>
                </t:Resources>
              </t:CalendarItem>
            </t:SetItemField>
          </t:Updates>
        </t:ItemChange>
      </m:ItemChanges>
    </m:UpdateItem>
  </soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>

The following example shows the XML that is returned in response to an UpdateItem request. The ChangeKey and ItemId attributes have been shortened for readability.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<s:Envelope xmlns:s="https://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
  <s:Header>
    <h:ServerVersionInfo MajorVersion="15" MinorVersion="0" MajorBuildNumber="815" MinorBuildNumber="6" Version="V2_7" 
 xmlns:h="https://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types" 
 xmlns="https://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" 
 xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" />
  </s:Header>
  <s:Body xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
    <m:UpdateItemResponse xmlns:m="https://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/messages" xmlns:t="https://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types">
      <m:ResponseMessages>
        <m:UpdateItemResponseMessage ResponseClass="Success">
          <m:ResponseCode>NoError</m:ResponseCode>
          <m:Items>
            <t:CalendarItem>
              <t:ItemId Id="AAMkA" ChangeKey="DwAAA" />
            </t:CalendarItem>
          </m:Items>
          <m:ConflictResults>
            <t:Count>0</t:Count>
          </m:ConflictResults>
        </m:UpdateItemResponseMessage>
      </m:ResponseMessages>
    </m:UpdateItemResponse>
  </s:Body>
</s:Envelope>

See also