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3.2.19. Time Zone Identifier

Parameter Name

TZID

Purpose

To specify the identifier for the time zone definition for a time component in the property value.

Format Definition

This property parameter is defined by the following notation:

 tzidparam  = "TZID" "=" [tzidprefix] paramtext

 tzidprefix = "/"

Description

This parameter MUST be specified on the "DTSTART", "DTEND", "DUE", "EXDATE", and "RDATE" properties when either a DATE-TIME or TIME value type is specified and when the value is neither a UTC or a "floating" time. Refer to the DATE-TIME or TIME value type definition for a description of UTC and "floating time" formats. This property parameter specifies a text value that uniquely identifies the "VTIMEZONE" calendar component to be used when evaluating the time portion of the property. The value of the "TZID" property parameter will be equal to the value of the "TZID" property for the matching time zone definition. An individual "VTIMEZONE" calendar component MUST be specified for each unique "TZID" parameter value specified in the iCalendar object.

The parameter MUST be specified on properties with a DATE-TIME value if the DATE-TIME is not either a UTC or a "floating" time. Failure to include and follow VTIMEZONE definitions in iCalendar objects may lead to inconsistent understanding of the local time at any given location.

The presence of the SOLIDUS character as a prefix, indicates that this "TZID" represents a unique ID in a globally defined time zone registry (when such registry is defined).

Note: This document does not define a naming convention for time zone identifiers. Implementers may want to use the naming conventions defined in existing time zone specifications such as the public-domain TZ database [TZDB]. The specification of globally unique time zone identifiers is not addressed by this document and is left for future study.

The following are examples of this property parameter:

 DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:19980119T020000

 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:19980119T030000

The "TZID" property parameter MUST NOT be applied to DATE properties and DATE-TIME or TIME properties whose time values are specified in UTC.

The use of local time in a DATE-TIME or TIME value without the "TZID" property parameter is to be interpreted as floating time, regardless of the existence of "VTIMEZONE" calendar components in the iCalendar object.

For more information, see the sections on the value types DATE- TIME and TIME.

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