I'm using the EAS API to create a calendar event in a MS Exchange calendar. (Using ThunderBird with TbSync plugin and EAS-4-TbSync provider)
The specification requires the "Timezone" field to be binary data that is base64-encoded before embedding to the XML, see https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/openspecs/exchange_server_protocols/ms-asdtype/fe4760d2-3f8a-4453-908d-e256a6319956
In particular it requires the "StandardName" field to be an array of 32 wide chars (2 Byte each) with unused characters set to zero.
The problem then is: Invites sent for this event (e.g. after creation or via OWA) still contain those padding zeros throwing off many other programs.
I believe this is a bug with the Exchange Server as it should remove those padding zeros on receiving them.
Example:
Request:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Sync xmlns='AirSync'>
<Collections>
<Collection>
<SyncKey>695568497</SyncKey>
<CollectionId>14</CollectionId>
<Commands>
<Change>
<ServerId>14%3A36</ServerId>
<ApplicationData>
<TimeZone xmlns='Calendar'>xP%2F%2F%2F0UAdQByAG8AcABlAC8AQgBlAHIAbABpAG4AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAoAAAAFAAIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEUAdQByAG8AcABlAC8AQgBlAHIAbABpAG4AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMAAAAFAAEAAAAAAAAAxP%2F%2F%2Fw%3D%3D</TimeZone>
<AllDayEvent xmlns='Calendar'>0</AllDayEvent>
<Body xmlns='AirSyncBase'>
<Type xmlns='AirSyncBase'>1</Type>
<EstimatedDataSize xmlns='AirSyncBase'>0</EstimatedDataSize>
<Data xmlns='AirSyncBase'/>
</Body>
<BusyStatus xmlns='Calendar'>2</BusyStatus>
<DtStamp xmlns='Calendar'>20200409T123557Z</DtStamp>
<EndTime xmlns='Calendar'>20200410T160000Z</EndTime>
<Location xmlns='Calendar'/>
<Sensitivity xmlns='Calendar'>1</Sensitivity>
<Subject xmlns='Calendar'>test</Subject>
<StartTime xmlns='Calendar'>20200410T150000Z</StartTime>
<UID xmlns='Calendar'>14%3A36</UID>
<MeetingStatus xmlns='Calendar'>1</MeetingStatus>
<Attendees xmlns='Calendar'/>
<Categories xmlns='Calendar'/>
</ApplicationData>
</Change>
</Commands>
</Collection>
</Collections>
</Sync>
Received event after base64 decoding (attachment is base64 encoded):
BEGIN:VCALENDAR
METHOD:PUBLISH
PRODID:Microsoft Exchange Server 2010
VERSION:2.0
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:Europe/Berlin�������������������
BEGIN:STANDARD
DTSTART:16010101T020000
TZOFFSETFROM:+0200
TZOFFSETTO:+0100
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1;BYDAY=-1SU;BYMONTH=10
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
DTSTART:16010101T010000
TZOFFSETFROM:+0100
TZOFFSETTO:+0200
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1;BYDAY=-1SU;BYMONTH=3
END:DAYLIGHT
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
ORGANIZER;CN="Grund, Alexander":MAILTO:alexander.grund@tu-dresden.de
SUMMARY;LANGUAGE=de-DE:test
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Berlin�������������������:20200410T170000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Berlin�������������������:20200410T180000
UID:14:36
CLASS:PERSONAL
PRIORITY:5
DTSTAMP:20200409T124729Z
TRANSP:OPAQUE
STATUS:CONFIRMED
SEQUENCE:0
LOCATION;LANGUAGE=de-DE:
X-MICROSOFT-CDO-APPT-SEQUENCE:0
X-MICROSOFT-CDO-OWNERAPPTID:2118404413
X-MICROSOFT-CDO-BUSYSTATUS:BUSY
X-MICROSOFT-CDO-INTENDEDSTATUS:BUSY
X-MICROSOFT-CDO-ALLDAYEVENT:FALSE
X-MICROSOFT-CDO-IMPORTANCE:1
X-MICROSOFT-CDO-INSTTYPE:0
X-MICROSOFT-DISALLOW-COUNTER:FALSE
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR
See the � chars above, which are NULL characters (that cannot be printed obviously)
Is there anything one can do at the client site or is this indeed a bug of the MS exchange server? If so does a patch exist?
