CalDAV and CardDAV 101

CalDAV and CardDAV are application layer computer network protocols that enable users to synchronize and manage their calendar (CalDAV) and contact (CardDAV) data across multiple devices and platforms. These open standards protocols leverage the (World Wide Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning) protocol, which provides a framework for users to create, change, and move documents on a server. In this post, we will explore the purpose, benefits, and use cases of both CalDAV and CardDAV.

What is CalDAV?

CalDAV (Calendar Distributed Authoring and Versioning) is a protocol that allows users to access, manage, and share their calendar data (such as events, appointments, and reminders) on multiple devices. CalDAV is based on the iCalendar format, which is a standard format for storing and exchanging calendar information.

Benefits of CalDAV

• Interoperability: CalDAV enables users to synchronize their calendar data across various devices, platforms, and applications.
• Collaboration: CalDAV supports sharing of calendar data with other users, allowing for easy collaboration and scheduling.
• Open standard: CalDAV is an open protocol, which means that developers can easily integrate it into their applications, ensuring a wide range of compatibility.

What is CardDAV?

CardDAV (Card Distributed Authoring and Versioning) is a protocol that allows users to access, manage, and share their contact data (such as names, phone numbers, and email addresses) on multiple devices. CardDAV is based on the vCard format, which is a standard format for storing and exchanging contact information.

Benefits of CardDAV

• Interoperability: Like CalDAV, CardDAV enables users to synchronize their contact data across various devices, platforms, and applications.
• Sharing: CardDAV supports sharing of contact data with other users, making it easy to maintain a unified address book.
• Open standard: CardDAV is an open protocol, allowing developers to integrate it into their applications and ensuring a wide range of compatibility.

CalDAV and CardDAV Servers and Clients

There are several CalDAV and CardDAV servers and clients available in the market, catering to different needs and preferences.

Some popular servers and services include:

• iCloud: Apple’s cloud service, which provides CalDAV and CardDAV support for Apple Calendar and Apple Contacts.
• Google Calendar: Google’s calendar service, which offers CalDAV support for synchronizing events and appointments.
• Nextcloud: An open-source, self-hosted cloud platform that includes CalDAV and CardDAV support.

Some popular CalDAV and CardDAV clients include:

• Apple Calendar and Apple Contacts: The default calendar and contact applications on macOS and iOS devices, which support CalDAV and CardDAV synchronization.
• Microsoft Outlook: A popular email and personal information management application that can be configured to work with CalDAV and CardDAV servers.
• Thunderbird: A free, open-source email client that can be extended with the Lightning calendar add-on and the CardBook add-on for CalDAV and CardDAV support.