--- Mar 11/11/08, Georg C. F. Greve <greve@fsfeurope.org> ha scritto:
> I still have problems when trying to
> share my information with others or other devices --
> especially in terms  of Calendar entries.
> 
> Below I have attached a (real) example of my trip to FSCONS
> in Sweden in Org mode format. In agenda view, I see the 
> following:
> 
> Friday      7 December 2007
>  example:         10:40...... Flight SK 602 Zurich to
> Copenhagen --[2007-12-07 Fri 12:25]
>  example:         14:10...... Flight SK 438 Copenhagen to
> Gothenburg --[2007-12-07 Fri 14:55]
>  example:         Gothenburg, Sweden --[2007-12-09 Sun]
>  example:         FSCONS conference --[2007-12-08 Sat]
> Saturday    8 December 2007
>  example:         17:15...... Speech at closing ceremony 
> Sunday      9 December 2007
>  example:         15:30...... Flight SK 439 Gothenburg to
> Copenhagen --[2007-12-09 Sun 16:15]
>  example:         17:40...... Flight SK 609 Copenhagen to
> Zurich --[2007-12-09 Sun 19:25]
> 
> Note how I am using the inactive tags to delimit periods,
> which makes sure that things covering more than one 
> day (e.g. being in a city, or a conference) only show up 
> on their first day with information on when they'll end.
> This is pretty much how I like it.

Well, don't you like the "default" org-mode:
with the number of days (1/3)  ?
[abba.org is the name of the file where I copied your setup]

----------------------------Agenda view---------------------
Week-agenda (W49):
Monday      3 December 2007 W49
Tuesday     4 December 2007
Wednesday   5 December 2007
Thursday    6 December 2007
Friday      7 December 2007
  abba:       10:40-12:25 Flight SK 602 Zurich to Copenhagen 
  abba:       14:10-14:55 Flight SK 438 Copenhagen to Gothenburg 
  abba:       (1/3):  Gothenburg, Sweden 
            ^^^^^^^^^

  abba:       (1/2):  FSCONS conference
Saturday    8 December 2007
  abba:       17:15...... Speech at closing ceremony
  abba:       (2/3):  Gothenburg, Sweden 
  abba:       (2/2):  FSCONS conference
Sunday      9 December 2007
  abba:       15:30-16:15 Flight SK 439 Gothenburg to Copenhagen
  abba:       17:40-19:25 Flight SK 609 Copenhagen to Zurich
  abba:       (3/3):  Gothenburg, Sweden 
-------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Now I want to share this with another application or
> device, and do an export to iCalendar. 
[...]
> they are not necessarily what one would call bugs of 
> Org Mode, but rather issues resulting from the way
> the file is structured.
[...]
> The question at hand is: How to improve the structure of
> the file,

I think your org file should be structured better
exploiting the :PROPERTIES: 

-------------- abba.org.-----------
    -*- mode: org; -*-
* Gothenburg, Sweden 
:PROPERTIES:
CLOCK:   <2007-12-07 Fri>--<2007-12-09 Sun>
:DESCRIPTION:  FSCONS conference & trip
:END:
** Flight SK 602 Zurich to Copenhagen 
CLOCK: <2007-12-07 Fri 10:40>--<2007-12-07 Fri 12:25>
** Flight SK 438 Copenhagen to Gothenburg 
CLOCK: <2007-12-07 Fri 14:10>--<2007-12-07 Fri 14:55>
** Taxi waiting at airport arrival gate in Gothenburg
** FSCONS conference
:PROPERTIES:
CLOCK: <2007-12-07 Fr>--<2007-12-08 Sat>
:LOCATION: Accomodation: Hotel Riverton  Stora Badhusgatan 26   411 21 Goteborg, Sverige  Telefon    +46 31 750 10 00   Fax    +46(31)7501001
:END:
** Speech at closing ceremony
CLOCK:  <2007-12-08 Sat 17:15>
** Flight SK 439 Gothenburg to Copenhagen
CLOCK:  <2007-12-09 Sun 15:30>--<2007-12-09 Sun 16:15>
** Flight SK 609 Copenhagen to Zurich
CLOCK:  <2007-12-09 Sun 17:40>--<2007-12-09 Sun 19:25>
---------------------------

this file produces a correct iCal output (uploaded correctly 
to WebCal) (see attached file)

> can we put this into the documentation so users get an 
> idea of the canonical structure for calendars in Org Mode?

The documentation:

12.9 iCalendar export

appears quite clear to me:

"The export will honor SUMMARY, DESCRIPTION and LOCATION 

   properties 
^^^^^^^^^^^^^

if the selected entries have them.  If not, the summary will be derived
from the headline, and the description from the body (limited to
`org-icalendar-include-body' characters). "


cheers,
Giovanni


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