if (isRecurring >= 0) { // VARIANT_BOOL true is -1. If not recurring continue
            pAppointment->Release();
            continue;
        }

        IRecurrencePattern *pRecurrence;
        pAppointment->GetRecurrencePattern (&pRecurrence);

        IExceptions* pExceptions;
        int numExceptions;

        pRecurrence->get_Exceptions(&pExceptions);

        if (!pExceptions) { // there are no exception in this occurrence
            continue;
        }

        pExceptions->get_Count(&numExceptions);

        for (int i = 0; i < numExceptions; i++) {
            IException* pException;
            pExceptions->Item(i + 1, &pException);

            // if the recurrence is deleted get the deletion and continue to the next appointment
            VARIANT_BOOL isDeleted;
            pException->get_Deleted(&isDeleted);
            if (isDeleted == -1) {
                pException->Release();
                continue;
            }

            IAppointment* pAppointmentExc, *pAppointmentCopy, *pAppointmentNew;
            pException->get_AppointmentItem(&pAppointmentExc);

            HRESULT h = pAppointment->Copy(&pAppointmentCopy);

            // copy the fields from the pAppintmentExc to the pAppointmentCopy
            copyFields(pAppointmentExc, pAppointmentCopy);

            pAppointmentExc->Delete();
            pAppointmentExc->Release();

            pAppointmentCopy->Save();

            /*
            * There is an exception in ClearRecurrencePattern on the copy appointment.
            * it is safe to open a new appointment object
            */
            long oid = 0;
            h = pAppointmentCopy->get_Oid(&oid);
            pAppointmentCopy->Release();

            polApp->GetItemFromOid (oid, (IDispatch**)&pAppointmentNew);
            if (pAppointmentNew) {
                h = pAppointmentNew->ClearRecurrencePattern();
                pAppointmentNew->Save();
                pAppointmentNew->Release();
            } else {
                LOG.error("Appointment normalization: it is impossible to clear the pattern %i", oid);
            }
            pException->Release();

        }
        pExceptions->Release();
        pRecurrence->Release();

        pAppointment->Release();
    }

    pFolder->Release();
    pItems->Release();

    return TRUE;
}

/*
* The method calculate the CRC hash value for the appointment item.
* It create the XML structure and calculate the crc value.
* Use to compare for understand the modified value!
*
* @param pAppointment : the appointment object that contain every value
*/

long calculateAppointmentHash (IAppointment* pAppointment) {

    wstring p;
    populateAppointmentStringItem(p, pAppointment, TRUE);

    long l = stringCrc32(p.data());

    return l;
}

VObject* AppointmentToVObject(IAppointment *pAppointment) {

    BSTR element = NULL;
    DATE startdate = NULL;
    DATE enddate   = NULL;
    VObject* vo = new VObject();
    VProperty* vp      = NULL;
    wchar_t*  dateValue = new wchar_t[20];

    vp = new VProperty(TEXT("BEGIN"), TEXT("VCALENDAR"));
    vo->addProperty(vp);
    delete vp; vp = NULL;

    vp = new VProperty(TEXT("VERSION"), TEXT("2.0"));
    vo->addProperty(vp);
    delete vp; vp = NULL;

    vp = new VProperty(TEXT("BEGIN"), TEXT("VEVENT"));
    vo->addProperty(vp);
    delete vp; vp = NULL;

    pAppointment->get_Subject(&element);
    if(wcscmp(element, TEXT(""))) {
        vp = new VProperty(TEXT("SUMMARY"), element);
        vo->addProperty(vp);
        delete vp; vp = NULL;
    }

    pAppointment->get_Location(&element);
    if(wcscmp(element, TEXT(""))) {
        vp = new VProperty(TEXT("LOCATION"), element);
        vo->addProperty(vp);
        delete vp; vp = NULL;
    }

    pAppointment->get_Body(&element);
    if(wcscmp(element, TEXT(""))) {
        vp = new VProperty(TEXT("DESCRIPTION"), element);
        vo->addProperty(vp);
        delete vp; vp = NULL;
    }

    pAppointment->get_Start(&startdate);
    dateValue[0] = 0;
    doubleToSystemTime(dateValue, startdate);
    vp = new VProperty(TEXT("DTSTART"), dateValue);
    vo->addProperty(vp);
    delete vp; vp = NULL;

    pAppointment->get_End(&enddate);
    dateValue[0] = 0;
    doubleToSystemTime(dateValue, enddate);
    vp = new VProperty(TEXT("DTEND"), dateValue);
    vo->addProperty(vp);
    delete [] vp; vp = NULL;

    pAppointment->get_Categories(&element);
    if(wcscmp(element, TEXT(""))) {
        vp = new VProperty(TEXT("CATEGORIES"), element);
        vo->addProperty(vp);
        delete vp; vp = NULL;
    }

    long sensitivity;
    pAppointment->get_Sensitivity(&sensitivity);
    vp = new VProperty(TEXT("CLASS"));
    if(sensitivity == olPrivate)
        vp->addValue(TEXT("PRIVATE"));
    else
        vp->addValue(TEXT("PUBLIC"));
    vo->addProperty(vp);
    delete vp; vp = NULL;


    IRecipients* pRecipients;
    pAppointment->get_Recipients(&pRecipients);
    int countRecipient = 0;
    pRecipients->get_Count(&countRecipient);

    for(int i = 0; i < countRecipient; i++) {
        IRecipient* pRecipient;
        pRecipients->Item(i + 1, &pRecipient);

        wchar_t* attedee = new wchar_t[100];
        pRecipient->get_Name(&element);
        wcscat(attedee, element);
        wcscat(attedee, TEXT(" "));
        pRecipient->get_Address(&element);
        wcscat(attedee, element);
        vp = new VProperty(TEXT("ATTENDEE"), attedee);
        vo->addProperty(vp);
        delete vp; vp = NULL;
        delete [] attedee; attedee = NULL;
        pRecipient->Release();
    }

    pRecipients->Release();

    if(dateValue)
    {
        delete [] dateValue; dateValue = NULL;
    }

    VARIANT_BOOL bReminder;
    pAppointment->get_ReminderSet(&bReminder);

    if(bReminder == VARIANT_TRUE) {
        long minBefore;
        pAppointment->get_ReminderMinutesBeforeStart(&minBefore);
        double minStartDate = startdate * 1440;
        //subtract the alarm
        minStartDate -= minBefore;

        if(dateValue)
        {     delete [] dateValue; dateValue = NULL;        }

        dateValue = new wchar_t[30];
        doubleToSystemTime(dateValue, minStartDate/1440);

        vp = new VProperty(TEXT("AALARM"));
        vp->addValue(dateValue);                        // "RunTime"
        vp->addValue(TEXT(""));                         // "Snooze Time" (empty)
        vp->addValue(TEXT("0"));                        // "Repeat Count"
        vp->addValue(TEXT("reminder"));                 // "Audio Content"
        vo->addProperty(vp);

        delete vp; vp = NULL;

        if(dateValue)
          {     delete [] dateValue; dateValue = NULL;        }

    }

    //recurrence
    VARIANT_BOOL isRec;
    pAppointment->get_IsRecurring(&isRec);

    if(isRec == VARIANT_TRUE) {
        IRecurrencePattern* pRecPat;
        pAppointment->GetRecurrencePattern(& pRecPat);
        wchar_t* recRule = NULL;
        recRule = extractRrule(pRecPat);
        if(recRule) {
            vp = new VProperty(TEXT("RRULE"), recRule);
            vo->addProperty(vp);
            delete vp; vp = NULL;
            delete [] recRule; recRule = NULL;
        }
        pRecPat->Release();
    }

    vp = new VProperty(TEXT("END"), TEXT("VEVENT"));
    vo->addProperty(vp);
    delete vp; vp = NULL;

    vp = new VProperty(TEXT("END"), TEXT("VCALENDAR"));
    vo->addProperty(vp);
    delete vp; vp = NULL;

    return vo;
}

void VObjectToAppointment(IAppointment *pAppointment, VObject *vo) {

    int i = 0;

    pAppointment->ClearRecurrencePattern ();

    if(vo->containsProperty(TEXT("SUMMARY")) && vo->getProperty(TEXT("SUMMARY"))->getValue())
        pAppointment->put_Subject(vo->getProperty(TEXT("SUMMARY"))->getValue());

    if(vo->containsProperty(TEXT("LOCATION")) && vo->getProperty(TEXT("LOCATION"))->getValue())
        pAppointment->put_Location(vo->getProperty(TEXT("LOCATION"))->getValue());

    if(vo->containsProperty(TEXT("DESCRIPTION")) && vo->getProperty(TEXT("DESCRIPTION"))->getValue())
        pAppointment->put_Body(vo->getProperty(TEXT("DESCRIPTION"))->getValue());

    DATE startdate = NULL;
    DATE enddate = NULL;

    if(vo->containsProperty(TEXT("DTSTART")) && vo->getProperty(TEXT("DTSTART"))->getValue()) {

        systemTimeToDouble(vo->getProperty(TEXT("DTSTART"))->getValue(), &startdate, NULL);
        pAppointment->put_Start(startdate);
        }

    if(vo->containsProperty(TEXT("DTEND")) && vo->getProperty(TEXT("DTEND"))->getValue()) {

        systemTimeToDouble(vo->getProperty(TEXT("DTEND"))->getValue(), &enddate, NULL);
        pAppointment->put_End(enddate);
        }

    BOOL isAllDay = isAllDayEvent(startdate, enddate);

    if(isAllDay)
        pAppointment->put_AllDayEvent(VARIANT_TRUE);
    else
        pAppointment->put_AllDayEvent(VARIANT_FALSE);

    if(vo->containsProperty(TEXT("CATEGORIES")) && vo->getProperty(TEXT("CATEGORIES"))->getValue())
        pAppointment->put_Categories(vo->getProperty(TEXT("CATEGORIES"))->getValue());


    if(vo->containsProperty(TEXT("CLASS")) && vo->getProperty(TEXT("CLASS"))->getValue()) {
        wchar_t* calClass = new wchar_t[20];
        wcscpy(calClass, vo->getProperty(TEXT("CLASS"))->getValue());
        if(!wcscmp(calClass, TEXT("PRIVATE")) || !wcscmp(calClass, TEXT("CONFIDENTIAL")))
            pAppointment->put_Sensitivity(olPrivate);
        else
            pAppointment->put_Sensitivity(olNormal);

        delete [] calClass;
    }
    else
        pAppointment->put_Sensitivity(olNormal);

    //ATTENDEE;ROLE=OWNER;STATUS=CONFIRMED:John Smith <jsmith@host1.com>
    //ATTENDEE;ROLE=ATTENDEE;STATUS=CONFIRMED;VALUE=URL;TYPE=VCARD:http://www.xyz.com/~myvcard.vcf
    IRecipients* pRecipients;
    pAppointment->get_Recipients(&pRecipients);
    int countRecipient = 0;
    pRecipients->get_Count(&countRecipient);

    for (i = 0; i < countRecipient; i++) {
        pRecipients->Remove(i + 1);
    }

    for(i = 0; i<vo->propertiesCount(); i++)
        if(!wcscmp(vo->getProperty(i)->getName(), TEXT("ATTENDEE")) &&
            vo->getProperty(i)->getValue() &&
            !vo->getProperty(i)->containsParameter(TEXT("VALUE"))) {

            wchar_t* attendee = new wchar_t[300];
            wcscpy(attendee, vo->getProperty(i)->getValue());

            wchar_t separator[] = TEXT("<");
            wchar_t* pos = NULL;

            pos = wcsstr(attendee, separator);

            if(pos) {
                wchar_t* name = new wchar_t[200];
                wcscpy(name, TEXT(""));
                if((pos - attendee)-1 > 0) {
                    wcsncpy(name, attendee, (pos - attendee)-1);
                    name[pos - attendee] = TEXT('\0');
                }

                wchar_t* addr = new wchar_t[200];
                wcscpy(addr, pos+1);
                addr[wcslen(addr) - 1] = TEXT('\0');

                IRecipient* pRecipient;
                pRecipients->Add(name, &pRecipient);
                pRecipient->put_Address(addr);
                pRecipient->Release();

                delete [] name;
                delete [] addr;
            }
        }

    pRecipients->Release();

    //alarm
    //The value consists of: Run Time, Snooze Time; Repeat Count, Audio Content
    if(vo->containsProperty(TEXT("AALARM")) && vo->getProperty(TEXT("AALARM"))->getValue()) {

        DATE runTime;
        systemTimeToDouble(vo->getProperty(TEXT("AALARM"))->getPropComponent(1), &runTime, NULL);

        long minBeforeEvent = long((startdate - runTime) * 1440);

        pAppointment->put_ReminderSet(VARIANT_TRUE);
        pAppointment->put_ReminderMinutesBeforeStart(minBeforeEvent);

    }

    //recurrence
    if((vo->containsProperty(TEXT("RRULE")) && vo->getProperty(TEXT("RRULE"))->getValue())) {

        pAppointment->ClearRecurrencePattern();

        IRecurrencePattern* pRecPat;
        pAppointment->GetRecurrencePattern(& pRecPat);


        DATE startDate;
        pAppointment->get_Start(&startDate);
        bool ret = convertRrule(pRecPat, vo->getProperty(TEXT("RRULE"))->getValue(), startDate);

        if(!ret)
            pAppointment->ClearRecurrencePattern();

        pRecPat->Release();

    }

}