Setting up rss feeds

Big D · #1 (**permalink**) 20-12-2007, 11:46 AM

Hello,

I've been trying to figure out the basics of setting up a simple rss feed from, say, the BBC, on a .php page, but having gone through umpteen articles on the net I am going round in circles.

I cannot figure out what I am meant to be creating file-wise to upload to site - and where - and what actually goes in the particular page I want the feed to appear on.

If anyone can help me along the way with this one I'd be very grateful.

Big D.

Forbairt · #2 (**permalink**) 20-12-2007, 12:31 PM

various ways you can go about this really ...

url =
BBC News | News Front Page | World Edition

get yourself
Magpie RSS - PHP RSS Parser

read the documentations .. and away you go ?

Forbairt · #3 (**permalink**) 20-12-2007, 12:34 PM

should add

Code:

require_once 'rss_fetch.inc';

$url = 'http://magpie.sf.net/samples/imc.1-0.rdf';
$rss = fetch_rss($url);

echo "Site: ", $rss->channel['title'], "<br>
";
foreach ($rss->items as $item ) {
	$title = $item[title];
	$url   = $item[link];
	echo "<a href=$url>$title</a></li><br>
";
}

You may also want to download the rss feed to your site and refresh it on intervals of 5 minutes 10 minutes so that you don't end up hammering the bbc website

for example if you site gets hit once a minute ... that'd be 60 hits to the BBC ... if you site gets hit 10 times a minute .. it'd be 600 hits .. and so on ... so the bbc may not like you doing that

You'll also be required to link back to their site / articles and give your source in most cases

Big D · #4 (**permalink**) 20-12-2007, 01:05 PM

Forbairt, thank you for your reply.

I've just posted a message in the General chat section to explain that I've had to learn on the hoof since I lost my webmaster of 10 years, so there are still gaping holes in my knowledge.

However, it looks as though Magpierss has already been placed on my site for a feed set up by my former webmaster.

I notice there are 4 rss files in the directory:

rss.php
rss_cache.inc
rss_fetch.inc
rss_parse.inc

and the rss.php file reads as follows:

<?php
require_once 'rss_fetch.inc';
$url = 'http://news.bbc.co.uk/rss/newsonline_uk_edition/northern_ireland/rss091.xml';
$rss = fetch_rss($url);
$id=0;
echo "Site: ", $rss->channel['title'], " \n";
foreach ($rss->items as $item ) {
if($id=="5") {
echo "</td><td>\n";
}
if($id=="10") {
echo "</td><td>\n";
}
if($id=="15") {
break;
}
$id++;
$title = $item[title];
$url = $item[link];
$description = $item[description];
echo "<a href=$url>$title</a> $description</li> \n";
}
?>

What I can't figure out is what code I should put in the page on which I would like the feed to appear, i.e. how do I activate the feed on a given web page?

Forbairt · #5 (**permalink**) 20-12-2007, 01:17 PM

create a new file just to test its all working "filename.php"

put all your code into it I've simplified it slightly ... I think this code was being included as part of another file.

Code:

<?php

require_once 'rss_fetch.inc';

$url = 'http://news.bbc.co.uk/rss/newsonline_uk_edition/northern_ireland/rss091.xml';
$rss = fetch_rss($url);

echo "Site: ", $rss->channel['title'], "<br>\n";

foreach ($rss->items as $item ) {

 $title = $item[title];
 $url   = $item[link];
 $description   = $item[description];
 echo "<a href=$url>$title</a><br>$description</li><br>\n";

}

?>

once you know this is working ...

anywhere you want this to appear you could just put the code
<?PHP include "filename.php"; ?>

Big D · #6 (**permalink**) 20-12-2007, 01:39 PM

Forbairt, thank you very much for that - I have it working!

Just a couple of quickies:

1. Can these feeds be styled with css?
2. Presumably the feed source can simply be changed by changing the URL?

Forbairt · #7 (**permalink**) 20-12-2007, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big D

Forbairt, thank you very much for that - I have it working!

Just a couple of quickies:

1. Can these feeds be styled with css?
2. Presumably the feed source can simply be changed by changing the URL?

Code:

echo "<a href=$url>$title</a><br>$description</li><br>\n";

there you have your link urls so yes you just have to give them a class or put the whole thing in a container div ? ... for example

Code:

<div class="rssFeed">
...
...
</div>

then its just down to you to style the output

I'd almost recommend you remove the $url bit from your include file

then when ever you want to include a rss feed

Code:

<?PHP
$url = "http://www.myurlformyrssfeed.com/my.rss";
include "filename.php"
?>

Big D · #8 (**permalink**) 20-12-2007, 02:16 PM

Right, I've managed to get the thing going and have styled it a bit with css, but the feed is pretty long - what way - if any - is there of controlling the number of items in the feed?

Until I get familiar with what each piece of the code does and get more adept at rss feeds generally I will almost certainly require more help, but I have to say that I do really appreciate your helpfulness.

To show my good faith in the meantime would a link from my website Library Ireland: Irish History and Culture to your site be of any use?

Big D.

Forbairt · #9 (**permalink**) 20-12-2007, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big D

Right, I've managed to get the thing going and have styled it a bit with css, but the feed is pretty long - what way - if any - is there of controlling the number of items in the feed?

Until I get familiar with what each piece of the code does and get more adept at rss feeds generally I will almost certainly require more help, but I have to say that I do really appreciate your helpfulness.

To show my good faith in the meantime would a link from my website Library Ireland: Irish History and Culture to your site be of any use?

Big D.

to control the number of items you could do something like this

Code:


$rss = fetch_rss($url);
$items = array_slice($rss->items, 0, 5);

where 5 is ... the number of items...

A link wouldn't hurt but isn't necessary

Big D · #10 (**permalink**) 20-12-2007, 03:16 PM

Forbairt,

The array slice line hasn't affected the length of the feed - don't know whether I've done something wrong?--

Code:

<?php
require_once 'rss_fetch.inc';
$url = 'http://news.bbc.co.uk/rss/newsonline_uk_edition/northern_ireland/rss091.xml';
$rss = fetch_rss($url);
$items = array_slice($rss->items, 0, 5);
echo "Site: ", $rss->channel['title'], "<br>\n";
foreach ($rss->items as $item ) {
 $title = $item[title];
 $url   = $item[link];
 $description   = $item[description];
 echo "<a href=$url>$title</a><br>$description</li><br>\n";
}
?>

For what it might be worth I have set up a link to your site at the following url Free Irish Reference Works

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