RSS (Real Simple Syndication) is a publishing method relying on XML as the file format. XML is very similar to HTML in structure, but not in content. RSS files made available for public use are called feeds or channels. RSS feeds are often used by blog authors to let their readers know a new article has been posted, by news services (CNN, CNBC, et al) to provide the latest headlines, weather services (NOAA, AccuWeather, Weather Channel, et al), and others that want to provide you with the latest information.
This article only covers how to put RSS feeds on your site. Generating an RSS feed cannot be accomplished in SiteSpinner and is not an easy task for the novice designer. If you want to publish your own RSS feed, there are several sites that provide RSS generator tools that will format your content into the required XML format. For example, the RSS feed for this site was generated using the RSS Editor plug-in for Firefox.
Both Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 2 support the display of RSS feeds, but the display of the RSS content is determined by the browser programmers and cannot be adapted for display on a standard HTML page. You can use SiteSpinner’s Iframe to display an RSS feed in these browsers, but the display will appear exactly as it would within the browser’s own framework. This may not be a desirable display for your site.
In order to display an RSS feed on your SiteSpinner page, it needs to be converted from XML to HTML. The easiest way to do this is to use existing services that will do the conversion for you. If you are a bit adventurous, you could install one of the freely available ASP or PHP conversion scripts. While this would give you the greatest control over the feed’s appearance on your page, it is not a very productive solution for one or two feeds.
There are several sites that provide conversion of an RSS feed and generates Javascript code that you can put inside a code object. Because the conversion takes place using their script, you do not have to worry about coding errors or installation issues. With these services, all you have to do is enter the RSS feed URL, press a button and the required script is presented for you to copy & paste. Most sites even provide formatting options so you can customize the feed display to suit your page design.
The following list is not all-inclusive. I have omitted sites requiring you to subscribe or requests your name and e-mail address (I believe these sites to be nothing more than e-mail harvesters). While all these sites perform XML to HTML conversion, you should pick the one that you feel is the easiest to use and provides the formatting options you require. The presentation order of a site in the list in no way should be taken as a recommendation.
This site’s conversion tool provides basic and advanced versions. Both versions will provide you with javascript code. When the page is previewed/published, the script executes an ASP script on the FeedSweep site, which formats the feed according to your design choices and displays it on your page.
In the basic version you can select from a list of commonly available feeds or provide your own. You can then go through steps to customize the appearance. Only a single feed is converted with this method.
In the advanced version, you are allowed to enter either a single or multiple feeds. You have a choice of using either an HTML table or <div> blocks for the display. If you choose to use <div> blocks, you must assign class names for the feed elements to control the appearance of the displayed feed (so you should know how to use CSS). Choosing the HTML table is recommended and there are many options provided to allow you to customize the appearance of the feed elements.
Upon entering this site, choose the RDF/RSS Converter option from the menu. This will take you to the script generation page. Enter the feed URL (or choose from a limited list) and then select the options.to control what information will be displayed. Display customization is designed to be controlled by a CSS style sheet, but limited display formatting by in-line style code is available as you build the conversion code. The site also provides example CSS style sheets for more complex in-line formatting, creating a "news box" and creating a "trimmer, slimmer news box." Also available for the CSS-savvy is a list of class names that can be used to generate your own style sheet.
On this site, you enter your RSS feed URL, select your desired formatting options and press the button to generate conversion code in either Javascript, Iframe, or PHP. Of the 3 options, Javascript is the most useful with SiteSpinner. Both the Iframe and PHP methods require your site to support PHP and both require your project to be published to be viewed as PHP code cannot be previewed.
This site converts a single RSS feed URL into Javascript script that can be included on your page inside a code object. Multiple feeds can be handled by using multiple scripts. No display formatting is available on the link given above, but the site does provide a page link named Style which allows you to select a defined CSS style from a large list. The CSS formatting style can be previewed and when you decide on a style, just copy the generated CSS code and paste it into a code object on your page. The main Style page also provides instructions for using CSS for the novice designer, as well as discussing the various style class names used.
The author of this software has generously provided the entire package so that you can host it on your own site. Instructions for installation and modifications are provided on the site, all free of charge. Version 1.93 is hosted on this site in the HTML Tools section.
This sites hosts the Feed2JS conversion.
Select the "Create a Widget" menu link (their term, not mine) for a single RSS feed. Multiple feeds can be used, but only after registration. This site is a bit unique in that you can see how your feed will appear as you build it. After you have finalized the formatting, the code for your page is presented as combined HTML/Javascript code (for a code object), and as an HTML link for use within an Iframe. In addition, links are provided to post your feed on various servers, such as Google, iPhone and facebook, and WindowsLive.
This site provides a very simple text-based display for a single RSS feed. Display formatting is limited to text attributes only. The display is output in a table, and you have an option to specify the number of columns per row (maximum of 6).
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