RSS is sprouting all over the Web, connecting weblogs
and providing news feeds. Originally developed by Netscape
in 1999, RSS (which can stand for RDF Site Summary, Rich
Site Summary, or Really Simple Syndication) is an XML-based
format that allows web developers to describe and syndicate
web site content. Using RSS files allows developers to
create a data feed that supplies headlines, links, and
article summaries from a web site. Other sites can then
incorporate them into their pages automatically. Although
RSS is in widespread use, people struggle with its
confusing and sometimes conflicting documentation and
versions. Content Syndication with RSS is the first
book to provide a comprehensive reference to the
specifications and the tools that make syndication
possible.
Content Syndication with RSS offers webloggers,
developers, and the programmers who support them a thorough
explanation of syndication in general and RSS in
particular. Written for web developers who want to offer
XML-based feeds of their content, as well as developers who
want to use the content that other people are syndicating,
the book explores and explains metadata interpretation,
different forms of content syndication, and the increasing
use of web services in this field.
This concise volume begins with an introduction to
content syndication on the Internet: its purpose,
limitations, and traditions, and answers the question of
why would you consider "giving your content away" like
this? Next, the book delves into the architecture of
content syndication with an overview of the entire system,
from content author to end user on another site. You'll
follow the flow of data: content, referral data,
publish-and-subscribe calls, with a detailed look at the
protocols and standards possible at each step.
Topics covered in the book include:
- Creating XML syndication feeds with RSS 0.9x and
2.0
- Beyond headlines: creating richer feeds with RSS 1.0
and RDF metadata
- Using feeds to enrich a site or find information
- Publish and subscribe: intelligent updating
- News aggregators, such as Meerkat, Syndic8, and
NewsIsFree, and their web services
- Alternative industry-centric standards
If you're interested in producing your own RSS feed,
this step-by-step guide to implementation is the book
you'll want in hand.
Contents
- Introduction
- Content-Syndication Architecture
- The Main Standards
- RSS 0.91, 0.92, and 2.0 (Really Simple
Syndication)
- Richer Metadata and RDF
- RSS 1.0 (RDF Site Summary)
- RSS 1.0 Modules
- RSS 2.0 (Simply Extensible)
- Using Feeds
- Directories, Web Aggregators, and Desktop Readers
- Developing New Modules
- Publish and Subscribe
Appendices
Index