Library clips

Some OPML basics…

When you add an item to an OPML there are 3 essential fields or elements or attributes…of

course you can add others, such as created, etc…

1. text
2. type
3. htmlUrl or xmlUrl

Text/Folder
If you have just text then you don’t need fields 2 and 3…same goes if the item is going to serve as a folder

HTML Link
text = give it a name
type = link
htmlUrl = http://type in a non-feed URL

RSS Feed
text = give it a name
type = rss
xmlUrl = http://type in the feed URL

OPML Inclusion
You can include another OPML URL as an item in your OPML URL
text = give it a name
type = include
htmlUrl = http://type in a non-feed URL, and it must end in .opml (actually I don’t think this matters anymore)

Problem
With the assistance of Dan MacTough (from Optimal) and Adam Green (OPML Camp) I worked out how to append an OPML so it ends in .opml, but as you read at the end this may not matter anymore.

Some OPML URL’s don’t end in .opml, here are 2 examples:

TECHNORATI BLOG FINDER

Here is blogs about Folksonomies
…here is the OPML - http://feeds.technorati.com/blogs/folksonomy?format=opml&start=

You’ll notice it doesn’t end in .opml, so what you have to do is append it with &foo=.opml, so it looks like this:

http://feeds.technorati.com/blogs/folksonomy?format=opml&start=&foo=.opml

The term foo can be anything, it doesn’t matter.

Now this will work when you graze it in an OPML Reader…hmm, I just tested this and it still works in a few OPML Readers even if it doesn’t end in .opml, oh well hopefully this may come in handy with an application that decides to give you trouble.

GADA.BE

Here is a meta-search in the blogosphere for the term folksonomy…here is the OPML - http://gada.be/b/folkonomy/opml

You’ll notice it doesn’t end in .opml, so what you have to do is append it with ?foo=.opml, so it looks like this:

http://gada.be/b/folkonomy/opml?foo=.opml

NOTE: this time we used a ? instead of a &.

Still works without applying any changes…OK so maybe it doesn’t have to end in .opml…it did a while back.

Now with the new OPML 2.0 spec an OPML inclusion is defined as type=include, beforehand it was defined as type=link (same as an HTML link)…that’s probably why it had to end in .opml, so it could be recognised as an OPML file and not an HTML link.

Oh well, you can disregard this post!