Using Google Reader to parse feeds. [No longer works]

[poiru]

I'd like to share a method with which one skin (or RegExp) can handle virtually all feeds. The idea is to use Google Reader, which reads the feeds (be it Atom, RSS, or anything else it supports) and displays them using it's own format.

The address:

Code: Select all

http://www.google.co.uk/reader/view/feed/#URL#?n=8

#URL# can be any feed (e.g. http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk/rss/newsonline_world_edition/front_page/rss.xml).
?n=8 tells Google Reader to show 8 items. You can change this to a lower/higher number depending on your need.

The code below will return the following:
- the title of the feed (e.g. BBC News)
- the link to 8 items (if they exist -- the RegExp won't fail if <8 items are available)
- the title to 8 items (if they exist)
- the date of 8 items (if they exist)

Code: Select all

[Variables]
URL=http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk/rss/newsonline_world_edition/front_page/rss.xml
GET=.*(?(?=.*<div class="item">).*<div class="item">.*<a href="(.*)">(.*)</a>.*<div class="item-info">.* on (.*)</div>)

[MeasureFeed]
Measure=Plugin
Plugin=Plugins\WebParser.dll
Url=http://www.google.co.uk/reader/view/feed/#URL#?n=8
RegExp="(?siU)<h1>(.*)</h1>#GET##GET##GET##GET##GET##GET##GET##GET#"
UpdateRate=1500

Enjoy

(Oh, and I use google.co.uk to get the date in DD/MM/YY. With .com it'd be MM/DD/YY)

[jsmorley]

This is an EXECELLENT "Tips and Tricks". Thanks. Clearly explained and with example code. Perfect. I will be adding it to the documentation on the main site.

[dragonmage]

Nice use of Variables for the RegExp legace! I hadn't thought of that before.

[poiru]

This is an EXECELLENT "Tips and Tricks". Thanks. Clearly explained and with example code. Perfect. I will be adding it to the documentation on the main site.

Glad you like it.

By the way, you could consider adding this to "Converting Degrees to Radians for Angle and Rotate": http://www.google.com/search?q=40+degrees+in+radians

Nice use of Variables for the RegExp legace! I hadn't thought of that before.

Yeah, it's much easier to understand the code that way.

[jsmorley]

Glad you like it.

By the way, you could consider adding this to "Converting Degrees to Radians for Angle and Rotate": http://www.google.com/search?q=40+degrees+in+radians
Yeah, it's much easier to understand the code that way.

http://rainmeter.net/cms/Tips-DegreesAndRadians

[jsmorley]

http://rainmeter.net/cms/Tips-GoogleReaderRSS

[Kaelri]

I wish I'd thought of that #GET# method myself. Hats off. Nice work. :)

[Chewtoy]

I'm a tad curious. Which part is it that make this able to run even tough there's missing feeds?
THAT would be great if it could be explained.
Is it the (?(?= that makes it or what?

[jsmorley]

I'm a tad curious. Which part is it that make this able to run even tough there's missing feeds?
THAT would be great if it could be explained.
Is it the (?(?= that makes it or what?

Yes.

http://www.regular-expressions.info/lookaround.html

[poiru]

Is it the (?(?= that makes it or what?

Yeah. Basically: If <div class="item"> exits, then <a href="(.*)">(.*)</a>.*<div class="item-info">.* on (.*)</div>.