How to edit a reading list with the OPML Editor

What is a reading list?

A reading list is an OPML document that contains a list of feeds. It is exactly the same format we use to exchange subscription lists between aggregators. The difference is in how the aggregator uses the list. Instead of importing a reading list, you subscribe to it. Every time the aggregator scans, it reads each list, and subscribes to all the feeds it contains, and unsubscribes from feeds that have been removed. It automatically adjusts to feeds that move. Think of it as a way to share lists of useful feeds.

Please update newsRiver.root

Before proceeding, update newsRiver.root by choosing Get Latest Code from the NewsRiver sub-menu of the Tools menu.

How to create and edit a reading list

To create a new reading list, launch the OPML Editor, choose New from the File menu, enter the feeds you want to subscribe to, and save the file to disk. If you save it to your www folder, it will automatically be uploaded to the hosting server where other people can subscribe to it. This is basic outlining, not hard to do.

The challenging part is to "enter the feeds," but I've added a command that makes that easy. It's in the NewsRiver sub-menu of the Tools menu, and has a shortcut keystroke of Control-7 on Windows and Cmd-7 on Macintosh. Then, to enter a feed:

1. Copy the address of the feed to the clipboard.

2. Place the cursor near where you want the feed to appear in your outline.

3. Choose Add feed to outline from the NewsRiver sub-menu of the Tools menu.

4. Paste the address of the feed.

5. Click on OK.

Another way of getting a feed into an outline is to open a subscription list that contains the feed with the OPML Editor and copy the feed and paste it into your reading list outline.

How to be sure it works

The best way to test your reading list is to ask someone to subscribe to it, or subscribe to it yourself. Try adding a new feed, removing a feed, changing the address of a feed. In the early days of reading lists, it's important to test the feature itself. It may have bugs (heh).

An even easier way to test your reading list is to see if it validates. Here's one of my test reading lists, viewed through the OPML Validator.

Using other OPML editors

You can use any OPML Editor that understands "rss nodes" to edit reading lists. The format is documented. There are lots of examples, and the OPML Editor is open source, so it should be easy for other tools to adapt.

NewsRiver and reading lists

The NewsRiver aggregator, which runs in the OPML Editor environment, is being adapted to use reading lists. I have a test system running now, it seems to be working. After a little more testing, I'll bump the version of newsRiver.root to 0.3 and write some docs on how to use the feature from the reading side.

# Posted by Dave Winer on 1/16/06; 8:04:39 AM - --