OPML Editor support: Welcome to the OPML Editor

Welcome to the OPML Editor

Posted by Dave Winer, 6/16/05 at 5:17:37 AM.

A platform for outline-based applications

The OPML Editor follows in the tradition of simple text-based tools masquerading as a rich development platform. Or is it the other way around? It's always been this way. The most powerful applications are also the most powerful development platforms. The various text editors on Unix. Quark XPress on the Macintosh. Notepad on Windows. Inside every text editor is the potential of platform, and every platform must have a simple text editor.

It was with this simple premise that I set out in 1988 to make an outliner that was also a programming language and object database. Now, in 2005, all the power of this idea is available in a download that's about the size of a 15 minute podcast. If this works, people with great ideas should arrive shortly. Maybe you're one of them? If so -- I've been waiting for you!

Getting started

0. Terms of service. Let's keep it simple. I'm providing this software for your evalution only. Decide if it's useful and if you do (I don't claim it is), you assume all risk, and I assume none, same with the company that's providing the service, Scripting News, Inc. Further, the hosting I provide is also only for your evaluation. I could at any time stop doing it, or my backups could fail. Please keep copies of all the data stored on the server. The program is open source, licensed under the GPL. If you use the service for illegal purposes we will turn off your account as soon as we find out. These terms will be rewritten by a lawyer shortly.

1a. Macintosh: Download the software. Move the OPML folder to your system's Applications folder, open it, and start the OPML application within.

1b. Windows: Download the software, and unzip the archive. It should contain a folder named OPML. Copy it to your Program Files folder (just a suggestion, not a requirement), open the folder and run opml.exe.

2. A registration dialog appears. Enter your name, mail address, password, and the name of a directory on the server to contain your public outlines. If you were to enter "george" here your files would be stored at http://hosting.opml.org/george/.

Note: If you've already registered using a previous version of the software, you may enter the same name, email address, password and subdomain as before, and the server will log you in instead of creating a new identity.

3. Click the Register button. After a short delay the dialog should disappear. If there was a problem registering, a dialog with an error message will display.

Note: If you're required to use a proxy server, Step 4 probably won't work. Instead, click on Cancel, then choose Proxy setttings from the Community menu, enter the magic proxy bits your sysadmin gave you, and then choose the Register command.

4. Get the latest updates in the beta process by choosing to update in the next dialog that appears. You may also wish to get the "Show Notes" which explains how to get the latest info.

Create and upload an outline

The core purpose of this program is to create outlines and share them with other people, in various forms.

1. Choose the New command from the File menu. This creates a new outline window.

2. Type: Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country. Save. Navigate to My Documents, then OPML, then www, and save the file as test.opml.

3. Now switch over to your web browser, and enter the url of the file, and see if it opens.

Note: You can always get the URL of an outline this way: Bring the outline to the front. Choose Get Outline URL from the Community menu. The URL is displayed in a dialog. If you click on the Copy button it's copied to the clipboard. You may have to wait 10 or 15 seconds after saving the first time get the URL.

The www folder

Any file you save in the www folder is uploaded to hosting.opml.org. The uploading process starts within ten seconds. You can monitor this by choosing Open Log Outline in the Community menu. There's a command in the Community menu that opens the www folder.

More information

You'll find pointers to more docs in the right margin of this page, and also on the home page.

You can subscribe to the RSS feed for this site to stay up to date on new features in the software.

Where to ask questions

Use either the mail list or the discussion group to ask questions.