Planet Drupal

Drupal 6 RSS Omnibus

Drupal RSS functionality is spread out, and so is information on it. After first accumulating mental notes, which turned into a collection of written notes and code snippets, I realized there's a lot to be said on the topic. A single overview covering all things RSS seemed like a useful idea. This is a starting point covering many things RSS. I invite you to leave a comment if you have anything to add, a great reference or blog post, or if I've gotten something wrong.

"Out of the box" RSS

  • RSS is configured and controlled at Administration > Content management > RSS Publishing
    RSS Publishing Settings
  • The default RSS URL is rss.xml (e.g. www.example.com/rss.xml)
  • The default RSS feed selects content using the same selection criteria as the /node path ("/node" is the default front page setting). It contains the content of any node that's both "Published" and "Promoted to front page".
    Publishing Settings

    The exact content and number of nodes is determined by the RSS settings.
  • There is no provision to theme a node's RSS output in the PHPTemplate theme engine. Your node.tpl.php file is ignored when the feed content is rendered.
  • Because of the above point, double check the RSS feed output of any feed containing nodes you've created or modified with CCK.
  • Every taxonomy term automatically gets a feed (whether you want it or not)
  • The is no provision in the Drupal base installation (core) to publish comments in a RSS feed. A contributed module (RSS Comments or Views) is required. More on this later on.
  • The RSS feed will only be published on the front page. More on this later.

Drupal/Freebase Integration Notes

Freebase and Drupal connectedFreebase is an open database (CC-BY) of world information with a web service interface. Think Wikipedia with an API. I've been playing around Drupal/Freebase integration for a community project we have brewing, Semantic Web Community Barn Raising in Vancouver.

Mack Hardy: Geo-Location in Drupal 6

Putting location data on maps, especially dynamically, used to be a dream. No longer. Thanks to open standards, APIs, Internet based map web services, and many hours of work in the Open Source community, a new wave of options are available for putting location based data on maps. And Drupal is surfing this wave!

Hierarchical Listings in Views 2: Replicating the LinksDB Directory

The LinksDB module provides a nice "it just works" way for implementing a classic Links page. The standout feature is its hierarchical display of the URLs. Even after Views and CCK arrived, the hierarchical display was worth staying with the module. Sadly, with a site to upgrade and no Drupal 6 version of LinksDB in sight, it was time to convert.

Migrating LinksDB Module Data to CCK

LinksDB Module Screen ShotThe LinksDB module provides a nice "it just works" way for implementing a classic Links or Resources page. The standout feature is its hierarchical display of the URLs. Even after Views and CCK arrived, the hierarchical display was worth staying with the module. Sadly, with a site to upgrade and no Drupal 6 version of LinksDB in sight, it was time to convert.

Drupal Command Line Script Template

Note: Drush is now a better option for running Drupal scripts. Please see this article for more information: Drupal Command Line Scripts with Drush.

Rick Vugteveen: Building a Blog in Drupal

Most experienced Drupal developers don't give a second thought to creating blogs, but if you're just starting out an overview is usually welcome. That's just what Rick Vugteveen from ImageX Media delivered in his presentation, Building a Blog in Drupal: When, Why and How, at the February 2009 meeting of the Vancouver League of Drupaliers (Vancouver's Drupal user group).

Audrey Foo: Apache Solr Search

If you've been hearing about how Apache Solr is a great solution for search and looking for a nice introduction, look no further. In this video taken at the January 2009 meeting of the Vancouver League of Drupaliers (Vancouver's Drupal user group) Audrey Foo explains how to install and use Apache Solr with the Drupal Apache Solr Search Integration module.

Jim DeLaHunt: International and Multilingual Drupal Sites

Jim DeLaHunt's presentation of International and Multilingual Drupal Sites at the November 2008 meeting of to the Vancouver League of Drupaliers.

Vancouver Freebase Meetup Report

Sunday February 22nd I had the pleasure of brunching with a group of Freebase enthusiasts. What's Freebase? Here's an explanation from the Freebase website page:

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