Creating an RSS Reader Application - Creating an enhanced RSS document
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If your choice was to create an Enhanced version, a function called efrm() is called which displays a form that requests particular info from you. Below is a screen shot of the form and after that is shown the actual function code:

Fig 4. Enhanced RSS Document information form...

function enhancedfrm(){
  echo '<form id="form1" name="form1" method="post"
action="' .$_SERVER['PHP_SELF'].'?action=efrm">
  <table width="82%" border="0" cellspacing="1">
    <tr>
      <td colspan="4" valign="top" bgcolor="#999999"><strong>All
information on this form is required: </strong></td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top"><strong>Title</strong></td>
      <td><input name="mtitle" type="text" size="40" /></td>
      <td>&nbsp;</td>
      <td>&nbsp;</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top"><strong>Link</strong></td>
      <td><input name="mlink" type="text" size="40" /></td>
      <td>&nbsp;</td>
      <td>&nbsp;</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top"><strong>Description</strong></td>
      <td><textarea name="mdesc" cols="40"
rows="5"></textarea></td>
      <td>&nbsp;</td>
      <td>&nbsp;</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td width="18%" bgcolor="#999999">&nbsp;</td>
      <td width="33%" bgcolor="#999999">&nbsp;</td>
      <td width="11%" bgcolor="#999999">&nbsp;</td>
      <td width="38%" bgcolor="#999999">&nbsp;</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top"><strong>Managing Editor: </strong></td>
      <td valign="top"><input name="me" type="text" id="me"
size="40" /></td>
      <td valign="top"><strong>URL:</strong></td>
      <td valign="top"><input name="imgURL" type="text"
id="imgURL" size="40" /></td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top"><strong>Web Master: </strong></td>
      <td valign="top"><input name="wm" type="text" id="wm"
size="40" /></td>
      <td valign="top"><strong>Title:</strong></td>
      <td valign="top"><input name="imgTitle" type="text"
id="imgTitle" size="40" /></td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top"><strong>Publication Date: </strong></td>
      <td valign="top"><input name="pubdate" type="text"
id="pubdate" size="40" /></td>
      <td valign="top"><strong>Link:</strong></td>
      <td valign="top"><input name="imgLink" type="text"
id="imgLink" size="40" /></td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top"><strong>Last Build Date: </strong></td>
      <td valign="top"><input name="bdate" type="text" id="bdate"
size="40" /></td>
      <td valign="top"><strong>Width:</strong></td>
      <td valign="top"><input name="width" type="text" id="width"
size="30" /></td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top"><strong>Generator:</strong></td>
      <td valign="top"><input name="gen" type="text" id="gen"
size="40" /></td>
      <td valign="top"><strong>Height:</strong></td>
      <td valign="top"><input name="height" type="text"
id="height" size="30" /></td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top"><strong>Docs:</strong></td>
      <td valign="top"><input name="docs" type="text" id="docs"
size="40" /></td>
      <td valign="top">&nbsp;</td>
      <td valign="top">&nbsp;</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top"><strong>CopyRight Notice: </strong></td>
      <td valign="top"><input name="cright" type="text"
id="cright" size="40" /></td>
      <td valign="top">&nbsp;</td>
      <td valign="top">&nbsp;</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top"><strong>Language:</strong></td>
      <td valign="top"><input name="lang" type="text" id="lang"
size="40" /></td>
      <td valign="top">&nbsp;</td>
      <td valign="top">&nbsp;</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td bgcolor="#666666">&nbsp;</td>
      <td bgcolor="#666666">&nbsp;</td>
      <td bgcolor="#666666">&nbsp;</td>
      <td bgcolor="#666666">&nbsp;</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><strong>Title:</strong></td>
      <td><input name="t1" type="text" id="t1" size="40" /></td>
      <td><strong>Title:</strong></td>
      <td><input name="t2" type="text" id="t2" size="40" /></td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><strong>Link:</strong></td>
      <td><input name="l1" type="text" id="l1" size="40" /></td>
      <td><strong>Link:</strong></td>
      <td><input name="l2" type="text" id="l2" size="40" /></td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top"><strong>Description:</strong></td>
      <td><textarea name="d1" cols="40" rows="5"
id="d1"></textarea></td>
      <td valign="top"><strong>Description:</strong></td>
      <td valign="top"><textarea name="d2" cols="40" rows="5"
id="d2"></textarea></td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>&nbsp;</td>
      <td>&nbsp;</td>
      <td>&nbsp;</td>
      <td>&nbsp;</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>&nbsp;</td>
      <td>&nbsp;</td>
      <td><input type="submit" name="Submit" value="Submit" /></td>
      <td>&nbsp;</td>
    </tr>
  </table>';
echo '</form>';
}

Once you've submitted this form, the do_efrm function is called. The purpose of this function is to create the RSS document with the information that you supplied in the form. The function is shown below:

function do_efrm($filename,$mtitle,$mlink,$mdesc,$me,$wm,
$cright,$lang,$pubdate,$builddate,$gen,$docs,$imgurl,$imgtitle,
$imglink,$t1,$l1,$txt1,$t2,$l2,$txt2){
  //Create the file
  if($fp = fopen($filename,"a+")){
    fwrite($fp,"<?xml version='1.0'?>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"<rss version='2.0' >rn");
    fwrite($fp,"<channel>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"<title>".$mtitle."</title>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"<link>".$mlink."</link>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"<description>".$mdesc."</description>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"<managingEditor>".
           $me."</mangagingEditor>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"<webMaster>".$wm."</webMaster>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"<copyright>".$cright."</copyright>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"<language>".$lang."</language>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"<pubdate>".$pubdate."</pubdate>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"<lastbuilddate>".
           $builddate."</lastbuilddate>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"<generator>".$gen."</generator>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"<docs>".$docs."</docs>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"<image>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"<url>".$imgURL."</url>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"<title>".$imgtitle."</title>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"<link>".$imglink."</link>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"</image>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"<item>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"<title>".$t1."</title>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"<link>".$l1."</link>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"<description>".$txt1."</description>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"</item>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"<item>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"<title>".$t2."</title>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"<link>".$l2."</link>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"<description>".$txt2."</description>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"</item>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"</channel>rn");
    fwrite($fp,"</rss>");
    fclose($fp);
    echo "The RSS document <b>" .$filename. "</b> has been created and stored.";
  }else{
    echo "The file could not be created due to a system error";
  }
}

There you have it! You can now read and create as many RSS documents as you like!

Conclusion

Although this program fulfills its basic aim of creating RSS files, it nevertheless needs some improvements, especially in the area of checking submitted form data. This is important because you do not want to create files with no information. Also, I've not done a lot as far as the application design is concerned, because I only wanted to focus on the programming code as opposed to its design. But the building blocks are there for you to create the design to your taste.

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