CFLib.org – Common Function Library Project

Description:
Takes a RSS feed from Blogger, Slashdot, ZDNet, etc and translates into a CF query. Based on the function TranslateMacromediaResourceFeed by Jeffry Houser (jeff@farcryfly.com).

Return Values:
Returns a query.

Example:

<cfhttp url="http://pro.blogger.com/docs/example_rss.xml" method="GET" resolveurl="true" timeout="6000">
<cfif cfhttp.fileContent is not "Connection Failure">

<cfset rssFeed = TranslateRSSItems(cfhttp.FileContent)>
<cfloop query="rssFeed">
    <!-- only output at most 5 rows --->
    <cfif currentRow lte 5>
    <cfoutput><p><a href="#link#">#title#</a><br>#description#</p></cfoutput>
    <cfelse>
        <cfbreak>
    </cfif>
</cfloop>

</cfif>

Parameters:

Full UDF Source:

/**
 * Translates a RSS Feed's items to a query.
 * 
 * @param rssDoc      RSS document to translate. (Required)
 * @return Returns a query. 
 * @author William Steiner (williams@hkusa.com) 
 * @version 1, October 30, 2003 
 */
function TranslateRSSItems(rssDoc) {

    // the current token we are looking at 
    var Token = GetToken(rssDoc,1,"<>");
    
    // LoopControl needs to be initialized
    var LoopControl = 1;
    
    // Initialize the Current Query Row 
    var RowNumber = 1;

    // the number of the next token we are looking at 
    var NextToken = 2;
    
    var RSS_Struct = StructNew();

    // Initialize Return Query 
    var ResultQuery = QueryNew("Title, Link, Description");
    
    // loop until we are out of tokens 
    while(Token is not "/rss"){
        switch(Left(Token,7)){
            case "channel":{
                // loop thru until we get to the first "item"
                // skiping all tokens relating to document itself
                while(Token is not "item") {
                    // increment next token
                    NextToken = NextToken + 1;
                    Token = GetToken(rssDoc,NextToken,"<>");
                }
            } // end channel case
            case "item":{
                // if we are getting a item token, we want to:
                // create a new blank structure 
                
                // define new structure
                RSS_Struct = StructNew();
                
                // increment next token
                NextToken = NextToken + 1;
                break;
            } // end item case        
            
            case "/item":{
                // if we are getting a /item token, we want to:
                // Create a new row in the query the each item 
                // Assuming the structure isn't empty 
                
                // copy existing structure into result array
                if (not StructIsEmpty(RSS_Struct)){
                    // add a new row to the query 
                    RowNumber = QueryAddRow(ResultQuery);
                    
                    // populate Query 
                    QuerySetCell(ResultQuery, "Title", RSS_Struct.Title, RowNumber);
                    QuerySetCell(ResultQuery, "Link", RSS_Struct.Link, RowNumber);
                    QuerySetCell(ResultQuery, "Description", RSS_Struct.Description, RowNumber);
                }
                
                // increment next token
                NextToken = NextToken + 1;
                break;
            } // end /item case        

            case "title":{
                // if we are getting the title token, then we want to:
                // add the next token to our structure, because that will be our title text
                // increment the 'nexttoken' variable two increments past the end title token

                // add the title to the structure
                StructInsert(RSS_Struct, "Title", GetToken(rssDoc,  NextToken+1, "<>"));
                
                // increment next token
                NextToken = NextToken + 2;

                break;
            } // end title case

            case "Link":{
                // if we are getting the Link token, then we want to:
                // add the next token to our structure, because that will be our link text
                // increment the 'nexttoken' variable two increments past the end link token

                // add the title to the structure
                StructInsert(RSS_Struct, "Link", GetToken(rssDoc,  NextToken+1, "<>"));
                
                // increment next token
                NextToken = NextToken + 2;
                
                break;
            } // end link case 


            case "descrip":{    
                // if we are getting the description token, then we want to:
                // add the next token to our structure, because that will be our description text
                // increment the nexttoken variable once

                // add the title to the structure
                StructInsert(RSS_Struct, "description", GetToken(rssDoc,  NextToken+1, "<>"));
                
                // increment next token
                NextToken = NextToken + 1;
                
                break;
            } // end description case 

            default: {
                Token = GetToken(rssDoc,NextToken,"<>");
                NextToken = NextToken + 1;
                break;
            } // end default case 
        } // end switch
        Token = GetToken(rssDoc,NextToken,"<>");
    } // end while

    return (ResultQuery);
}