I want to display an RSS feed on my website and used this code:

<?php
$insideitem = false;
$tag = "";
$title = "";
$description = "";
$link = "";
function startElement($parser, $name, $attrs) {
global $insideitem, $tag, $title, $description, $link;
if ($insideitem) {
$tag = $name;
} elseif ($name == "ITEM") {
$insideitem = true;
}
}
function endElement($parser, $name) {
global $insideitem, $tag, $title, $description, $link;
if ($name == "ITEM") {
printf("<dt><b><a href='%s'>%s</a></b></dt>",
trim($link),htmlspecialchars(trim($title)));
printf("<dt>%s</dt><br><br>",htmlspecialchars(trim($description))) ;
$title = "";
$description = "";
$link = "";
$insideitem = false;
}
}
function characterData($parser, $data) {
global $insideitem, $tag, $title, $description, $link;
if ($insideitem) {
switch ($tag) {
case "TITLE":
$title .= $data;
break;
case "DESCRIPTION":
$description .= $data;
break;
case "LINK":
$link .= $data;
break;
}
}
}
$xml_parser = xml_parser_create();
xml_set_element_handler($xml_parser, "startElement", "endElement");
xml_set_character_data_handler($xml_parser, "characterData");
$fp = fopen("http://michaelthompson.org/news/goo-world.xml","r")
or die("Error reading RSS data.");
while ($data = fread($fp, 4096))
xml_parse($xml_parser, $data, feof($fp))
or die(sprintf("XML error: %s at line %d",
xml_error_string(xml_get_error_code($xml_parser)),
xml_get_current_line_number($xml_parser)));
fclose($fp);
xml_parser_free($xml_parser);
?>

It works fine, however further down the page I want to set up a seperate RSS feed and tried to use the same code again and got this error:
Cannot redeclare startelement() (previously declared in /home/collegec/public_html/testmain.php:121) in /home/collegec/public_html/testmain.php on line 193

The page URL is http://www.collegecolosseum.com/testmain.php

Any idea why this is happening?

Also, is there any way for me to shorten the "description" part of the feed to a certain number of characters?

Thanks.

Whats on line 193 of your code?

Also, in future use the [php][/php] when showing PHP code, it makes life much more simple

Originally Posted by rogem002

Whats on line 193 of your code?

Also, in future use the when showing PHP code, it makes life much more simple

Sorry, didn't know about the code.

line 193 just has a }

line 121 has function startElement($parser, $name, $attrs) {

you don't need to rewrite the functions

just call them again down the page...once you declare the function once on the page (or any inculded file) you don't need to write the function again

Alright so for the first RSS feed I would just use the code above as is. However, what portion should I use for the second feed?

I would guess, having never tried this myself:

PHP Code:

$xml_parser = xml_parser_create();
xml_set_element_handler($xml_parser, "startElement", "endElement");
xml_set_character_data_handler($xml_parser, "characterData");
$fp = fopen("A different feed","r")
or die("Error reading RSS data.");
while ($data = fread($fp, 4096))
xml_parse($xml_parser, $data, feof($fp))
or die(sprintf("XML error: %s at line %d",
xml_error_string(xml_get_error_code($xml_parser)), 
xml_get_current_line_number($xml_parser)));
fclose($fp);
xml_parser_free($xml_parser); 


Though you can probably keep some of the bits from the first section going for optimal speed.

Hey thats great it worked!

I did have to add <?php at the beginning and ?> at the end.

One more question. Is there anyway to specify the feed description to a certain length? say 70 characters?

Duh! You didn't actually say where you were going to put it.

As for the second question, I would take the line:

PHP Code:

printf("<dt>%s</dt><br><br>",htmlspecialchars(trim($description)))  ; 


and alter it to (though I haven't tried this myself):

PHP Code:

printf("<dt>%s</dt><br><br>",htmlspecialchars(trim(substr($description,0,70))))  ; 


I would also use <br />s which validate instead of <br>s

Hope that works!

p.s. If either of this post or my last one were indeed useful, use the "Like my post?" button the the left of them. Much appreciated.

Why you are not using RSS feed creater which can be downloaded free?

Why you are not using RSS feed creater which can be downloaded free?

I assume you mean creator. Also, many people would prefer to actually learn PHP and not just download stuff (especially when there's a BUY button). Plus this is just about displaying feeds not creating them.

Originally Posted by Foundationflash

p.s. If either of this post or my last one were indeed useful, use the "Like my post?" button the the left of them. Much appreciated.

Thanks for the help. Your code worked flawlessly.

talkupation added!

One last thing (promise). How would I go about adding a bullet to each listed item?

Foundationflash - I sent you a PM, hope you don't mind.

Of course not... As I say in my reply, you'll probably want to get rid of the htmlspecialchars() depending on where you want the bullets.

Is this the proper line to be using?

PHP Code:

('<ul><li>','</li><li>','</li></ul>'); 


This is where I placed it.

PHP Code:

<?php
$insideitem = false;
$tag = "";
$title = "";
$description = "";
$link = "";
function startElement($parser, $name, $attrs) {
global $insideitem, $tag, $title, $description, $link;
if ($insideitem) {
$tag = $name;
} elseif ($name == "ITEM") {
$insideitem = true;
}
}
function endElement($parser, $name) {
global $insideitem, $tag, $title, $description, $link;
if ($name == "ITEM") {
printf("<dt><b><a href='%s'>%s</a></b></dt>",
trim($link),htmlspecialchars(trim($title)));
printf("<dt>%s</dt><br><br>",htmlspecialchars(trim($description))) ;
$title = "";
$description = "";
$link = "";
$insideitem = false;
}
}
function characterData($parser, $data) {
global $insideitem, $tag, $title, $description, $link;
if ($insideitem) {
switch ($tag) {
case "TITLE":
$title .= $data;
('<ul><li>','</li><li>','</li></ul>');
break;
case "DESCRIPTION":
$description .= $data;
break;
case "LINK":
$link .= $data;
break;
}
}
}
$xml_parser = xml_parser_create();
xml_set_element_handler($xml_parser, "startElement", "endElement");
xml_set_character_data_handler($xml_parser, "characterData");
$fp = fopen("http://michaelthompson.org/news/goo-world.xml","r")
or die("Error reading RSS data.");
while ($data = fread($fp, 4096))
xml_parse($xml_parser, $data, feof($fp))
or die(sprintf("XML error: %s at line %d",
xml_error_string(xml_get_error_code($xml_parser)), 
xml_get_current_line_number($xml_parser)));
fclose($fp);
xml_parser_free($xml_parser);
?>

Do you want all the titles to be bulleted?

Originally Posted by Foundationflash

Do you want all the titles to be bulleted?

Yes, just the titles.

Hmm... This might work - I'll try it out later...

PHP Code:

<?php
$currentlyinli = false;
$currentlyindesc = false
$insideitem = false;
$tag = "";
$title = "";
$description = "";
$link = "";
function startElement($parser, $name, $attrs) {
global $insideitem, $tag, $title, $description, $link;
if ($insideitem) {
$tag = $name;
} elseif ($name == "ITEM") {
$insideitem = true;
}
}
function endElement($parser, $name) {
global $insideitem, $tag, $title, $description, $link;
if ($name == "ITEM") {
printf("<dt><b><a href='%s'>%s</a></b></dt>",
trim($link),htmlspecialchars(trim($title)));
printf("<dt>%s</dt><br><br>",htmlspecialchars(trim($description))) ;
$title = "";
$description = "";
$link = "";
$insideitem = false;
}
}
function characterData($parser, $data) {
global $insideitem, $tag, $title, $description, $link;
if ($insideitem) {
switch ($tag) {
case "TITLE":
if($currentlyinli == false){
$currentlyinli = true;
$title .= "<ul><li>";
}
$title .= $data;
break;
case "DESCRIPTION":
if($currentlyinli == true){
$description .= "</li></ul>";
$currentlyindesc = true;
$currentlyinli = false;
}
$description .= $data;
break;
case "LINK":
$currentlyindesc = false;
$link .= $data;
break;
}
}
}
$xml_parser = xml_parser_create();
xml_set_element_handler($xml_parser, "startElement", "endElement");
xml_set_character_data_handler($xml_parser, "characterData");
$fp = fopen("http://michaelthompson.org/news/goo-world.xml","r")
or die("Error reading RSS data.");
while ($data = fread($fp, 4096))
xml_parse($xml_parser, $data, feof($fp))
or die(sprintf("XML error: %s at line %d",
xml_error_string(xml_get_error_code($xml_parser)), 
xml_get_current_line_number($xml_parser)));
fclose($fp);
xml_parser_free($xml_parser);
?>

Not going to be perfect I admit, but might work.

FF - I gave that code a try, but recieved this error:

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_VARIABLE in /home/collegec/public_html/testmain2.php on line 127

line 127 contains this line:

$insideitem = false;

Sorry, I missed a ; After further study and a bit of thought

PHP Code:

<?php
$currentlyinli = false;
$currentlyindesc = false;
$insideitem = false;
$tag = "";
$title = "";
$description = "";
$link = "";
function startElement($parser, $name, $attrs) {
global $insideitem, $tag, $title, $description, $link;
if ($insideitem) {
$tag = $name;
} elseif ($name == "ITEM") {
$insideitem = true;
}
}
function endElement($parser, $name) {
global $insideitem, $tag, $title, $description, $link;
if ($name == "ITEM") {
printf("<dt><b><a href='%s'>%s</a></b></dt>",
trim($link),trim($title));
printf("<dt>%s</dt><br><br>",trim($description)) ;
$title = "";
$description = "";
$link = "";
$insideitem = false;
}
}
function characterData($parser, $data) {
global $insideitem, $tag, $title, $description, $link, $currentlyinli, $currentlyindesc;
if ($insideitem) {
switch ($tag) {
case "TITLE":
if($currentlyinli == false){
$currentlyinli = true;
$title .= "<ul><li>";
}
$title .= $data;
break;
case "DESCRIPTION":
if($currentlyinli == true){
$description .= "</li></ul>";
$currentlyindesc = true;
$currentlyinli = false;
}
$description .= $data;
break;
case "LINK":
$currentlyindesc = false;
$link .= $data;
break;
}
}
}
$xml_parser = xml_parser_create();
xml_set_element_handler($xml_parser, "startElement", "endElement");
xml_set_character_data_handler($xml_parser, "characterData");
$fp = fopen("http://news.google.com/?ned=us&topic=s&output=rss","r")
or die("Error reading RSS data.");
while ($data = fread($fp, 4096))
xml_parse($xml_parser, $data, feof($fp))
or die(sprintf("XML error: %s at line %d",
xml_error_string(xml_get_error_code($xml_parser)), 
xml_get_current_line_number($xml_parser)));
fclose($fp);
xml_parser_free($xml_parser);
?>

seems to work. I have change the XML file to one that works as an example.

Thanks it worked!