OPML source in river.js

[Dave Winer]

Here's an experimental feature.

http://threads2.scripting.com/2012/september/riverWithJsonencodedOpml

We have a new ability in worldoutline-land, OPML comments.

They just joined with RSS, so the feed emanating from my comments site, has OPML in it. 

And this flows through River2, so I thought why not put it in the river JS file as well, and see what we can do with it.

This is the place I bring such innovations. :-)

Dave

[Dody Gunawinata]

Hi Dave,

Is there any reason for the outline element (http://dropbox.scripting.com/dave/misc/riverWithJsonEncodedOPML.js) to contain '#value' instead of just 'value'

{
					"text": "I believe I have the feature working, but I need a fresh comment to test it out. ",
					"#value": ""
					}

JSON parsing in static languages uses reflection to map from JSON to an object and none of these languages support #value as valid name.

[Dave Winer]

Honest answer -- I don't remember -- but I do remember looking for prior art and asking people who knew both JSON and XML. The question was how to convert from an XML structure to a JSON structure. The problem is that XML objects have a value and attributes. The question is how to distinguish between an attribute named value and the value of the object. Pretty sure I was doing it the same way someone else did it. Unfortunately that was before I was doing worknotes, if I was I'm sure I would have kept a reference to the prior art. But I have a pretty strong feeling that there was prior art. Dave

[Dody Gunawinata]

Ah got it. Thanks. One more question, do you have a sample outline in JS that show an outline inside another (just like its XML counterpart)?

On Monday, September 17, 2012 7:24:47 PM UTC+2, Dave Winer wrote:

[Dave Winer]

I think I provided a link to a sample doc at the beginning of this thread.

[Dody Gunawinata]

Yes (http://dropbox.scripting.com/dave/misc/riverWithJsonEncodedOPML.js)

The outline element in that file is flat (one outline after another in sequence).

• Item1
• Item2
• Item3

I wonder about how the JSON will look like if the outline is expanded

• Item1
• Item1A
• Item2
• Item3
• Item3A

which is a common scenario.

Will it look like as follows?

"outline": [

      { "text": "Item 1 ",
        "#value": "",

        "outline" : [

            {

               "text" : "Item 1 A",

               "#value" : ""

            }

        ]
      },

      { "text" : "Item 2",

        "#value" : ""

      }

]

[Dave Winer]

Dody, I noticed that you have posted content on my site using OPML Comments, so you can create whatever test case you want by simply creating a new comment with the structure you want to represent. It will flow through to the river within a few minutes at most. Dave

[Dody Gunawinata]

Awesome - I didn't know this is already on live server.

[dodyg]

Hi Dave,

I tried to find riverjs for  http://threads2.scripting.com/  (to test opml source element) without any success. Can you please point me out where to find this file?

Dody Gunawinata 

[Dave Winer]

Dody, there is no single river.js "for" that site.

There is an RSS feed.

http://static.scripting.com/pensacola/comments/rss.xml

And that feed is followed by my personal river.

http://tabs.mediahackers.org/?panel=dave

And it has a river.js file.

'http://static.scripting.com/houston/rivers/iowaRiver3.js

You will find your OPML comments in that file with the OPML encoded as JSON.

Dave

[Dody Gunawinata]

Ah got it. Yesterday and today I was looking at those feeds searching for "opml" and "outline" which returned no result so I assumed that I was looking at the wrong feeds. I must have looked at them at the wrong time.

[Dody Gunawinata]

OK I finally catch the OPML element in the wild  http://i.imgur.com/sH0to.png  (with sub-outlines) at  http://static.scripting.com/houston/rivers/iowaRiver3.js. Now I have enough material to work on.

[Dave Winer]

Good! 

Be sure to save off a copy of the river.js because it will scroll off..

Dave