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Consuming a Remote RSS 1.0 Feed with Dreamweaver 8


Marius Zaharia

Marius Zaharia

InterAKT Online

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Dreamweaver 8: Workspace Orientation
  3. Application Scenario
  4. Creating an XSLT Fragment
  5. Applying Server-Side XSL Transformations
  6. Using Parameters in an XSL Transformation
  7. Creating a Detailed Display of the RSS Feed
Created:
12 September 2005
User Level:
Intermediate

Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 is a major breakthrough for XML development, just as Dreamweaver MX 2004 was for CSS. The development team behind this release decided to offer people the entry-point support they needed to tackle XML and XSL-based web projects. The approach Dreamweaver 8 takes to XML and XSL is no surprise:

  • Visual XSL transformations using drag and drop from the Bindings panel.
  • Easy-to-use objects accessible from the Insert bar.
  • Code highlighting and code completion functions for the more experienced developers.

Jen Taylor presents a brief overview of the new XML/XSL features in Dreamweaver 8 in her article, Dreamweaver 8 New Features and Benefits. In this article, I use the new XML features in Dreamweaver 8 in a real-life situation: consuming a remote RSS feed using server-side XSL transformations. It is a useful exercise if you plan to include news headlines, articles lists, blog posts, or other syndicated content in your personal website, in a portal, or company site.

Requirements

To complete this tutorial you will need to install the following software and files:

Dreamweaver 8

You have installed and properly configured a web server with the required libraries for processing XML and XSL:

  • For PHP developers:

    • PHP 4.2.x – Sablotron
    • PHP 4.3+ – DOMXML/XSL

  • For ColdFusion developers:

    • ColdFusion MX and MX 6.1 – XSL Transform Tag
    • ColdFusion MX 7 – XSL Transform Tag

  • For ASP developers:

    • ASP VBScript/JScript – MsXML 2.6/MsXML 3.0
    • ASP .NET
    • ASP .NET VB/C# – System.Xml.

I explain how to set up PHP application servers for XML and XSL support in a future article.

  • You have defined a Dreamweaver site with a testing server or remote server running ColdFusion 6.1 or later, PHP 4.2 or later, ASP or ASP.NET. Check out How to define a site in Dreamweaver (TechNote 14028) for instructions on correctly defining your site.

Tutorials and sample files:

Prerequisite Knowledge

  • You have read my previous articles on XML and XSL or have some knowledge of these languages.
  • Familiarity with the Dreamweaver workspace and interface.
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About the author

Marius Zaharia is the documentation manager at InterAKT Online, a developer of professional Dreameaver extensions for dynamic web development. When he's not writing articles and tutorials to guide web developers, he enjoys learning new things and exploring new technologies. His interests range from web development to politics and avantgarde electronic music.