RSS Feeds
RSS, an acronym for Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication, is a useful way to make a list of updated or new information online available in a concise format for other sites and RSS readers. RSS is essentially an XML document with links and metadata conforming to a specific standard.
Creating an RSS output is exactly like creating any other output: You'll need to create a new target, destination, and template. You'll also need to attach an RSS stylesheet and include links between the individual templates.
To create an RSS output:
- In the Administration area, create a new target under the main site target for your new output. Targets should typically be named according to the type of output they represent, so call this one RSS.
- Create a new corresponding destination. The transport can remain the same across all outputs.
- Once you have finished creating the target and destination, return to the Home area and create/upload an RSS template.
- When creating the template, you will have to assign a target. Select your recently created RSS target.
- You will also have to attach a stylesheet to the default region to style the content in RSS format. If you do not have your own stylesheet, try one of the sample stylesheets that come with the default database: /common/stylesheets/output/rss091.
- RSS feeds are typically rendered from index blocks. If you are setting up an RSS feed for only one page on your site, you may assign the index block to the default region at the template level. Otherwise, leave the default block assignment blank, and it will inherit the index block at the page level.
- Once the template has been created, it must be assigned to the appropriate configuration set. It is the configuration set that will determine which formats content will be output in.
- In the Administration area, you can create a completely new configuration set for the RSS feed; or if you are simply adding a feed to existing pages, you may add the RSS configuration to the appropriate configuration set.
- Now any page that is based on this configuration set will have the RSS configurations applied to it.
Additional Notes
Because RSS feeds are typically only used with a limited number of pages (typically pages that index other content), it is generally beneficial to create a new configuration set that will be used only for those pages.