[Release] expRSS 1.0 VUD - Release 9

[SaM]

Click Here to Download expRSS 1.0 - VUD (Release 9) *Latest
Click Here to Download expRSS 1.0 - VUD (Release 8)
Click Here to Download expRSS 1.0 - VUD (Release 7)
Click Here to Download expRSS 1.0 - VUD (Release 6)
Click Here to Download expRSS 1.0 - VUD (Release 5)
Click Here to Download expRSS 1.0 - VUD (Release 4)
Click Here to Download expRSS 1.0 - VUD (Release 3)
Click Here to Download expRSS 1.0 - VUD (Release 2)
Click Here to Download expRSS 1.0 - VUD (Release 1)
expRSS ROB is now not ROB, in fact, it isn't RO...i.e. it isn't Reader-Only...it's now expRSS 1.0 - VUD...Version 1.0 Under Development !
So what's the difference? The reader remains...almost untouched...(will be developed further)
However, now there's a Publisher, which was supposed to be an equally important module of the final product.

The new module is almost feature-less at the moment...however, it works...in whatever form, it does work...and the way I plan to develop further is such that, there'll be a series of releases in short intervals (a few long short-intervals as well)...and each will not drastically differ, but will be a step forward...some might literally be only A step forward...
No particular reasons for doing this, just makes me feel the development process would be more open than ever...just makes me feel I wanna do it this way this time..

The publisher...



Here, we shall be creating an RSS 2.0 feed. Click the View button to see what the feed looks like.

Then, assuming you are creating an update feed, enter a title, a web link and a description for your feed. Click the Add button. Please note that validation has not been incorporated fully, so you are requested to do things properly, fill up all required fields...else either things will go wrong, or you'll think things are going wrong/not working, since there are no notifications for invalid actions yet.
Ok, so now you'll notice all input boxes get cleared on clicking the Add button...to view what the Add Click event has done, click the View button again and you'll find a new item appended to your feed. You can add multiple such items.

Next, click Save, fill in a file name and there you have created an RSS 2.0 feed. Next, click the Upload button, wait for a while before you'll be notified as to what has happened.

That's it...that's all that it does as of now...you can view the feed in your browser to confirm that it has been uploaded...trivial though the update to this app might be, it is the base of all that is to follow...expRSS 1.0 is now on it's way...

Cheers
SaM

[John Anderton]

Ok SaM, the whole thing looks good. By the time I download it, could you explain something for me please? By publisher you mean adding content to a site which will then show up in your rss feed. Is that right? I am assuming that the site, as most dynamic sites are, is run by adding the content to a database which is then read by the rss feed generator. How are we (err I mean you and any other developer that is working with you, erm, downinahole?) going to do this by connecting to the site using the file transfer protocol? Or are you relying on the staticness of a site (either on the part of the html or the rss part) which is modified by using the publisher?
Or is it that the MS SQL file is actually directly editable using ftp (appending data and stuff)?

Looks like a great concept. I hope you made a user for us to connect to and see how this whole thing looks like So until I test this app, over and out.

PS: Note to SaM I need the VS disc asap I don't have MS SQL or anything else for that matter from the whole package. So could you do the honours, please? expRSS points out the fact that I don't have MS SQL installed

[John Anderton]

OK quite a few of these might be things you haven't worked on yet or whatever, I'll just write 'em down as I see them, if you don't mind
The reader is untouched, as you said so lets just move on to running the publisher

1) Could you take the input and stuff first then just before uploading, initialise a new thread for uploading. This will prevent the app from freezing while the file upload is going on, especially if the file is a bit big (which it won't be) or if your connection is performing slowly (which is quite possible to us :p)

2) You could, at a later stage give the user an opportunity to auto launch his browser to open the new feed. On second thought, why the browser? Add to the reader, if the user wants, so he can check if the feed has updated fine Most sites/cms'/forums bring you to your post once its done so that you can see if there are any mistakes you've made.

3) Is the add button meant to append to file? Like add post 2 after post 1 (where post 1 is already saved in a file). If that's the case, cool. Because atm we need to replace the files. I guess its just something you're going to add on later but I just thought I'd confirm

4) I saved stream to a file, uploaded it, wrote new content then saved to the same file then uploaded. The xml doesn't get updated. So is it going to always be like that or is that going to change to a) replacing old file with new b) appending new file to old c) renaming old file to oldfile.bak or oldfile.old or something and then uploading the new file. b looks like a logical choice may be but I'm not sure if the whole concept as perceived by me is correct. :p

5) What's the 2 button in the publisher mode meant to be for? It says "expRSS - Publisher" but we are already in that mode. A future addition?

6) The about button isn't initialised as a child window, is it? If possible, that would be better I think. If the about window is open, minimisation of the expRSS 1.0 - VUD window is not possible. Plus it (the about window) doesn't have its own custom title text

* John Anderton feels that the poor about window has been deprived

The app looks good so far. Great job on the ftp client part and stuff. Hoping to see this potential filled app go quite high

Edit: Here is something interesting. As I already said, I did the whole, replace file thing earlier. This is what I got. It clearly shows my first message which was uploaded and not the subsequent ones, the latest one of which can be seen in the background.


Opening the saved file I see that the whole problem was the fact that the file was never updated I closed the app and then started it up again, saving on the same file again makes the content of the file blank (the outline text ie info you put in remains but other than that none of the content I put in stays )
Is the lack of MS SQL on my PC to blame here or is the problem with the file saving technique used?

[SaM]

By publisher you mean adding content to a site which will then show up in your rss feed. Is that right?

No. This is more of a direct interaction with your RSS file. You might choose to update your RSS feed with something that is not actually an update in your site. It might just be a small piece of information or a forthcoming article. Since XML is such a light-weight and cross-platform compatible way to interact and since RSS defines standards of communication which satisfy requirements very often, the RSS or XML method of interactivity need not always be associated with a site, it can well serve as an independent communication medium...sites, forums, blogs, RSS versions...
Moreover, it goes along well with static sites. Those which do not use databases, can avail of such publishers to make static sites RSS enabled.
And then again, the dynamic ones, which have RSS feeds generated automatically, even their outputs can serve as inputs to the publisher, where then the user decides whether or not to manualize the automation.

 

I mean you and any other developer that is working with you, erm, downinahole?

Where does that come from? Did I ever announce expRSS as a combined project? 

1) Could you take the input and stuff first then just before uploading, initialise a new thread for uploading. This will prevent the app from freezing while the file upload is going on, especially if the file is a bit big (which it won't be) or if your connection is performing slowly (which is quite possible to us :p)

2) You could, at a later stage give the user an opportunity to auto launch his browser to open the new feed. On second thought, why the browser? Add to the reader, if the user wants, so he can check if the feed has updated fine Tongue Most sites/cms'/forums bring you to your post once its done so that you can see if there are any mistakes you've made.

3) Is the add button meant to append to file? Like add post 2 after post 1 (where post 1 is already saved in a file). If that's the case, cool. Because atm we need to replace the files. I guess its just something you're going to add on later but I just thought I'd confirm Smiley

4) I saved stream to a file, uploaded it, wrote new content then saved to the same file then uploaded. The xml doesn't get updated. So is it going to always be like that or is that going to change to a) replacing old file with new b) appending new file to old c) renaming old file to oldfile.bak or oldfile.old or something and then uploading the new file. b looks like a logical choice may be but I'm not sure if the whole concept as perceived by me is correct. :p

5) What's the 2 button in the publisher mode meant to be for? It says "expRSS - Publisher" but we are already in that mode. A future addition?

All these things are going to change / become better, since it's Under Development.
About the way files are saved, once you append your items to the predefined RSS definition and save the file, then when you upload, the file that you saved gets uploaded.
There isn't any way of re-opening a saved file during multiple sessions of the publisher, this will come in the future.

Thanks
SaM

[SaM]

This time, the publisher is untouched...the changes are  visible in the Reader. There are a few visual additions/changes.
Apart from those, the updates include the following...

Settings Window giving the following Options :
 - Auto-Refresh  -> Enabling / Disabling , Setting Interval
 - Option to Open Web Links by default in the default web browser or inside the application
 - Publisher Credential Settings : Host Name, Username, Password, Path

Confirmation Dialogs before updating feeds

Some more background coding went into this release version to make it more efficient. It's far from over though. There is still lots to be changed, including the changes which have just been made.
Since the final vivas are around the corner, I shall resume work on expRSS in the first week of May.

Click Here to Download expRSS 1.0 - VUD (Release 2) - with an Auto-Refresh Bug Fix

-- SaM

[John Anderton]

Where does that come from? Did I ever announce expRSS as a combined project?

I thought you said somewhere in one of our meets that you two were going to work on the publisher together. This convo was around 3 months back but I may just have misheard the publisher part I guess.

About the way files are saved, once you append your items to the predefined RSS definition and save the file

Hmmm isn't that what I did? Or maybe I'm just doing something wrong. :p
I'll probably check up on VUD R2 once my vivas are done this week end.
Ciao.

[SaM]

I thought you said somewhere in one of our meets that you two were going to work on the publisher together

I do remember him saying that....but since I was well beyond the starting point of expRSS, I never thought it was feasible.

may just have misheard the publisher part I guess.

correct guess 

I saved stream to a file, uploaded it, wrote new content then saved to the same file then uploaded

You must have saved once and uploaded. Then you might have appended a new item and uploaded without clicking the "save" button again. As things stand now, the last saved file gets uploaded. This is, obviously, going to change.

-- SaM

[SaM]

Coming up, is expRSS 1.0 - VUD Release 3

A preview of the changes...
Reader : An options bar in the web browser panel


Publisher : A lot of standard feed input options added, separate Save, Save As functions implemented

Goes without saying...lot still left..complete validation not implemented yet, publish date not included in the rss feeds yet and lots more...

Any feature requests, please lemme know...

Click Here to Download expRSS 1.0 - VUD (Release 3)

Cheers
SaM

[strider]

i came back to windows only to test your application dude!

ok, nice li'l app you have got here. though there is one thing i would like to confess. I do subscribe to rss feeds of quite a few sites, but i dont use expRSS... i know its bad of me. considering we have such a good in house product and i am going bout looking for other peoples work.

so i would like to request a few features [ i know they are very easy to implement, but still] that i would like to see in expRSS. once these are in, i am surely throwing out my current feed reader, which incidentally is called ... feed reader!! on to the features:

1. a system tray notification whenever there are new items in the feeds. [an audio alert will also be good. even better if we can select the audio file to be played]
2. custom individual setting for each feed. like a different auto-update time interval for each feed.
3. feed be displayed and refreshed whenever double clicked. now we have to right click and stuff.
4. on double clicking a feed item, automatically display in the internal browser.

...

cant think of anything more. whenever i do go back to windows, i will use it again and post more suggestions.

[SaM]

When you install this, the first thing you see (rather the second one) ... would make you feel this one's exactly identical.
However, this one, is actually, a version which, from amongst all the versions in the series, is most different from its predecessor.

If you've used any of the previous versions, you would not really wanna try updating all feeds at once by clicking the Refresh button in the left toolstrip.

Keeping auto-update enabled would be just as problematic coz both these actions would kinda hang the application till completion..
This is what bothered me the most as a developer and probably this might have been the most annoying thing for a user.
The solution to the problem is called - "Multi-threading". This is a vast topic, a subject in itself. To know more, Click Here

So, fearlessly click the Update All button and feel the difference..work around...switch to the publisher, use it, click here and there and you see you can actually use the button this time!
Since the update process utilizes the database, actions which modify the database have been restricted while the update takes place, so you can't add/edit folders/channels...so not much to do anyways..but heyy..it doesn't hang   ;D

The changes this time...

Multi-threading
Double Click a Channel to update
A notification icon in the system tray : When you minimize the form, it isn't visible in the taskbar. Double-click the notification icon to restore it. Right click the notification icon for a few more options.
When auto-update is on or when you update all feeds by clicking the Refresh All button, you get notification pop-ups when the process starts and ends, with a sound played if new feeds are found. Similar notifications happen while publishing feeds.
Apart from these, there's a small addition, which you'll definitely notice. It's temporary...it'll be enhanced further soon.
Overall, it's more usable now.

A few more features in mind...tell me if you also have any. The next release will take some time...this is effectively a benchmark release which should be used for all further testing purposes.

Here it is...

Click Here to Download expRSS 1.0 - VUD (Release 4)

Cheers
SaM

[SaM]

expRSS 1.0 VUD (Release 5)

Additions/Changes

1. RSS 2.0 Feed Link Auto-Discovery (Click New Feed and you'll know where to go)
2. Feed Presentation in the TreeView : New Feeds Colored Red & marked with a glowing icon , TreeView Right-Click Menu
3. Add/Edit Category/Feed & Settings window presentation enhanced
4. Auto-Refresh Timer in the toolstrip, notifies time before next auto-refresh
5. Remove & Add Feed Bug Fix
6. Overall new look for the Reader

Click Here to Download expRSS 1.0 - VUD (Release 5)

Snapshots : (Click to enlarge)



Please uninstall any previous versions before installing this one. On running the app for the first time, if you get -  "Unhandled Exceotion : Timeout Expired" , please restart the app and it should work. I'll be working on this soon.
The next release will come after the exams (hopefully...else i'll end up screwing sem 4)

Cheers
SaM

[strider]

hey can we have this feature wherein i can mark an item as unread or even better 'important' ... so that i can refer to it later. maybe all items marked imp get added to a new category called important... its there in 2 feed readers i use...

[SaM]

yep..planning to add this...mark as read / unread....tag/star an item...

[strider]

could exprss autostart with windows?? once i get more memory i can afford this

[SaM]

this'll come with the BETA release of expRSS, which will have a proper installation procedure...the kind of setups we have for all apps
the BETA release is still a few VUD releases away i guess...tab tak u can place an icon on ur desktop and double click it whenever windows starts...