This is a "full level" RSS template. Here we add the enclosure command for PodCasting. My previous article had the basic bare-bones template and the full template with the CDATA construct. Now we will have a template for Podcasting or Videocasting.

You can easily copy and paste this into a template. If you are not a techie and dealing with XML for the first time, use a decent text only editor, unless you can use FrontPage or DreamWeaver or a dedicated XML editor. Be careful of any extra charcters that you may sneak in with your typing, and remember not to touch the opening or closing brackets. If you do not know what you are doing do NOT touch the first three lines. The line beginning with the "channel" element is where you should begin to substitute the information on your feed.

Below we have two items in this channel. You can of course add as many items as your heart desires. Just keep on adding the entire section of beginning and ending with

Just to remind you. The enclosure command consists of three parts:

1. url - The URL of the actual enclosure.
2. length - The size in bytes and not an estimate but a total size
3. type - A standard MIME type, e.g. Audio, Video, Text etc. A list and explanation of standard MIME types can be found here - http://www.fileformat.info/info/mimetype/standard.htm

By the way. We are keeping RandyPandy's Perfumery, but since his wife Sandy loves Janis Joplin the enclosure command will contain Summertime from Janis. Hope you don't mind!

First a template with information and then a template without. (The editing software forces an empty line between each command however in your Feed you should not have any empty lines. Just delete the lines with no information if you copy & paste)

<channel>

<title>Randy Pandy's Perfumery</title>

<description>RSS Feed for The Great Perfume Products Sold At Randy's Pandy's Perfumery</description>

<copyright>Copyright 2006 Randy Pandy's Perfumery - All Rights Reserved</copyright>

<link>http://www.randypandy.com</link>

<language>en-us</language>

<managingEditor>randypandy@randypandy.com (Randy Pandy)</managingEditor>

<webMaster>webmaster@randypandy.com (Pandy Randy)</webMaster>

<pubdate>Mon, 5 Dec 2005 23:00:00 GMT</pubdate>

<category>Ecommerce</category>

<pubdate>Mon, 5 Dec 2005 23:00:00 GMT</pubdate>

<lastBuildDate>Sun, 4 Dec 2005 23:00:00 GMT</lastBuildDate>

<image>

<title>Randy Pandy's Perfumery</title>

<width>142</width><height>99</height>

<link>http://www.randpandy.com</link>

<url>http://www.randpandy.com/images/randylogo.jpg</url>

</image>

<Item>

<title>Heaven Scent Perfume At 50% Discount</title>

<link>http://www.randypandy.com/perfumes/heavenscent.html</link>

<description>[CDATA[<img border="0" src="http://www.randypandy.com/janis/ballchain.JPG" width="138" height="180"/></a><p> Summertime, And the livin' is easy Fish are jumpin' And the cotton is high Your daddy's rich And your mamma's good lookin' So hush little baby Don't you cry One of these mornings You're going to rise up singing Then you'll spread your wings And you'll take to the sky But till that morning There's a'nothing can harm you With daddy and mamma standing by Summertime, And the livin' is easy Fish are jumpin' And the cotton is high Your daddy's rich And your mamma's good lookin' So hush little baby Don't you cry <br clear=all>]]</description>

<pubDate>Sat, 10 Dec 2005 23:00:00 GMT</pubDate>

<author>George Gershwin sung by Janis Joplin</author>

<category>Blues</category>

<category>Jazz</category>

<category>Greatest Singers</category>

<comments> http://www.janisjoplin.com/comments/summertime.html </comments>

<enclosure url="http://www.janisjoplin.com/mp3s/summertime.mp3" length="4368242" type="audio/mpeg"/>

<guid isPermaLink="true"> http://www.randypandy.com/janis/janisjoplin.html </guid>

<source url="http://www.gershwin.com/summertime.xml">Author of Summertime /source>

</Item>

</Channel>

Now Just the Bare Bones Template.

<channel>

<title></title>

<description></description>

<copyright></copyright>

<link></link>

<language></language>

<managingEditor></managingEditor>

<webMaster></webMaster>

<pubdate></pubdate>

<category></category>

<pubdate></pubdate>

<lastBuildDate></lastBuildDate>

<image>

<title></title>

<width></width><height></height>

<link></link>

<url></url>

</image>

<Item>

<title></title>

<link></link>

<description>[CDATA[<br clear=all>]]</description>

<pubDate></pubDate>

<author></author>

<category></category>

<comments></comments>

<enclosure url="" length="" type=""/>

<guid></guid>

<source></source>

</Item>

<Item>

<title></title>

<link></link>

<description>[CDATA[<br clear=all>]]</description>

<pubDate></pubDate>

<author></author>

<category></category>

<comments></comments>

<enclosure url="" length="" type=""/>

<guid></guid>

<source></source>

</Item>

</Channel>

This will work and without too much trouble if you want to create a full RSS feed including enclosures for music or video this is what you need.

This Article was Part Twelve of the RSS Mania - Understanding RSS series. All parts of this series are available at Ezine Articles (www.ezinearticles.com)

1. RSS Mania Addiction - An Introduction to RSS and the Terminology

2. Outline of How to Create an RSS Feed

3. The Template File

4. The Basic Elements of the Channel Element

5. How The RSS Feed Works & Some Programming Constructs

6. RSS Channel Sub-Elements Specifically Image & How To Use It

7. Understanding RSS - The Elements Within the "Item" Element

8. Understanding RSS - Podcasting, VideoCasting & The Magic of the Enclosure Sub-Element

9. Understanding RSS - Rounding Out The Multi-Media - The CDATA Command

10. Understanding RSS - Part Ten - A Basic Template File to Create Your Very Own RSS Feed

11. Understanding RSS - Part Eleven - A Full RSS Template File to Create Your Very Own RSS Feed

Copyright 2005 Ted W. Gross. All rights reserved. (You may publish this article in its entirety with the following author's information with live links only.)