Websites/Mozilla.org/Archive/Design Implementation/RSS: Difference between revisions

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(some initial thoughts)
 
 
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'''Note: This page refers to the relaunch of the site completed in August 2009 and is available for reference.'''
== What we want to do ==
== What we want to do ==
[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=493099 Bug 493099: Hook up news feeds on new www.mozilla.org home page].


We want a feed parser that
We want a feed parser that
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== How to do it ==
== How to do it ==


We need to decide:
Mozilla.org has a lot of visitors, so we probably want to '''cache feed items''' for some time to a) be nice to the feed provider and b) get better performance.


* Do we want to cache things?
We probably want a '''database-based cache''' over a file-based cache, because it gives faster results.
* If so, what kind of cache/db should be used?
 
'''TTL''' of the cached items can be relatively high (higher on the sub-pages than on the front page), because we offer the feeds to open up an additional window into the community and not to be a direct, always-up-to-date information resource.


== Implementation ==
== Implementation ==


There are several different options (subject to evaluation):
Overall ideas:
* Use a cron-job to generate static html with the news items
* Pull in the items from a db-based cache, refresh the cache occasionally
 
There are several different options (subject to evaluation).
 
=== Write a parser from scratch ===
* + maybe better performance
* + would hopefully be exactly what we want
* - more development time
* - not as well tested as other solutions
 
=== Zend Framework ===
* New BSD license
* very modular and flexible
* PHP5 only (read: makes use of new OOP features, which is good)
* well maintained, active development
* DB abstraction layer, cache handling
* some known issues, API a bit counter-intuitive in places
* probably not as heavily tested as other solutions (because relatively new)
* generally long turnaround time (bug filed to fix released)
 
=== PEAR ===
* XML_Feed_Parser
** LGPL license
** No maintainer
* XML_RSS
** PHP license
** No active development (last release 06)
=== SimplePie ===
* BSD license
* CURL extension required (need to check with reed, if it is enabled)
* Caching out of the box (flat file only right now, but could be overloaded with own DB-class)
* Meshing of multiple feeds out of the box
* Problems with some feeds, but workarounds exist
* Nice API
* Goodies such as feed auto-discovery (feels a lot like Firefox ;)
* Performance seems to be good with caching, but no idea, if it scales up nicely.
 
=== Magpie RSS ===
* GPL license
* No active development (last release 05)
 
=== PHP Universal Feed Parser ===
* GPL license
* seems to be a one-man effort
* uses OOP methodology


* Write a parser from scratch
=== Other ===
* Use a library/class/framework
** Zend
** Pear
** Magpie
** Other

Latest revision as of 17:12, 6 September 2012

Note: This page refers to the relaunch of the site completed in August 2009 and is available for reference.

What we want to do

Bug 493099: Hook up news feeds on new www.mozilla.org home page.

We want a feed parser that

  • pulls latest feed info from feeds.mozilla.com for front page
  • pulls latest feed info from news.rdf (for now) for front page
  • optionally: creates mash ups of multiple feeds on sub-pages (e.g. Our causes > Education)

How to do it

Mozilla.org has a lot of visitors, so we probably want to cache feed items for some time to a) be nice to the feed provider and b) get better performance.

We probably want a database-based cache over a file-based cache, because it gives faster results.

TTL of the cached items can be relatively high (higher on the sub-pages than on the front page), because we offer the feeds to open up an additional window into the community and not to be a direct, always-up-to-date information resource.

Implementation

Overall ideas:

  • Use a cron-job to generate static html with the news items
  • Pull in the items from a db-based cache, refresh the cache occasionally

There are several different options (subject to evaluation).

Write a parser from scratch

  • + maybe better performance
  • + would hopefully be exactly what we want
  • - more development time
  • - not as well tested as other solutions

Zend Framework

  • New BSD license
  • very modular and flexible
  • PHP5 only (read: makes use of new OOP features, which is good)
  • well maintained, active development
  • DB abstraction layer, cache handling
  • some known issues, API a bit counter-intuitive in places
  • probably not as heavily tested as other solutions (because relatively new)
  • generally long turnaround time (bug filed to fix released)

PEAR

  • XML_Feed_Parser
    • LGPL license
    • No maintainer
  • XML_RSS
    • PHP license
    • No active development (last release 06)

SimplePie

  • BSD license
  • CURL extension required (need to check with reed, if it is enabled)
  • Caching out of the box (flat file only right now, but could be overloaded with own DB-class)
  • Meshing of multiple feeds out of the box
  • Problems with some feeds, but workarounds exist
  • Nice API
  • Goodies such as feed auto-discovery (feels a lot like Firefox ;)
  • Performance seems to be good with caching, but no idea, if it scales up nicely.

Magpie RSS

  • GPL license
  • No active development (last release 05)

PHP Universal Feed Parser

  • GPL license
  • seems to be a one-man effort
  • uses OOP methodology

Other

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