ASP.Net RSS Toolkit gives ASP.Net applications the ability to consume and publish to RSS feeds.

Features include:

• {{RssDataSource}} control to consume feeds in ASP.NET applications

  • Works with ASP.NET data bound controls

  • Implements schema to generate columns at design time

  • Supports auto-generation of columns at runtime (via {{ICustomTypeDescriptor}} implementation)

• Caching of downloaded feeds both in-memory and on-disk (persisted across process restarts)

• Generation of strongly typed classes for feeds (including strongly typed channel, items, image, handler) based on a feed URL (the toolkit recognizes RSS, Atom and RDF feeds) or a file containing a sample feed. Allows programmatically download (and creation) of feeds using strongly-typed classes.

The toolkit includes:

• Consuming feeds, using:

  • Stand-alone command line feed compiler that generates VB.Net or C# code files.

  • Build provider for .rssdl file (containing the list of feed URI(s) {"including local files"})

  • Build provider for .rss file (containing feed XML in RSS/Atom/RDF or OPML format)

• Support for generation of feeds in ASP.NET application including:

  • RSS HTTP handler (strongly typed HTTP handlers are generated automatically by the build providers) to generate the feed.

  • RSS Hyper Link control (that can point to RSS HTTP handler) to create RSS links

  • Optional secure encoding of user name into query string to allow generation of personalized feeds

• Set of classes for programmatic consumption and generation of RSS feed in a late-bound way, without using strongly types generated classes

How-to(s):

• Consuming feeds: Consuming Feeds

• Producing feeds: Producing Feeds

• Feed aggregation: OPML Support

• Feed caching: Feed Cache

Packaging

The toolkit is packaged as an assembly (DLL) that can be either placed in GAC or in ‘bin’ directory of a web site application. It is also usable from client (including WinForms) applications.

RSS Toolkit works in Medium Trust (RssToolkit.dll Assembly either in GAC or in ‘bin’) with the following caveats:

• If the ASP.NET application consumes RSS feeds, the trust level must be configured to allow outbound HTTP requests.

• To take advantage of disk caching, there must be a directory (configurable via AppSettings{""rssTempDir""}) where the trust level policy would allow write access. However, disk caching is optional.

History

• 6/15/2007 New Release (version 2.0.0.0)

  • Huge revamp of the project by Piyush Shah http://blogs.msdn.com/shahpiyush/default.aspx to support strong-type feed generation. Added support for Atom, RDF. Added OPML aggregation, and schema validation of OMPL sub-feeds. Added ability to serve out feeds as RSS, Atom, RDF or OPML. Now supports qualified namespaces and enclosures. Download manager now can cache to application relative paths (like the App_Data directory of a web site) to aid in medium trust deployments. Added unit tests via Visual Studio Team Foundation test framework.

• 3/26/2006 Update (version 1.0.0.1)

  • Added MaxItems property to RssDataSource to limit the number of items returned.

  • Added automatic generation of tags from RssHyperLink control, to light up the RSS toolbar icon in IE7. For more information please see http://blogs.msdn.com/rssteam/articles/PublishersGuide.aspx

  • Added protected Context property (of type HttpContext) to RssHttpHandlerBase class, to allow access to the HTTP request while generating a feed.

  • Added generation of LoadChannel(string url) method in RssCodeGenerator so that one strongly typed channel class can be used to consume different channels.

  • Fixed problem expanding app relative (~/…) links containing query string when generating RSS feeds.

Origins

The ASP.NET RSS Toolkit was conceived and created by Dmitry Robsman http://blogs.msdn.com/dmitryr/ and posted here by permission. Original blog postings:

Release 1.0.0.0 http://blogs.msdn.com/dmitryr/archive/2006/02/21/536552.aspx

Release 1.0.0.1 http://blogs.msdn.com/dmitryr/archive/2006/03/26/561200.aspx