Chris@0: # Introduction
Chris@0: 
Chris@0: `Zend\Feed` provides functionality for consuming RSS and Atom feeds. It provides
Chris@0: a natural syntax for accessing elements of feeds, feed attributes, and entry
Chris@0: attributes. `Zend\Feed` also has extensive support for modifying feed and entry
Chris@0: structure with the same natural syntax, and turning the result back into XML.
Chris@0: In the future, this modification support could provide support for the Atom
Chris@0: Publishing Protocol.
Chris@0: 
Chris@0: `Zend\Feed` consists of `Zend\Feed\Reader` for reading RSS and Atom feeds,
Chris@0: `Zend\Feed\Writer` for writing RSS and Atom feeds, and `Zend\Feed\PubSubHubbub`
Chris@0: for working with Hub servers. Furthermore, both `Zend\Feed\Reader` and
Chris@0: `Zend\Feed\Writer` support extensions which allows for working with additional
Chris@0: data in feeds, not covered in the core API but used in conjunction with RSS and
Chris@0: Atom feeds.
Chris@0: 
Chris@0: In the example below, we demonstrate a simple use case of retrieving an RSS feed
Chris@0: and saving relevant portions of the feed data to a simple PHP array, which could
Chris@0: then be used for printing the data, storing to a database, etc.
Chris@0: 
Chris@0: > ## RSS optional properties
Chris@0: >
Chris@0: > Many *RSS* feeds have different channel and item properties available. The
Chris@0: > *RSS* specification provides for many optional properties, so be aware of this
Chris@0: > when writing code to work with *RSS* data. `Zend\Feed` supports all optional
Chris@0: > properties of the core *RSS* and *Atom* specifications.
Chris@0: 
Chris@0: ## Reading RSS Feed Data
Chris@0: 
Chris@0: ```php
Chris@0: // Fetch the latest Slashdot headlines
Chris@0: try {
Chris@0:     $slashdotRss =
Chris@0:         Zend\Feed\Reader\Reader::import('http://rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot');
Chris@0: } catch (Zend\Feed\Reader\Exception\RuntimeException $e) {
Chris@0:     // feed import failed
Chris@0:     echo "Exception caught importing feed: {$e->getMessage()}\n";
Chris@0:     exit;
Chris@0: }
Chris@0: 
Chris@0: // Initialize the channel/feed data array
Chris@0: $channel = [
Chris@0:     'title'       => $slashdotRss->getTitle(),
Chris@0:     'link'        => $slashdotRss->getLink(),
Chris@0:     'description' => $slashdotRss->getDescription(),
Chris@0:     'items'       => [],
Chris@0: ];
Chris@0: 
Chris@0: // Loop over each channel item/entry and store relevant data for each
Chris@0: foreach ($slashdotRss as $item) {
Chris@0:     $channel['items'][] = [
Chris@0:         'title'       => $item->getTitle(),
Chris@0:         'link'        => $item->getLink(),
Chris@0:         'description' => $item->getDescription(),
Chris@0:     ];
Chris@0: }
Chris@0: ```
Chris@0: 
Chris@0: Your `$channel` array now contains the basic meta-information for the RSS
Chris@0: channel and all items that it contained. The process is identical for Atom
Chris@0: feeds since `Zend\Feed` provides a common feed API; i.e. all getters and
Chris@0: setters are the same regardless of feed format.