RSS Image Signature

[benjeeeboy]

I created an image signature in that grabs the title of the latest post in your rss feed.

NOTE: They work well, but aren't close to production quality so don't expect that yet

PHP & GD2 Version: rss.txt (rename as .php and open it in a text editor to configure it)

ASP.NET Version: RSSImageSig.zip (setup in iis, configure in web.config and run Default.aspx)

Original Topic

Edited July 26, 2005 by benjeeeboy

[yodat]

Is/Will there be an animated version of this script like Apple's Hot News Ticker Bar ?

http://www.apple.com/

Btw, Thanks for the script :)

[benjeeeboy]

I plan on eventually doing animated gifs.

The setback for this is that there doesn't seem to be a built in way in PHP/GD or ASP.NET to do this. It may be easier in PHP w/ ImageMagick, but i haven't looked into that. Even if it isn't built in, it should be possible to hack it together by generating multiple frames, and then putting those together into an animated gif.

Another alternative, is to generate SWF through Ming (I believe that there is something similar in asp.net).

[benjeeeboy]

I think i did find an easy way to do gif animation in asp.net, so that will probably come sooner than the php one.

[[bear]]

this is pretty neat, nice job!

[TimRogers]

I got mine going :) Thanks!

[benjeeeboy]

I created an ASP.NET version. It still needs alot of work, but its a start.

(download in first post)

Oh yah, TimRogers, the link in your sig is to the old topic ;)

Edited July 24, 2005 by benjeeeboy

[Alex Suraci]

Awesome job. :D

Edit:

Parse error: parse error, unexpected T_NEW in /www/g/gfxutopianet/htdocs/feed.php on line 48

http://www.mynimal.net/feed.php

Line 48:

	throw new Exception();

[benjeeeboy]

mynimal, I'm not exactly sure why yours doesn't work. My configuration looks like this: (a.jpg is just my copy of your image)

$feedurl = "http://blog.mynimal.net/?feed=rss2";
$imageurl = "a.png";
$imageinputtype = 'png';
$imageoutputtype = 'png';
$problemwithfeedtext = 'Problem loading feed';
$problemwithimagetext = 'Problem loading image';
$font = 'arial.ttf';
$fontcolor = array(255,255,255); //array (r,g,b)
$fontsize = 12;
$fontantialiased = TRUE;
$x = 65;
$y = 16;
$angle = 0;
$maxwidth = NULL;
$maxheight = NULL;
$toofarstr = '...';

If this doesn't work for you, then could you tell me your version of PHP & GD?

[TimRogers]

Just done one for the Neowin forum RSS, will you repost the old script, as I find it easier to use, as there aren't so many options!

Bare in mind I did this one in Paint :p

I've just seen an error on it now, if the feed contains an invalid character - like to "&" a minute ago, it showed up as &amp :p

Edited July 24, 2005 by TimRogers

[benjeeeboy]

Pretty cool but it goes of the edge, which i corrected in the new one.

Yah, the script configuration is pretty complicated so i'll try to group the options together and show which ones are more important.

I like the idea of the designer -- i will probably try to make one.

Yah, the & error is a problem in alot of applications that use rss feeds (open a feed in firefox with a & in it and it will show it like that too), but i can fix that relatively easily. The problem is that i think that there are alot of characters that show up like that and it may cause the script to slow down if i try to elimate all of them.

The other thing i was thinking about is whether there is a good way to make it easy to link the image to the post that it is showing the title for. I can think of a bunch of ways, but none of them are very good.

[Alex Suraci]

mynimal, I'm not exactly sure why yours doesn't work.  My configuration looks like this: (a.jpg is just my copy of your image)

$feedurl = "http://blog.mynimal.net/?feed=rss2";
$imageurl = "a.png";
$imageinputtype = 'png';
$imageoutputtype = 'png';
$problemwithfeedtext = 'Problem loading feed';
$problemwithimagetext = 'Problem loading image';
$font = 'arial.ttf';
$fontcolor = array(255,255,255); //array (r,g,b)
$fontsize = 12;
$fontantialiased = TRUE;
$x = 65;
$y = 16;
$angle = 0;
$maxwidth = NULL;
$maxheight = NULL;
$toofarstr = '...';

If this doesn't work for you, then could you tell me your version of PHP & GD?

586264454[/snapback]

I'm beginning to think it's my host that's the problem.

I mean, look at this:

http://www.mynimal.net/rss/info.php

PHP version is 5.0.4 and 4.?.?, GD is er..guessing GD2? Not sure.

[benjeeeboy]

I'm beginning to think it's my host that's the problem.

I mean, look at this:

http://www.mynimal.net/rss/info.php

PHP version is 5.0.4 and 4.?.?, GD is er..guessing GD2? Not sure.

586264610[/snapback]

I test it with php 5.04 and the latest version of GD2. I don't really see what could be going wrong because that sounds like a php problem, but since your usure about the gd version, i think checking that out is the best route to go.

Make a new .php file with <? phpinfo(); ?> inside to find out.

I also did some slight updates to the code:

-better organization for options

-option to fix the & and " that sometimes show up

I'm done with updating this today, and plan to do the designer thing sometime.

[Alex Suraci]

I test it with php 5.04 and the latest version of GD2.  I don't really see what could be going wrong because that sounds like a php problem, but since your usure about the gd version, i think checking that out is the best route to go.

Make a new .php file with <? phpinfo(); ?> inside to find out.

586264748[/snapback]

That's what this is, and what leads me to conclude that my host is having problems. :\

EDIT: Nevermind. I messefd it up, now the phpinfo is working..

GD Version bundled (2.0.28 compatible)

[benjeeeboy]

It is likely that it is your host, as the way php acts is controlled by a configuration file, not usually exposed to the host's clients. Despite this, sometimes there are workarounds or ways to temporary change values in the configuration.

Its probably possible to figure out a fix.

I know you said it was on line 48, but i don't have a copy of that version anymore. Could you send me line 48 so i can see what it is?

[Alex Suraci]

It is likely that it is your host, as the way php acts is controlled by a configuration file, not usually exposed to the host's clients.  Despite this, sometimes there are workarounds or ways to temporary change values in the configuration. 

Its probably possible to figure out a fix.

I know you said it was on line 48, but i don't have a copy of that version anymore.  Could you send me line 48 so i can see what it is?

586264941[/snapback]

Line 48 is "throw new Exception();", and deals with the error reporting.

[benjeeeboy]

I'm working on trying to figure out the cause of that, but as long as your configuration is ok, you should be able to remove that line.

[TimRogers]

Would you make the version with the cut off so it works with my current Neowin RSS one, as my blog titles are never too long, yet the Neowin ones are? Here is the current code, could you add the cutoff to it, as I don't understand all the options on the new version :p

<?
// ******************************************************
//          RSS Feed Script by Benjeeboy on Neowin 
//              Version Customized by TimRogers
//         Shows you the latest forum posts on Neowin
// ******************************************************
// editable:
// $feedurl - the url of your feed
// $imageurl - your background image (if not png change imagecreatefrompng to imagecreatefromgif or other types)
// $fontcolor - the font color
// $fontsize - the font size
// $font - the ttf font file path ex: 'arial.ttf'
// $x - the x position of text
// $y - the y position of text
// $angle - text angle

$feedurl = "https://www.neowin.net/backend.php?page=forum";

$fp = fopen($feedurl,"r");
$contents = ".";
while (!feof($fp))
$contents .= fread($fp,8192);
fclose($fp);

preg_match("#<rss.*?>.*?<channel.*?<item>\s*<title>\s*(.*?)\s*<\/title>#s",$contents,$matchdata);
$title = $matchdata[1];

$imageurl = "http://www.tim-rogers.co.uk/neowinforum/template.PNG";

$img = imagecreatefrompng($imageurl);

$font = 'seguibd.ttf';
$fontcolor = imagecolorallocate($img, 255, 255, 255);
$fontsize = 8;
$x = 65;
$y = 16;
$angle = 0;

imagettftext($img,$fontsize,$angle,$x,$y,$fontcolor,$font,$title);

header('Content-type: image/png');
imagepng($img);
?>

[Alex Suraci]

Tried TimRogers' Neowin version, and that one works (On my server). But, when I change it to my wordpress blog RSS, it doesn't work?

[benjeeeboy]

Mynimal, does your feed validate? Also, did you try to take out the "throw new Exception();" line that was causing the problem?

TimRogers, what confuses you about it the new version? - so i can improve it. The options are nearly identical which is why im unsure of why you don't like them. Heres a modified old version with the cut off as per request:

<?
// ******************************************************
//          RSS Feed Script by Benjeeboy on Neowin
//              Version Customized by TimRogers
//         Shows you the latest forum posts on Neowin
// ******************************************************
// editable:
// $feedurl - the url of your feed
// $imageurl - your background image (if not png change imagecreatefrompng to imagecreatefromgif or other types)
// $fontcolor - the font color
// $fontsize - the font size
// $font - the ttf font file path ex: 'arial.ttf'
// $x - the x position of text
// $y - the y position of text
// $angle - text angle
// $maxwidth - the number of pixels of text to display

$feedurl = "https://www.neowin.net/backend.php?page=forum";

$fp = fopen($feedurl,"r");
$contents = ".";
while (!feof($fp))
$contents .= fread($fp,8192);
fclose($fp);

preg_match("#<rss.*?>.*?<channel.*?<item>\s*<title>\s*(.*?)\s*<\/title>#s",$contents,$matchdata);
$title = $matchdata[1];

$imageurl = "http://www.tim-rogers.co.uk/neowinforum/template.PNG";

$img = imagecreatefrompng($imageurl);

$font = 'seguibd.ttf';
$fontcolor = imagecolorallocate($img, 255, 255, 255);
$fontsize = 8;
$x = 65;
$y = 16;
$angle = 0;
$maxwidth=170;

$end='';
$toofarstr='...';
$textbounds = imagettfbbox($fontsize,$angle,$font,$title);
if ($maxwidth != NULL)  // if its not -1, make it fit width-wise
{
	while ( $textbounds[2] - $textbounds[0] > $maxwidth ) //it is wider than maxwidth
	{
  
  $title = substr($title,0,strlen($title)-1); // remove last character
  $end = $toofarstr;
  $textbounds = imagettfbbox($fontsize,$angle,$font,$title . $end);
	}
}

imagettftext($img,$fontsize,$angle,$x,$y,$fontcolor,$font,$title . $end);

header('Content-type: image/png');
imagepng($img);
?>

Anyways, i plan on rewriting alot of it, because as it is i can't do much with it.

Edited July 26, 2005 by benjeeeboy

[Alex Suraci]

Mynimal, does your feed validate? Also, did you try to take out the "throw new Exception();" line that was causing the problem?

I took out that line (new version) and all hell broke loose. :p I also tried removing all instances of the error reporting.

Also, I tried TomRoger's neowin script on my host. It works with the Neowin RSS but not mine.

P.S. It's valid.

//Edit: I just tried another wordpress RSS feed from another blog and I got the same error. It seems to be some sort of Wordpress bug.

Edited July 26, 2005 by mynimal

[TimRogers]

Thats what I was thinking, it's a bug in the Wordpress RSS that means that the code can't find what it's looking for! Thanks for the code, I'll get it ready...

[Alex Suraci]

benjeeboy: Could you possibly see if you could get a wordpress version going? I've uploaded the RSS code:

http://junk.mynimal.net/uploads/wp-rss2.rar

[benjeeeboy]

My new version is going to be a complete rewrite, and i will try to make it compatible with all feeds and error free.

(Please realise that this is the first time i've written anything in php for ~6 years - when i was 12 so i'm not exactly familiar with it... back then i think it was version 3, now its 5 ;) hopefully i'll catch on soon)

Edited July 27, 2005 by benjeeeboy

[benjeeeboy]

My new feed loader works with your wordpress page.

To make sure that it agrees with your host, try this test script:

<?
	$domdoc = DOMDocument::load('http://blog.mynimal.net/?feed=rss2');
	$xpath = new DOMXPath($domdoc);
	$titles = $xpath->query('/*/channel/item/title');
	for ($i=0;$i<$titles->length;$i++)
	{
  echo $titles->item($i)->nodeValue;
  echo '<br>';
	}
?>

It should spit out the titles of your posts