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| Understanding OPML |
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| In the last
few years, RSS has virtually exploded on to
the scene from being a technology primarily
used by bloggers, to an effective and widely-endorsed
tool for distributing content. This rapid
growth has meant that there are millions of
RSS feeds doing the rounds in cyberspace.
So, what was required was to list feeds together
to enable better accessibility, organization
and ease of use. |
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| OPML (Outline Processor
Markup Language) provided the solution. OPML
has been adopted for many uses, the most common
being to exchange lists of RSS feeds between
aggregators like the Active
Web Reader. It is important to note that
OPML is a file format, not a protocol. Being
an open format, multiple vendors, service
providers and websites use OPML to list their
RSS feeds. |
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| OPML and Active Web
Reader |
| OPML is widely used to exchange
subscription lists between programs that read
RSS files, such as feed readers and aggregators.
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| Active Web Reader allows
you to import and
export OPML files. This means that,
when adding feeds, you don’t have to
add each feed individually. You can simply
import an OPML file containing your list of
RSS feeds and save time and a lot of effort.
This is especially useful when you want the
same feeds to be present on multiple computers
on which Active Web Reader is installed. |
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| Importing feeds using
an OPML file |
| 1. |
On the File
menu, click on Import/Export. |
| 2. |
Click on Next
on the Import/Export
Wizard Welcome screen. |
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| 3. |
Select the option,
‘Import
Feeds’. Click on Next. |
| 4. |
If the OPML file is
present locally, then select the option
‘Import
from a local file’. If
you want to import a file present on
the Internet, select ‘
Import from an OPML file present on
the web’. Click on Next. |
| 5. |
The feeds present
in the OPML file will be listed in the
Import/ Export Wizard, as shown in the
following figure: |
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To choose the feed(s)
to import, select the respective checkbox.
Click on Next
when you are done |
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| 6. |
Specify the folder
of Active Web Reader, where you want
to add these feeds and then click on
Next. |
| 7. |
Click on Finish
to import the feeds. |
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| Creating an OPML file |
| You can create an OPML file
by exporting your RSS feeds. This OPML file
can be then be imported by other RSS readers. |
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| To export RSS feeds: |
| 1. |
On the File
menu, click on Import/Export. |
| 2. |
Click on Next
on the Import/Export Wizard Welcome
Screen. |
| 3. |
Select Export
feeds and then click on Next. |
| 4. |
A list of all the
RSS feeds present in your Active Web
Reader will be displayed. Select the
feeds that you want to add to the OPML
file and then click on Next. |
| 5. |
Specify the file name
of the new OPML file. You can also replace
the contents of an existing file by
specifying the existing file name and
path. Click on Next
when you are done. |
| 6. |
Click on Finish
to export the feeds. |
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| OPML allows you to better
organize your feeds. You can create backups
of your feed lists by creating OPML files.
When browsing, check whether the website has
an OPML file available for import, so you
don’t have to add each feed manually. |
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