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:: BlastCasta Feed API ::

The BlastCasta Feed API provides a powerful library of feed modifying web services that you can use to process and create customized feeds for yourself or for your readers. For example, your application can call into the BlastCasta Feed API to convert a feed from RSS format to Atom, to combine multiple feeds into one, to translate a feed, and a lot more.

We have two versions of the feed API: a SOAP web service, and a RESTful version. Below are detailed instructions and descriptions to invoke these services.

This is a growing library, so please check back to see new functions. Also, we love to hear from you, and you can provide us with any comments, suggestions, or any cool and interesting uses of the service that you would like to share - and we may just post it on our website!


Web Service Feed API

The web service version of the BlastCasta Feed API follows the SOAP standard and the URL to the service is as follows:


Note: This web service can also be called with HTTPS as https://www.blastcasta.com/api.asmx

Opening the URL to the web service in a browser will provide a description of the methods and also a link to the WSDL (Web Services Description Language). Below are a list of the functions in the BlastCasta web services library:

Combine Feeds

Combines up to 5 feeds in the order given.
(Tip: If you want to combine feeds and then sort the combined feed items, use the Multiple Operations function instead.)


Function:

CombineFeeds


Parameters:

Parameter Type Required Description
sFeedURL1 string A feed URL to include in this combined feed.
sFeedURL2 string A feed URL to include in this combined feed.
sFeedURL3 string   A feed URL to include in this combined feed.
sFeedURL4 string   A feed URL to include in this combined feed.
sFeedURL5 string   A feed URL to include in this combined feed.


Returns:

The combined feed document as a string.


Filter Feed

Filters the given feed on title, author, and description. Also, allows you to set a maximum limit on the number of feed items that are included in the output feed.
(Tip: If you want to filter this feed and then sort the combined feed items, use the Multiple Operations function instead.)


Function:

FilterFeed


Parameters:

Parameter Type Required Description
sFeedURL string The feed URL for the feed to filter.
iMaxItems integer The maximum number of feed items to include in the filtered feed. Use -1 to specify no maximum number.
sContains string   If provided, the only feed items that are included in the output will be those that have a title, author, or description that have a string that matches this argument.
sNotContains string   If provided, the only feed items that are included in the output will be those that do not have a title, author, or description that have a string that matches this argument.


Returns:

The filtered feed document as a string.


Sort Feed

Sorts the given feed by title, published date, author, or randomly.


Function:

SortFeed


Parameters:

Parameter Type Required Description
sFeedURL string The feed URL for the feed to sort.
iSortKey integer The field by which to sort this feed. The value must be one of the following:
  • 0 = Sort by Title
  • 1 = Sort by Date Published
  • 2 = Sort by Author
  • 3 = Random Sort
iSortOrder integer The order by which to sort this feed. The value must be one of the following:
  • 0 = Ascending Order (A → Z)
  • 1 = Descending Order (Z → A)


Returns:

The sorted feed document as a string.


Translate Feed

Translates the given feed from one language to another.


Function:

TranslateFeed


Parameters:

Parameter Type Required Description
sFeedURL string The feed URL for the feed to translate.
sTranslateFrom string Language code for the current language of the given feed from which to translate. The value must be one of the following:
  • ar = Arabic
  • bg = Bulgarian
  • zh-cn = Chinese
  • hr = Croatian
  • cs = Czech
  • da = Danish
  • nl = Dutch
  • en = English
  • fi = Finnish
  • fr = French
  • de = German
  • el = Greek
  • hi = Hindi
  • it = Italian
  • ja = Japanese
  • ko = Korean
  • no = Norwegian
  • pl = Polish
  • pt = Portuguese
  • ro = Romanian
  • ru = Russian
  • es = Spanish
  • sv = Swedish
sTranslateTo string Language code to which to translate the given feed. Please refer to the language code list above for the acceptable values to use for this parameter.


Returns:

The translated feed document as a string.


Convert Feed

Converts the format of a feed between RSS and Atom.


Function:

ConvertFeed


Parameters:

Parameter Type Required Description
sFeedURL string The feed URL for the feed to convert.
iFormat integer The format to which to convert this feed. The value must be one of the following:
  • 0 = RSS
  • 1 = Atom


Returns:

The converted feed document as a string.


Suppress Images in Feed

Prevents the images in a feed from being rendered in HTML.


Function:

SuppressImagesInFeed


Parameters:

Parameter Type Required Description
sFeedURL string The feed URL for the feed in which to suppress images.


Returns:

The updated feed document as a string.


Remove HTML Tags From Feed

Gets a copy of the feed document and returns it to the caller with HTML tags removed.


Function:

RemoveHTMLTagsFromFeed


Parameters:

Parameter Type Required Description
sFeedURL string The feed URL for the feed in which to remove HTML.


Returns:

Returns the feed document without HTML tags.


Process Feed

Combine, filter, sort, translate, convert feed all in one function. This is the best method to use for efficiency in multiple operations, rather than calling one method after another on a feed.


Function:

ProcessFeed


Parameters:

Parameter Type Required Description


sParameterList

string

String of parameters delimited by bracketed tags. Below is a description of these tags and some examples:

You can combine up to five feeds while filtering each of them in the process.
  • [bc_u1]<Feed URL 1 : string>[/bc_u1] - Feed URL 1

  • [bc_m1]<Maximum Items : integer>[/bc_m1] - The maximum number of feed items from Feed 1 to include in the filtered feed. (Use -1 to specify no maximum number.)

  • [bc_c1]<Text to Match: string>[/bc_c1] - If provided, the only feed items from Feed 1 that are included in the output will be those that have a title, author, or description that have a string that matches this argument.

  • [bc_x1]<Text to Not Match: string>[/bc_x1] - If provided, the only feed items from Feed 1 that are included in the output will be those that do not have a title, author, or description that have a string that matches this argument.

  • Feeds 2 to 5 are optional parameters. Follow guidelines for feed 1 for these.

  • [bc_u2]<Feed URL 2 : string>[/bc_u2] - Feed URL 2

  • [bc_m2]<Maximum Items : integer>[/bc_m2]

  • [bc_c2]<Text to Match: string>[/bc_c2]

  • [bc_x2]<Text to Not Match: string>[/bc_x2]

  • [bc_u3]<Feed URL 3 : string>[/bc_u3] - Feed URL 3

  • [bc_m3]<Maximum Items : integer>[/bc_m3]

  • [bc_c3]<Text to Match: string>[/bc_c3]

  • [bc_x3]<Text to Not Match: string>[/bc_x3]

  • [bc_u4]<Feed URL 4 : string>[/bc_u4] - Feed URL 4

  • [bc_m4]<Maximum Items : integer>[/bc_m4]

  • [bc_c4]<Text to Match: string>[/bc_c4]

  • [bc_x4]<Text to Not Match: string>[/bc_x4]

  • [bc_u5]<Feed URL 5 : string>[/bc_u5] - Feed URL 5

  • [bc_m5]<Maximum Items : integer>[/bc_m5]

  • [bc_c5]<Text to Match: string>[/bc_c5]

  • [bc_x5]<Text to Not Match: string>[/bc_x5]


  • The below parameters are also optional.

  • [bc_k]<Sort Key : integer>[/bc_k] - The field by which to sort this feed. The value must be one of the following:

    • 0 = Sort by Title
    • 1 = Sort by Date Published
    • 2 = Sort by Author
    • 3 = Random Sort

  • [bc_o]<Sort Order : integer>[/bc_o] - The order by which to sort this feed. The value must be one of the following:

    • 0 = Ascending Order (A → Z)
    • 1 = Descending Order (Z → A)

  • [bc_tf]<Language to Translate From: string>[/bc_tf] - Language code for the current language of the given feed from which to translate. The value must be one of the following:

    • ar = Arabic
    • bg = Bulgarian
    • zh-cn = Chinese
    • hr = Croatian
    • cs = Czech
    • da = Danish
    • nl = Dutch
    • en = English
    • fi = Finnish
    • fr = French
    • de = German
    • el = Greek
    • hi = Hindi
    • it = Italian
    • ja = Japanese
    • ko = Korean
    • no = Norwegian
    • pl = Polish
    • pt = Portuguese
    • ro = Romanian
    • ru = Russian
    • es = Spanish
    • sv = Swedish

  • [bc_tt]<Language to Translate To: string>[/bc_tt] - Language code to which to translate the given feed. See above language codes for valid values to use for this parameter.

  • [bc_f]<Format to Convert to: integer>[/bc_f] - Use one of the values below:

    • 0 = RSS
    • 1 = Atom


  • [bc_i]<Suppress Images: integer>[/bc_i] - Suppress Images from Rendering in HTML. Use one of the values below:

    • 0 = Don't Suppress Images
    • 1 = Suppress Images

  • [bc_h]<Remove HTML Tags: integer>[/bc_h] - Gets a copy of the feed document and returns it to the caller with HTML tags removed. Use one of the values below:

    • 0 = Don't Remove HTML tags from feed
    • 1 = Remove HTML tags from feed

Examples:

1. Combine Two Feeds:
  • [bc_u1]http://www.blatcasta.com/sample1.xml[/bc_u1][bc_u2]http://www.blatcasta
    .com/sample2.xml[/bc_u2]
In this example, we simply combine two feeds and the feed items come in the same order as the feeds.


2. Filter Feed:
  • [bc_u1]http://www.blatcasta.com/sample1.xml[/bc_u1][bc_c1]Internet[/bc_c1]
In this example, we filter out all feed items that contain the string "Internet" in the title, author, or description feed fields.


3. Sort Feed:
  • [bc_u1]http://www.blatcasta.com/sample1.xml[/bc_u1][bc_k]1[/bc_k][bc_o]1[/bc_o]
In this example, we sort the feed items by published date in descending (Z → A) order.


4. Combine Three Feeds, Filter, and Sort:
  • [bc_u1]http://www.blatcasta.com/sample1.xml[/bc_u1][bc_c1]Internet[/bc_c1]
    [bc_u2]http://www.blatcasta .com/sample2.xml[/bc_u2][bc_u3]
    http://www.blatcasta.com/sample3.xml[/bc_u3][bc_c3]website[/bc_c3]
    [bc_x3]blog[/bc_x3][bc_k]0[/bc_k][bc_o]0[/bc_o]
In this example, we combine three feeds, filter the first one for feed items that contain the string "Internet", filter the third feed for items that contain the string "website" but not the string "blog", and sort the result by title in ascending (A → Z) order.


5. Combine Two Feeds and Translate:
  • [bc_u1]http://www.blatcasta.com/sample1.xml[/bc_u1][bc_u2]http://www.blatcasta
    .com/sample2.xml[/bc_u2][bc_tf]en[/bc_tf][bc_tt]es[/bc_tt]
In this example, we combine two feeds and translate the result from English to Spanish.


Returns:

The processed feed document as a string.




REST Feed API

The REST version of the BlastCasta Feed API follows the REST protocol and the URL to the service is as follows:

  • http://www.blastcasta.com/processedfeed.aspx?feedcode=<Escaped Parameter List>

where the Parameter List must be escaped (i.e. URL-encoded) and is defined below along with some helpful examples. This single call can accomplish one or more of the following operations:
  • Combine Feeds
  • Filter Feed
  • Sort Feed
  • Translate Feed
  • Convert Feed Format
  • Suppress Images in Feed
The parameter list is a string of parameters delimited by bracketed tags. Below is a description of these tags and some examples. You can combine up to five feeds while filtering each of them in the process.

Note: You can also use our UI tool to generate this code.
  • [bc_u1]<Feed URL 1 : string>[/bc_u1] - Feed URL 1

  • [bc_m1]<Maximum Items : integer>[/bc_m1] - The maximum number of feed items from Feed 1 to include in the filtered feed. (Use -1 to specify no maximum number.)

  • [bc_c1]<Text to Match: string>[/bc_c1] - If provided, the only feed items from Feed 1 that are included in the output will be those that have a title, author, or description that have a string that matches this argument.

  • [bc_x1]<Text to Not Match: string>[/bc_x1] - If provided, the only feed items from Feed 1 that are included in the output will be those that do not have a title, author, or description that have a string that matches this argument.

  • Feeds 2 to 5 are optional parameters. Follow guidelines for feed 1 for these.

  • [bc_u2]<Feed URL 2 : string>[/bc_u2] - Feed URL 2

  • [bc_m2]<Maximum Items : integer>[/bc_m2]

  • [bc_c2]<Text to Match: string>[/bc_c2]

  • [bc_x2]<Text to Not Match: string>[/bc_x2]

  • [bc_u3]<Feed URL 3 : string>[/bc_u3] - Feed URL 3

  • [bc_m3]<Maximum Items : integer>[/bc_m3]

  • [bc_c3]<Text to Match: string>[/bc_c3]

  • [bc_x3]<Text to Not Match: string>[/bc_x3]

  • [bc_u4]<Feed URL 4 : string>[/bc_u4] - Feed URL 4

  • [bc_m4]<Maximum Items : integer>[/bc_m4]

  • [bc_c4]<Text to Match: string>[/bc_c4]

  • [bc_x4]<Text to Not Match: string>[/bc_x4]

  • [bc_u5]<Feed URL 5 : string>[/bc_u5] - Feed URL 5

  • [bc_m5]<Maximum Items : integer>[/bc_m5]

  • [bc_c5]<Text to Match: string>[/bc_c5]

  • [bc_x5]<Text to Not Match: string>[/bc_x5]


  • The below parameters are also optional.

  • [bc_k]<Sort Key : integer>[/bc_k] - The field by which to sort this feed. The value must be one of the following:

    • 0 = Sort by Title
    • 1 = Sort by Date Published
    • 2 = Sort by Author
    • 3 = Random Sort

  • [bc_o]<Sort Order : integer>[/bc_o] - The order by which to sort this feed. The value must be one of the following:

    • 0 = Ascending Order (A → Z)
    • 1 = Descending Order (Z → A)

  • [bc_tf]<Language to Translate From: string>[/bc_tf] - Language code for the current language of the given feed from which to translate. The value must be one of the following:

    • ar = Arabic
    • bg = Bulgarian
    • zh-cn = Chinese
    • hr = Croatian
    • cs = Czech
    • da = Danish
    • nl = Dutch
    • en = English
    • fi = Finnish
    • fr = French
    • de = German
    • el = Greek
    • hi = Hindi
    • it = Italian
    • ja = Japanese
    • ko = Korean
    • no = Norwegian
    • pl = Polish
    • pt = Portuguese
    • ro = Romanian
    • ru = Russian
    • es = Spanish
    • sv = Swedish

  • [bc_tt]<Language to Translate To: string>[/bc_tt] - Language code to which to translate the given feed. See above language codes for valid values to use for this parameter.

  • [bc_f]<Format to Convert to: integer>[/bc_f] - Use one of the values below:

    • 0 = RSS
    • 1 = Atom


  • [bc_i]<Suppress Images: integer>[/bc_i] - Suppress Images from Rendering in HTML. Use one of the values below:

    • 0 = Don't Suppress Images
    • 1 = Suppress Images

  • [bc_h]<Remove HTML Tags: integer>[/bc_h] - Gets a copy of the feed document and returns it to the caller with HTML tags removed. Use one of the values below:

    • 0 = Don't Remove HTML tags from feed
    • 1 = Remove HTML tags from feed


Examples:

1. Combine Two Feeds:
  • http://localhost/blastcasta/processedfeed.aspx?feedcode=%5bbc_u1%5dhttp://www.blatcasta
    .com/sample1.xml%5b/bc_u1%5d%5bbc_u2%5dhttp://www.blatcasta.com/sample2.xml%5b/bc_u2%5d
In this example, we simply combine two feeds and the feed items come in the same order as the feeds.


2. Filter Feed:
  • http://localhost/blastcasta/processedfeed.aspx?feedcode=%5bbc_u1%5dhttp://www.blatcasta
    .com/sample1.xml%5b/bc_u1%5d%5bbc_c1%5dInternet%5b/bc_c1%5d
In this example, we filter out all feed items that contain the string "Internet" in the title, author, or description feed fields.


3. Sort Feed:
  • http://localhost/blastcasta/processedfeed.aspx?feedcode=%5bbc_u1%5dhttp://www.blatcasta
    .com/sample1.xml%5b/bc_u1%5d%5bbc_k%5d1%5b/bc_k%5d%5bbc_o%5d1%5b/bc_o%5d
In this example, we sort the feed items by published date in descending (Z → A) order.


4. Combine Three Feeds, Filter, and Sort:
  • http://localhost/blastcasta/processedfeed.aspx?feedcode=%5bbc_u1%5dhttp://www.blatcasta
    .com/sample1.xml%5b/bc_u1%5d%5bbc_c1%5dInternet%5b/bc_c1%5d%5bbc_u2%5dhttp://
    www.blatcasta.com/sample2.xml%5b/bc_u2%5d%5bbc_u3%5dhttp://www.blatcasta.com/sample3.xml
    %5b/bc_u3%5d%5bbc_c3%5dwebsite%5b/bc_c3%5d%5bbc_x3%5dblog%5b/bc_x3%5d%5bbc_k%5d0%5b/bc_k%5d
    %5bbc_o%5d0%5b/bc_o%5d
In this example, we combine three feeds, filter the first one for feed items that contain the string "Internet", filter the third feed for items that contain the string "website" but not the string "blog", and sort the result by title in ascending (A → Z) order.


5. Combine Two Feeds and Translate:
  • http://localhost/blastcasta/processedfeed.aspx?feedcode=%5bbc_u1%5dhttp://www.blatcasta
    .com/sample1.xml%5b/bc_u1%5d%5bbc_u2%5dhttp://www.blatcasta.com/sample2.xml
    %5b/bc_u2%5d%5bbc_tf%5den%5b/bc_tf%5d%5bbc_tt%5des%5b/bc_tt%5d
In this example, we combine two feeds and translate the result from English to Spanish.


   

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