Development:Supporting Additional Web-based Feed Readers - Revision history

Sardisson: /* Registering the completed application with Mac OS X */ typo

2011-02-13T06:16:35Z

Registering the completed application with Mac OS X: typo

Sardisson: /* Preparation */ less confusing, but not less awkward :(

2011-02-13T06:16:17Z

Preparation: less confusing, but not less awkward :(

Sardisson: /* Editing PkgInfo */ fix link

2011-02-13T06:13:55Z

Editing PkgInfo: fix link

Sardisson: finish up

2011-02-13T06:13:07Z

finish up

Sardisson: intro

2010-09-30T06:01:04Z

intro

New page

Camino 1.6 and newer ship with small AppleScript applications that handle the <code>feed://</code> protocol in order to support choosing certain web-based feed readers (Google’s iGoogle and Google Reader, My Yahoo!, and Bloglines) as the user’s default feed reader.

The code for these applications lives in <code>[http://mxr.mozilla.org/camino/source/camino/feedhandlers/ camino/feedhandlers]</code>, with supporting code in <code>[http://mxr.mozilla.org/camino/source/camino/src/application/MainController.mm MainController.mm]</code> (<code>prelaunchHelperApps</code>, <code>helperAppPrelaunchComplete</code>, and <code>doBackgroundPrelaunch:</code>) to handle Quarantine and LaunchServices registration on the first launch of a Camino version.

Although the feedhandlers code is designed to built by Makefile (using <code>osacompile</code> and various shell commands), it is possible to manually assemble your own feedhandler application based on the source.

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 # If you want the application to have a custom icon, prepare the icon as a <code>.icns</code> file and then copy it into your application bundle’s Resources folder as <code>applet.icns</code>, replacing the existing <code>Super Feedreader.app/Contents/Resources/applet.icns</code> file.
-==Registering the completed application with Mac OS X</code>==
+==Registering the completed application with Mac OS X==
 # Finally, move your application from the Application folder to the Desktop, and then move it back to the Applications folder.  Double-click your application once to launch it (it should launch and quit, invisibly).  These steps are necessary to have Mac OS X LaunchServices recognize your application and read the changes you made to the <code>Info.plist</code> file.
 At this point, you should be able to select your application as a feed reader.  (Camino caches the list of available feed readers for a period of time, so if you add a new reader after you've already opened the General preference pane, you may have to quit Camino and restart before you can use Camino’s UI to select the default feed reader.)

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 ==Preparation==
 # Grab a copy of Camino’s feedhander source, either by checking out the Camino code, downloading a Camino source tarball, or viewing the source files in <code>[http://mxr.mozilla.org/camino/source/camino/feedhandlers/ MXR]</code>, clicking the “Raw file” link in the box on the upper right, and saving the files.
-# Next, you need to discover the service's subscription URL.  This may be specified by the <code>navigator.registerProtocolHandler</code> JavaScript call on the site, if the site offers itself as a [https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Web-based_protocol_handlers web-based protocol handler].  For example, the Google feed subscription URL is http://www.google.com/ig/add?feedurl= (in a <code>navigator.registerProtocolHandler</code> JavaScript call, this is the content of the second argument before the <code>%s</code>).
+# Next, you need to discover the service's subscription URL.  This may be specified by the <code>navigator.registerProtocolHandler</code> JavaScript call on the site, if the site offers itself as a [https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Web-based_protocol_handlers web-based protocol handler].  For example, the Google feed subscription URL is http://www.google.com/ig/add?feedurl= (in a <code>navigator.registerProtocolHandler</code> JavaScript call, this is the content up to the <code>%s</code> of the call’s second argument).
 ==Building the AppleScript applet==

@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 ==Editing <code>PkgInfo</code>==
-# Open your application’s <code>PkgInfo</code> file (e.g., <code>Super Feedreader.app/Contents/PkgInfo</code>) in a text editor and replace the last four letters with the creator code you chose in step 7 [[#Editing the <code>Info.plist</code>|above]].  Save the <code>PkgInfo</code> file.
+# Open your application’s <code>PkgInfo</code> file (e.g., <code>Super Feedreader.app/Contents/PkgInfo</code>) in a text editor and replace the last four letters with the creator code you chose in step 7 [[#Editing_the_Info.plist|above]].  Save the <code>PkgInfo</code> file.
 ==Providing a custom application icon==

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:13, 13 February 2011
Line 4:		Line 4:

	Although the feedhandlers code is designed to built by Makefile (using <code>osacompile</code> and various shell commands), it is possible to manually assemble your own feedhandler application based on the source.		Although the feedhandlers code is designed to built by Makefile (using <code>osacompile</code> and various shell commands), it is possible to manually assemble your own feedhandler application based on the source.
		+
		+	==Preparation==
		+	# Grab a copy of Camino’s feedhander source, either by checking out the Camino code, downloading a Camino source tarball, or viewing the source files in <code>[http://mxr.mozilla.org/camino/source/camino/feedhandlers/ MXR]</code>, clicking the “Raw file” link in the box on the upper right, and saving the files.
		+	# Next, you need to discover the service's subscription URL. This may be specified by the <code>navigator.registerProtocolHandler</code> JavaScript call on the site, if the site offers itself as a [https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Web-based_protocol_handlers web-based protocol handler]. For example, the Google feed subscription URL is http://www.google.com/ig/add?feedurl= (in a <code>navigator.registerProtocolHandler</code> JavaScript call, this is the content of the second argument before the <code>%s</code>).
		+
		+	==Building the AppleScript applet==
		+	# Rename <code>feedhandlers.applescript.in</code> to <code>feedhandlers.applescript</code> and open the file in Script Editor or AppleScript Editor.
		+	# Replace <code>%FEED_HANDLER_URL%</code> with the URL from step 2 of the [[#Preparation\|Preparation]] section, e.g. http://www.google.com/ig/add?feedurl= in the Google case.
		+	# Save the script as an “Application bundle”, giving it the name of your web-based feed reader (e.g., “Super Feedreader”). Be sure that "Stay Open" and "Startup Screen" are '''not''' checked.
		+
		+	==Editing the <code>Info.plist</code>==
		+	# Now you must perform surgery on the bundle of the application you just saved. In the Finder, control-click on your application and choose “Show Package Contents” from the context menu.
		+	# Open your application’s <code>Info.plist</code> file (e.g., <code>Super Feedreader.app/Contents/Info.plist</code>) in a text editor, select the entire contents, and delete them.
		+	# Open the <code>Info.plist.in</code> from Camino’s feedhandlers source in a text editor, copy the entire contents, and paste them into your application’s <code>Info.plist</code> file.
		+	# Replace <code>%FEED_HANDLER_CFBUNDLE_NAME%</code> and <code>%FEED_HANDLER_DISPLAY_NAME%</code> with your application’s name, e.g. “Super Feedreader”.
		+	# Fix the copyright string (the information inside the <code><string></code> tags just below the <code><key>CFBundleGetInfoString</key></code> line).
		+	# Change the bundle identifier (the information inside the <code><string></code> tags just below the <code><key>CFBundleIdentifier</key></code> line) to a value appropriate for your application, e.g. <code>com.mydomain.superfeedreader</code>.
		+	# Replace <code>%FEED_HANDLER_CREATOR%</code> with a four-letter creator code (must be all uppercase or mixed case and should not collide with the creator code of any other application).
		+	# Save the <code>Info.plist</code> file.
		+
		+	==Editing <code>PkgInfo</code>==
		+	# Open your application’s <code>PkgInfo</code> file (e.g., <code>Super Feedreader.app/Contents/PkgInfo</code>) in a text editor and replace the last four letters with the creator code you chose in step 7 [[#Editing the <code>Info.plist</code>\|above]]. Save the <code>PkgInfo</code> file.
		+
		+	==Providing a custom application icon==
		+	# If you want the application to have a custom icon, prepare the icon as a <code>.icns</code> file and then copy it into your application bundle’s Resources folder as <code>applet.icns</code>, replacing the existing <code>Super Feedreader.app/Contents/Resources/applet.icns</code> file.
		+
		+	==Registering the completed application with Mac OS X</code>==
		+	# Finally, move your application from the Application folder to the Desktop, and then move it back to the Applications folder. Double-click your application once to launch it (it should launch and quit, invisibly). These steps are necessary to have Mac OS X LaunchServices recognize your application and read the changes you made to the <code>Info.plist</code> file.
		+
		+	At this point, you should be able to select your application as a feed reader. (Camino caches the list of available feed readers for a period of time, so if you add a new reader after you've already opened the General preference pane, you may have to quit Camino and restart before you can use Camino’s UI to select the default feed reader.)