Hi,

I started a new thread because the old one suggests its only about My Web News.

The MCE package now contains many utilities, including a web browser.

I will continue developing and if there are suggestions for new applications, please let me know.

Also comments are appreciated, so I can improve the software.

Visit my site to see the possibilities.

Hi Sape

I tried to insert a Cnet.com RSS feed into the plug in, where it did display the most recent headlines, but it did not take me to the article chosen. MCE responded by trying to load something but nothing happenned and then it would not recognize mouse or remote control requests; the mouse even blanked out. I thought that was happenning because firefox is my default browser, so I changed and made IE my default browser. Still the same thing happenned

Also, when I go to read a new story from say Reuters or any of the predetermined feeds I am taken to the article within MCE(blue background white text) and there is a continue button to read the remainder of the story. How do i go to the next page or continue with the story using the remote?

Thought you'd like to know for these may be bugs?

Cheers, Chaser

Chaser,

I tested the CNet Feed and on my computer it works fine.
I use a popup browser and most probably it appeared but behind the MCE screen, so the popup browser is waiting for you to respond. Thats why you see MCE waiting. I will make it application modal so it should always appear in the front.

If you use the Alt Tab keys to switch application you can get the popup browser. I will make an option whether to use the popup browser or the MCE browser.

The other issue I can't solve, only the direct link is displayed in Web News, any following link can only be shown by using the mouse.

Hey Sape

Do you think there is anyway to program or hack MCE to call up Firefox and not MCE or all I need to do is have Firefox as my default browser.  I dont this will work as this is a microsoft product and thus I am thinking that somewhere a hack would be needed to call up Firefox, rather then IE.

I havent used IE in ages and really just prefer and dig(the extensions are great) Firefox!

Chaser,

Its easy to run any application, the only problem is that MCE will normally always stay on top, so even if you launch an application, you can't see it.
In fact, addins are executables that are launched by MCE and they are on top of MCE, because they minimise MCE.

But I will investigate if you can run an application shelled modal, as they call it.

Yes I have noticed that when calling to another program within MCE it does recognize the call request, but displays the application on the desktop.

Though this is not the case in Web News; my version. I have modified your first version and the feeds I have added display the headlines within MCE, but when I go to read the actual article it opens IE and displays in IE(i get that error do you want to view later, view now or cancel). Most of the time the text is hard to read(too small) and thus It would be great to program it to have Firefox pop up instead of IE.

Hopefully, this can be done!

Cheers, Chaser

Sape:

I tried to uninstall My Web News this evening and run MCE without it for a few days.

Anyway, I've run the uninstall routine, but My Web News continues to show up in the More Programs section of MCE, although it does not run when selected.  I get an unable to display page message in MCE.  I'd like to remove the icon from the more programs page, but I can't figure out how to.  I've checked my start menu, and there's nothing listed in the MCE programs section  (neither in all users or accessories -media center ).   If I go to settings and tell MCE not to display the program in the edit more programs setting page, it goes away, but comes back if MCE is shut down and restarted.  

I'm thinking its some registry entry that didn't get cleaned out in the uninstall routine.  I had previously originally installe My Web News around the beginning of the month, when it didn't have an install or uninstall routine. 

Can you help me track down the reg key or uninstall routine to remove My Web News from More Programs?

TIA,

Steveo

 

Steve,

Here are the registry keys:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Extensibility\Applications\{abce8379-f381-47b8-ae3d-ef6ade750500}]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Extensibility\Categories\Start Menu\{3de6904a-d9c7-4ef9-b77d-c1216b39161f}]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Extensibility\Categories\Start Menu\{3de6904a-d9c7-4ef9-b77d-c1216b39161f}]

Just remove them from the registry.

Take care there is no webnews.mcl file in the accessories/media center/media center programs folder.

 

Hey Sape

I read where you stated certain web sites have something special that allows their articles to be filtered into the MCE where the user is able to read the chosen article within MCE. What is this special thing and how can I go determining and qualifying sites for this purpose?

Cheers, Chaser

Chaser,

Some sites like the BBC (who just altered their feeds), have a start and end tag around the real article.

Below is the filter i use in NewsArticleText.htm:

==================================================

If InStr(Parent.location.search,"bbc")>0 then

Tempstr=Extract(Response," <!-- S BO -->","<!-- E BO -->")

while Instr(Tempstr,"src=""/nol")>0

Tempstr=MID(Tempstr,1,Instr(Tempstr,"src=""/nol")+4) + "http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk" +MID(Tempstr,Instr(Tempstr,"src=""/nol")+5,LEN(Tempstr))

wend

body.innerHTML=Tempstr

elseif InStr(Parent.location.search,"elsevier")>0 then

Tempstr=Extract(Response,"<!-- BEGIN ARTIKEL -->","<p class=")

while Instr(Tempstr,"src=""/artimg")>0

Tempstr=MID(Tempstr,1,Instr(Tempstr,"src=""/artimg")+4) + "http://www.elsevier.nl" +MID(Tempstr,Instr(Tempstr,"src=""/artimg")+5,LEN(Tempstr))

wend

while Instr(Tempstr,"src='/artimg")>0

Tempstr=MID(Tempstr,1,Instr(Tempstr,"src='/artimg")+4) + "http://www.elsevier.nl" +MID(Tempstr,Instr(Tempstr,"src='/artimg")+5,LEN(Tempstr))

wend

body.innerHTML=Tempstr

elseif InStr(Parent.location.search,"reuters")>0 then

body.innerHTML=Extract(Response,"<!-- article text begins -->","<!-- article text ends -->")

elseif InStr(Parent.location.search,"nieuws")>0 then

Tempstr=Extract(Response,"<div id=""content"">","</div>")

while Instr(Tempstr,"src=""/news")>0

Tempstr=MID(Tempstr,1,Instr(Tempstr,"src=""/news")+4) + "http://www.nieuws.nl" +MID(Tempstr,Instr(Tempstr,"src=""/news")+5,LEN(Tempstr))

wend

while Instr(Tempstr,"src='/news")>0

Tempstr=MID(Tempstr,1,Instr(Tempstr,"src='/news")+4) + "http://www.nieuws.nl" +MID(Tempstr,Instr(Tempstr,"src='/news")+5,LEN(Tempstr))

wend

body.innerHTML=Tempstr

elseif InStr(Parent.location.search,"cnn")>0 then

body.innerHTML=Extract(Response,"<!--===============Paste story between here=================-->","<!--===============Paste story between here=================-->")

else

end if

=========================================================

You can find these tags if you view the source of the page.

If a site like BBC has many RSS feeds and the tags are consistent, I can build the filter in WebNews for you.

In WebNews.js you find:

========================================

 function playTopic(url,desc) {
        if(url.substring(0,21) == "http://news.bbc.co.uk")
   location.replace("newsarticle.htm?url="+url);
  else {
        if(url.substring(0,22) == "http://www.elsevier.nl")
   location.replace("newsarticle.htm?url="+url);
  else {
        if(url.substring(0,22) == "http://www.reuters.com")
   location.replace("newsarticle.htm?url="+url);
  else {
        if(url.substring(0,20) == "http://www.nieuws.nl")
   location.replace("newsarticle.htm?url="+url);
  else {
        if(url.substring(0,18) == "http://www.cnn.com")
   location.replace("newsarticle.htm?url="+url);
  else {
            SAMConsult.ShowBrowser(url);
  }}}}}
 }

==============================================================

Which redirects to the NewsArticle.htm (which uses NewsArticleText.htm in the IFrame).

If you add an extra site to both files, with of course the right start and end tag, then you can see your feeds also in MCE format.

By the way, I added many new features to the WebNews package, the last is that you can use it to play media files, it works on my laptop, but I didn't have time to test it on my MCE (my wife is watching TV:-)

I hope this is of help to you.

 

Thanks thats helpful! I am going to check out the sites of my choice to see which ones have a start and end tag for each of their articles in their RSS feeds.

I was just playing with the Main.css file, manipulating text size and stuff. I was able to reduce the font of the background of web news, but Im wondering how to change the text color. I know it has to do with .color = #2a5aae(something like that). I would assume #2a5aae represents white to the operating system. Any idea what hexidecimal(if that what such is representing) represents different colors to the OS?

Cheers, Chaser

You state some articles have a start and end tag around their articles.

What does such look like? Like this.....



or like this



-
Iraqi special forces seize control of a training camp, killing 84 insurgents and seizing weapons, officials say.

-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/middle_east/4374533.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4374533.stm
Wed, 23 Mar 05 19:20:35 GMT


Im thinking its more like the former() then the latter?

Thanks for your continued help!

Cheers, Chaser

Hey that didnt post right

Can you detail how a start and end around an RSS article looks like?

Cheers, Chaser

Chaser,

I already solved your problem by putting the filters in a INI file called Filters.ini.

Here is what it look like:

=============================================

[Main]
Count=5
Provider1="http://news.bbc.co.uk"
Provider2="http://www.elsevier.nl"
Provider3="http://www.reuters.com"
Provider4="http://www.nieuws.nl"
Provider5="http://www.cnn.com"

[http://news.bbc.co.uk]
Title="Title: "
TitleStart="<meta name="Headline" content=""
TitleEnd="""
SubTitle="SubTitle: "
SubTitleStart="<meta name="Section" content=""
SubTitleEnd="""
Article="Article:"
ArticleStart="<!-- S BO -->"
ArticleEnd="<!-- E BO -->"
ReplaceSource="src="/nol"
ReplaceWith="src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol"

[http://www.elsevier.nl]
Title="Title: "
TitleStart="<title>"
TitleEnd="</title>"
SubTitle="SubTitle: "
SubTitleStart="<p class="pubdatum">"
SubTitleEnd="<br/>"
Article="Artikel:"
ArticleStart="<!-- BEGIN ARTIKEL -->"
ArticleEnd="<p class="
ReplaceSource="src="/artimg"
ReplaceWith="src="http://www.elsevier.nl/artimg"

[http://www.reuters.com]
Title="Title: "
TitleStart="<title>"
TitleEnd="</title>"
SubTitle="SubTitle: "
SubTitleStart="<meta name="description" content=""
SubTitleEnd="">"
Article="Article:"
ArticleStart="<!-- article text begins -->"
ArticleEnd="<!-- article text ends -->"
ReplaceSource=""
ReplaceWith=""

[http://www.nieuws.nl]
Title="Title: "
TitleStart="<title>"
TitleEnd="</title>"
SubTitle="SubTitle: "
SubTitleStart="CONTENT=""
SubTitleEnd="">"
Article="Artikel:"
ArticleStart="<div id="content">"
ArticleEnd="</div>"
ReplaceSource="src="/news"
ReplaceWith="src="http://www.nieuws.nl/news"

[http://www.cnn.com]
Title="Title: "
TitleStart="<meta name="SECTION" content=""
TitleEnd="""
SubTitle="SubTitle: "
SubTitleStart="<title>"
SubTitleEnd="</title>"
Article="Article:"
ArticleStart="<!--===============Paste story between here=================-->"
ArticleEnd="<!--===============Paste story between here=================-->"
ReplaceSource=""
ReplaceWith=""
=======================================================================

You can easily add your own filters this way without modifying the source and i think it makes WebNews more valuable. By the way, a tag is a unique string, so I search for a unique string before the article and after the article. But sometimes its just not there, because other articles don't have it.

The new version will be released this week.

About the colors, #000000 is black and #FFFFFF is white, you can also use words like: white or orange, but the the number of colors is limited.

By the way, in the new version WebNews also creates a file called WebNews.ini where a copy of all your settings are stored. I'm plannin the make an import function so you can import from the INI file.

Before you install a new version, always make a copy of the WebNews.ini and Filters.ini file, otherwise you loose your filters and you can't restore all your configured RSS feeds anymore.

Right now the WebNews.ini file is not used, just created, but make a backup anyway.