PHP. Parsing.RSS Feeds,. and Free Hosting. HELP!

Trying to parse an RSS feed using Php with a free host...

[xderek]

I would like to start off by saying i am new to the forums, and that, i have quite a bit of php experience but haven't done any coding at all in the past 2 years so im trying to get back into the "webmasterworld" :P

Anyways, i am trying to create a very simple site/script where all my twitter/youtube/tumblr updates will be posted...

Using Yahoo Pipes, i have merged all of the rss feeds together from twitter, youtube and tumblr... and now my goal is to parse the information from the single Yahoo Pipes RSS feed, and make the xml into php variables that i can use in order to display the information how i want.

Also, i did not mention, but i wanted to do all of this on a free host, Now i realize some free hosts disable certain things so if anyone could recommend a good free host, and how i could do this.


Thanks in advanced, any help is greatly appreciated!
-Derek.

[penders]

You can use something like SimpleXML [uk2.php.net] (part of PHP5) to help parse your XML file.

As for a good free host... sorry, can't help you there. For SimpleXML, you'll need PHP5 with the libxml extension (I think).

And welcome to WebmasterWorld! :)

[londrum]

if you really get stumped, you can send it through google's feedburner, which has the option of turning the feed into html, which is printed onto your page through a simple javascript link.
you get the option of amending the format and styles too.

[Readie]

You can use something like SimpleXML

Be careful with this. If you have something repeating, like say, categories, and products within those categories, if there is only one product within said category, rather than throw out an array with only one element, simpleXML will just have the category content as an object,so you could end up with the following:

Categories = array(
  cat_name_1 = std_object(
    products = array(
      product_1 = std_object
      product_2 = std_object
      product_3 = std_object
    )
  )
  cat_name_2 = std_object(
    products = std_object(
      name = 'product_4'
      etc...
    )
  )
)