PHP+SML+RSS+CSS+wtf?

[lazzerous]

ok - I have an rss file dynamically generated via PHP.
For reasons I can't explain, it doesn't show as a normal XML output via browser.
I tried attaching a stylesheet and it did nothing
Anyone have any ideas on why this isn't outputting correctly?

.htaccess:
AddType application/x-httpd-php .cinch .cnch .cnc .html .css .js .xml

cinchrss.xml: (http://www.cinch.com/cinchrss.xml)

<?
include_once "db.cinch";
connect();

// get all news entries
$getNews = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM press_releases ORDER BY date_posted DESC");
echo "<?xml version=\"1.0\"?>\n";
echo "<?xml-stylesheet href=\"rss.css\" type=\"text/css\"?>\n";
echo "<rss version=\"2.0\">\n";
echo "	<channel>\n";
echo "		<title>Cinch Connectors News</title>\n";
echo "		<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch</link>\n";
echo "		<description>Get all the latest updates from Cinch Connectors</description>\n";
echo "		<language>en-us</language>\n";
echo "		<pubDate>".date("D, j M Y h:i:s")." CST</pubDate>\n";
echo "		<lastBuildDate>".date("D, j M Y h:i:s")." CST</lastBuildDate>\n";
echo "		<webMaster>[e-mail]</webMaster>\n";
while ($row=mysql_fetch_array($getNews)){
	$row['title'] = str_replace("™","",$row['title']);
	$date_posted = date("D, j M Y h:i:s", $row['date_posted']);
	echo "		<item>\n";
	echo "			<title>".$row['title']."</title>\n";
	echo "			<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch?pr_id=".$row['id']."</link>\n";
	echo "			<description>".$row['title']."</description>\n";
	// echo "			<pubDate>".$date_posted." CST</pubDate>\n";
	echo "		</item>\n";	
}
echo "	</channel>\n";
echo "</rss>\n";
?>

rss.css:
http://www.cinch.com/rss.css

I have got to be missing something here. I've checked the output a thousand times and it all looks right. Does anyone see anything out of the norm here?

Thanks,
-=Lazz=-

[bpat1434]

It's because you're actually telling Apache to treat a *.xml file as a php file. That's why.

AddType application/x-httpd-php .cinch .cnch .cnc .html .css .js .xml

You should really only parse files that have php code in them as php, and not remove the defaults (like xml, html, htm).

~Brett

[lazzerous]

That makes no sense...

The server parses the PHP and ouputs the XML file.

Browsers know jack about PHP - it's a server side language.

That can't possibly affect the browser output of this file.

[lazzerous]

To be absolutely sure I wasn't wrong - I rewrote everything.
XML is no longer parsed as PHP.
I have a new file, rssGenerator.php that manipulates the contents of cinchrss.xml

The visual output of the xml hasn't changed.

You can see for yourself:
http://www.cinch.com/cinchrss.xml

for grins, here's the code for rssGenerator.php:

<?
include_once "db.cinch";
connect();

// get all news entries
$getNews = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM press_releases ORDER BY date_posted DESC");

// get the rss file
$filepointer = fopen("/home/cinch/live.cinch.prohosters.com/html/cinchrss.xml", "w");

fputs ($filepointer, "<?xml version='1.0'?>\r
<rss version=\"2.0\">\r
<?xml-stylesheet href=\"rss.css\" type=\"text/css\"?>\r
<channel>\r
	<pubDate>".date("D, d M Y h:i:s T", date("U"))."</pubDate>\r
	<title>Cinch Connectors News</title>\r
	<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch</link>\r
	<description>Get all the latest updates from Cinch Connectors</description>\r
	<language>en-us</language>\r
	<webMaster>[e-mail]</webMaster>\r");

while ($row=mysql_fetch_array($getNews)){
	$row['title'] = str_replace("™","",$row['title']);
	fputs ($filepointer, "	<item>\r");
	fputs ($filepointer, "		<title>".$row['title']."</title>\r");
	fputs ($filepointer, "		<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch?pr_id=".$row['id']."</link>\r");
	fputs ($filepointer, "		<description>".$row['title']."</description>\r");
	fputs ($filepointer, "	</item>\r");	
}

fputs ($filepointer, "</channel>\r
</rss>");
?>

Now with that out of the way, does anyone have any additional suggestions as to what may be causing this?

Thanks,
-=Lazz=-

[bpat1434]

You missed my point.... and it does make sense if you think about it....

You have a .htaccess file that says:

Handle these extensions using the PHP engine: html, php, php3, xml ... (whatever else you had).

So what that will do is when you type domain.com/path/to/xml.xml it will be parsed as PHP language code, NOT xml. THat's how people use things like "do" and "gps" as extensions.

If you remove the declaration that XML files are to be handled like PHP files, the XML won't be parsed on the server side, and will render normally.

As for it outputting ot the browser, if you want it to output as XML, then send the XML header via php before you output:

<?php
//... all your other code ...
header('Content-Type: text/xml');
// Output the xml file...
?>

That would tell the browser to parse it as XML, and not normal text. The reason you get normal text is because you don't set the header, and the server sees it as PHP, so the PHP page puts it out as a default text/text document.

Just try adding the header and see...

~Brett

[Weedpacket]

Actually, the default is "text/html", as a "View Source" in the browser would show.

[lazzerous]

Ok - you both missed the fact that i removed .xml as a PHP extension from the htaccess dile and the xml file is now a straight xml file.

With that in mind, why isn't it rendering properly?

[Edit] Ok - I completely sound like a dick here and I didn't intend to..
htaccess is not setting xml to parse as php anymore.
the xml file itself is just that - a striught xml file.

There has to be a reason for all of this..

[bpat1434]

Yes... Browsers don't deal wtih XML.... they just display it as it is.... what is so hard to understand? What do you want? If you want formatted xml with style and such, why not just use a PHP page to grab the contents of the XML file and format it as you please itterating through the nodes.

The file is rendering properly....

For reasons I can't explain, it doesn't show as a normal XML output via browser.
I tried attaching a stylesheet and it did nothing
Anyone have any ideas on why this isn't outputting correctly?

Now it's outputting as XML code. That's what the expected behavior is. That's what it's supposed to do. What more do you want to do with your XML code? We went from just having the contents of the tags outputted (like the PHP Builder RSS Feeds) to having the actual XML code & tags outputted to the brwoser... doesn't that satisfy your question?

~Brett

[lazzerous]

??????????????

When I load it, it's NOT displaying as XML code... it's displaying as XML should for you?

[bpat1434]

Removed

~Brett

[bpat1434]

Hah... I've figured out your problem...

You should really follow the standards that the w3c sets down....

In the beginning of your XML file you have:

<?xml version=\'1.0\'?>
<rss version="2.0">
<?xml-stylesheet href="rss.css" type="text/css"?>

That needs to change to:

<?xml version=\'1.0\'?>
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/css" href="rss.css" ?>
<rss version="2.0">

It has something to do with the declaration of the css file and the declaration of the actual XML tags.

Sorry if it seemed like I was being an ass to you... obviously we both stand corrected...

~Brett

[lazzerous]

hmm...
That doesn't seem to be it either..
http://www.cinch.com/cinchrss.xml

This is one hell of a noggin scratcher

[bpat1434]

nothings changed....

~Brett

[lazzerous]

This is the output I'm seeing:

<?xml version='1.0'?>
<?xml-stylesheet href="rss.css" type="text/css"?>
<rss version="2.0">
<channel>

[bpat1434]

It does work, trust me.... What does your PHP-XML file look like? What is the exact code. Here's what I used that works:

<?php
// Set this document to be an XML document
header('Content-Type: text/xml');

// This one works... VERIFIED!!
$xml[2] = '<?xml version=\'1.0\'?>
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/css" href="rss.css" ?>
<rss version="2.0">
	<channel>
		<pubDate>Wed, 31 Dec 1969 07:00:00 EST</pubDate>
		<title>Cinch Connectors News</title>
		<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch</link>
		<description>Get all the latest updates from Cinch Connectors</description>
		<language>en-us</language>
		<webMaster>[e-mail]</webMaster>

	<item>
		<title>Cinch Unveils New iQ Interconnect Technology</title>
		<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch?pr_id=15</link>
		<description>Cinch Unveils New iQ Interconnect Technology</description>
	</item>

	<item>
		<title>CINCH INTRODUCES SPECIALTY HARNESS ASSEMBLIES</title>
		<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch?pr_id=14</link>
		<description>CINCH INTRODUCES SPECIALTY HARNESS ASSEMBLIES</description>
	</item>

	<item>
		<title>CINCH POTTED HERMETIC CONNECTORS</title>
		<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch?pr_id=13</link>
		<description>CINCH POTTED HERMETIC CONNECTORS</description>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>Low Profile Board-to-Board Connectors</title>
		<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch?pr_id=12</link>
		<description>Low Profile Board-to-Board Connectors</description>
	</item>

	<item>
		<title>CINCH INTRODUCES MODULAR INTEGRATED CONNECTOR ENCLOSURES</title>
		<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch?pr_id=10</link>
		<description>CINCH INTRODUCES MODULAR INTEGRATED CONNECTOR ENCLOSURES</description>
	</item>

	<item>
		<title>CINCH INTRODUCES SEALED ECU CONNECTOR SYSTEM</title>
		<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch?pr_id=11</link>
		<description>CINCH INTRODUCES SEALED ECU CONNECTOR SYSTEM</description>
	</item>

	<item>
		<title>Cinch appoints K.MECS distributor in Japan</title>
		<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch?pr_id=9</link>
		<description>Cinch appoints K.MECS distributor in Japan</description>
	</item>

	<item>
		<title>CINCH BBF(tm) CONNECTOR OFFERS SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE IN AN F-STYLE RF INTERFACE</title>
		<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch?pr_id=8</link>
		<description>CINCH BBF(tm) CONNECTOR OFFERS SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE IN AN F-STYLE RF INTERFACE</description>
	</item>

	<item>
		<title>Cinch goes live with new website</title>
		<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch?pr_id=7</link>
		<description>Cinch goes live with new website</description>
	</item>

	<item>
		<title>CINCH UNVEILS BROAD LINE OF RF CONNECTORS</title>
		<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch?pr_id=5</link>
		<description>CINCH UNVEILS BROAD LINE OF RF CONNECTORS</description>
	</item>

	<item>
		<title>DEFENSE SUPPLY CENTER AWARDS CINCH REYNOSA</title>
		<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch?pr_id=6</link>
		<description>DEFENSE SUPPLY CENTER AWARDS CINCH REYNOSA</description>
	</item>
</channel>
</rss>';

echo $xml[2];

?>

That brings up this for me:

So it does work... not sure what you're doing though...

~Brett

[lazzerous]

I'm using the following code in a seperate script to generate the XML file.

There is no PHP in the XML file itself.

<?
include_once "db.cinch";
connect();

// get all news entries
$getNews = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM press_releases ORDER BY date_posted DESC");

// get the rss file
$filepointer = fopen("/home/cinch/live.cinch.prohosters.com/html/cinchrss.xml", "w");

fputs ($filepointer, "<?xml version='1.0'?>\r
<?xml-stylesheet type=\"text/css\" href=\"rss.css\"?>\r
<rss version=\"2.0\">\r
<channel>\r
	<pubDate>".date("D, d M Y h:i:s T", date("U"))."</pubDate>\r
	<title>Cinch Connectors News</title>\r
	<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch</link>\r
	<description>Get all the latest updates from Cinch Connectors</description>\r
	<language>en-us</language>\r
	<webMaster>[e-mail]</webMaster>\r");

while ($row=mysql_fetch_array($getNews)){
	$row['title'] = str_replace("™","",$row['title']);
	fputs ($filepointer, "	<item>\r");
	fputs ($filepointer, "		<title>".$row['title']."</title>\r");
	fputs ($filepointer, "		<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch?pr_id=".$row['id']."</link>\r");
	fputs ($filepointer, "		<description>".$row['title']."</description>\r");
	fputs ($filepointer, "	</item>\r");	
}

fputs ($filepointer, "</channel>\r
</rss>");
?>

[bpat1434]

Also, try modifying this:

<?xml-stylesheet href="rss.css" type="text/css"?>

to be:

<?xml-stylesheet type="text/css" href="rss.css" ?>

Not sure if that will do anything, but worth a shot....

And add your encoding (UTF-8 is default) to the original XML declaration...

And try fclose($link) so that the document closes....

~Brett

[lazzerous]

HA HA HA

Ok - I obviously wasn't checking all browsers.

This problem seems to be specific to FireFox..
Anyone know of any known bugs with Firefox and assigning CSS to XML files?
I tried upgrading to FF 1.5 to no avail.

[bpat1434]

I don't know of any errors... but it seems that Firefox has some issues with displaying XML right now... (check bugzilla [http://bugzilla.mozilla.org]).

I know that I can in my browser on my local machine, create an XML file, write to it, and then have it display properly with the stylesheet. Conversely, on your site, I get something without style. And in IE, it looks o..k..

I'll look into it.. you just may have found a FF bug...

~Brett

EDIT
NO, wait, nevermind... it's not a firefox thing.... doh!!
If you PM me your mySQL connection info, I could possibly work on some working code, but for what I can, this works and works well:
http://phpbuilder.bpatterson.net/lazzerous.php
Here's teh code to lazzerous.php

<?php
// Set this document to be an XML document
//header('Content-Type: text/xml');

$filelink = fopen('lazzerous.xml', "wb");

fputs($filelink, "<?xml version='1.0'?>\r
<?xml-stylesheet type=\"text/css\" href=\"rss.css\" ?>\r
<rss version=\"2.0\">\r
	<channel>\r");
fputs($filelink, "
		<pubDate>".date('m-d-Y T', time())."</pubDate>\r
		<title>Cinch Connectors News</title>\r
		<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch</link>\r
		<description>Get all the latest updates from Cinch Connectors</description>\r
		<language>en-us</language>\r
		<webMaster>[e-mail]</webMaster>\r\r");
fputs($filelink, "		
		<item>\r
			<title>Cinch Unveils New iQ Interconnect Technology</title>\r
			<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch?pr_id=15</link>\r
			<description>Cinch Unveils New iQ Interconnect Technology</description>\r
		</item>\r\r");
fputs($filelink, "		
		<item>\r
			<title>CINCH INTRODUCES SPECIALTY HARNESS ASSEMBLIES</title>\r
			<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch?pr_id=14</link>\r
			<description>CINCH INTRODUCES SPECIALTY HARNESS ASSEMBLIES</description>\r
		</item>\r\r");
fputs($filelink, "		
		<item>\r
			<title>CINCH POTTED HERMETIC CONNECTORS</title>\r
			<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch?pr_id=13</link>\r
			<description>CINCH POTTED HERMETIC CONNECTORS</description>\r
		</item>\r\r");
fputs($filelink, "
		<item>\r
			<title>Low Profile Board-to-Board Connectors</title>
			<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch?pr_id=12</link>\r
			<description>Low Profile Board-to-Board Connectors</description>\r
		</item>\r\r");
fputs($filelink, "		
		<item>\r
			<title>CINCH INTRODUCES MODULAR INTEGRATED CONNECTOR ENCLOSURES</title>\r
			<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch?pr_id=10</link>\r
			<description>CINCH INTRODUCES MODULAR INTEGRATED CONNECTOR ENCLOSURES</description>\r
		</item>\r\r");
fputs($filelink, "		
		<item>\r
			<title>CINCH INTRODUCES SEALED ECU CONNECTOR SYSTEM</title>\r
			<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch?pr_id=11</link>\r
			<description>CINCH INTRODUCES SEALED ECU CONNECTOR SYSTEM</description>\r
		</item>\r\r");
fputs($filelink, "		
		<item>\r
			<title>Cinch appoints K.MECS distributor in Japan</title>\r
			<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch?pr_id=9</link>\r
			<description>Cinch appoints K.MECS distributor in Japan</description>\r
		</item>\r\r");
fputs($filelink, "		
		<item>\r
			<title>CINCH BBF(tm) CONNECTOR OFFERS SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE IN AN F-STYLE RF INTERFACE</title>\r
			<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch?pr_id=8</link>\r
			<description>CINCH BBF(tm) CONNECTOR OFFERS SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE IN AN F-STYLE RF INTERFACE</description>\r
		</item>\r\r");
fputs($filelink, "		
		<item>\r
			<title>Cinch goes live with new website</title>\r
			<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch?pr_id=7</link>\r
			<description>Cinch goes live with new website</description>\r
		</item>\r\r");
fputs($filelink, "		
		<item>\r
			<title>CINCH UNVEILS BROAD LINE OF RF CONNECTORS</title>\r
			<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch?pr_id=5</link>\r
			<description>CINCH UNVEILS BROAD LINE OF RF CONNECTORS</description>\r
		</item>\r\r");
fputs($filelink, "		
		<item>\r
			<title>DEFENSE SUPPLY CENTER AWARDS CINCH REYNOSA</title>\r
			<link>http://www.cinch.com/view_news.cinch?pr_id=6</link>\r
			<description>DEFENSE SUPPLY CENTER AWARDS CINCH REYNOSA</description>\r
		</item>\r
	</channel>\r
</rss>");

header('Location: lazzerous.xml');

?>

I wanted to execute as many calls as I could (like you would in a loop) and still make the document semi-dynamic. So this works, not sure why yours won't, but if you look at it, it does work...

Sorry...

But I do notice that there is a slight space between your text= and "text/css". Not sure if that's in the code or not...

~Brett

EDIT
If I had to make a final guess, I'd say that your stylesheet has something to do with it. Either it's not being imported, OR it's not rendering right. WHen I go to my stylesheet (http://phpbuilder.bpatterson.net/rss.css) I get the proper content-type of text/css; however, with your stylesheet I get the content-type of text/html... not sure why, but it does that.... it shouldn't. Check that as well.

~Brett