Topic: RSS Feed Block Error - "XML error: Invalid character at line 97"

[SinisterForces]

I added the RSS Feed block to my Simple Portal page. When I added a feed that I know is valid the block displayed the following error:

Code: [Select]

XML error: Invalid character at line 97
I used the W3C Feed Validator Service to verify the feed is valid.

[urlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/GnomeStew]The feed.[/url]

The results

I could not find any info on this site regarding that particular error message. I'm not even sure what XML the error is referring to.

My site is You Meet In A Tavern, and I am using SMF 1.1.13 and SP 2.3.3.

I've read that the RSS Feed block may have sporadic issues with some valid feeds. Is this true? I used a different RSS feed that was certified as valid in the same block and it worked great. That was not a feedburner RSS feed though. Are there compatibility problems with feedburner and the block?

Thanks all!

[AngelinaBelle]

What you read about SimplePortal's RSS feed block is true. It fails sometimes on perfectly valid feeds, sometimes because of html entities, and sometimes for reasons I cannot discern.


It is a shame, but it seems the SMF functions SimplePortal picked up to open the feed and deal with the XML really weren't designed to be used in that way. The problem will not be fixed until the developers (at SMF and here) can improve or replace them with functions that are designed to deal with RSS feeds.


Currently, SimplePortal's founder is our only developer. And he's double-booked, also being an SMF core developer. On top of his higher-priority non-SMF duties. And the human need to eat and sleep. Lots of work to be done -- few hands to do the work, I'm sorry to say.

[Chas]

I wanted to include a News RSS feed block but neither the BBC or Google news feeds work. Appreciate the problems so can anyone suggest a Newsfeed (preferably for the UK) that does work in a SP RSS block?

EDIT: Just found the Daily Telegraph News feed works OK.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/rss

[AngelinaBelle]

Thanks, Hal.
SinisterForces -- I'm sorry I could not help you get your RSS block working.
I think I did answer your question, and I am afraid that is all the support I'm going to be able to offer on this issue.
Any objection to me closing this topic? "Mark Solved" is the only way for me to do that.

[SinisterForces]

Yes, that is fine. I am sorry that I didn't respond sooner. I forgot to setup email notifications for this topic, and I apologize for making you wait. I have marked the topic as solved.

[SinisterForces]

As a workaround I created a Custom HTML block and then used the free service over at http://www.rssinclude.com/ to generate some iFrame code that shows the last 5 items from the RSS feed that I wanted to display. It works fine for my purposes.

[AngelinaBelle]

That sounds like a good workaround.
Thanks for sharing it.