The JDeveloper Blogging Editor/Manager in a nutshell.

Summary:

Now you can blog to various blogging providers from within JDeveloper IDE (tested with 10.1.3 and 10.1.3.1 Preview).

Supported Sites:

Note: I could verify only with these providers. Probably it should work as long as the provider doesn't deviate much.

Supports Protocols:

  • Blogger 1.0 API
    • Using this API type doesn't support setting the "title" of the blog post. Blogger 1.0 API doesn't support this.
    • Authentaction used is plain as suported by this API.
  • MetaWeblog API
    • The blog title can be set as this API provides the support.
    • Category can be set on the post that are available. When you first time try to post a blog to this blog provider, categories are retrieved, so you may see a little delay before the Blog Post window comes up.
    • Authentaction used is plain as suported by this API. 
  • Atom 0.3 API
    • This API supports two authentication modes.
    • Authentaction used is either base64 or WSSE authentication mode. 

Usage:

This extension comes up with two components.

  • Blogging Manager:  
    • When this extension is installed and no blog providers have been registered. On right click context menu it looks as below
    • Clicking on the "Blogging Manager", will open the "Blogging Manager" Window.
      • This has the functionalities to "Add a Blog Provider" and "Remove a Blog Provider".
      • Properties of the Manager:
        • Name : The name of the blog provider (Some Identifier for you)
        • URL : This points to your blog providers URL. Make sure you give the URL completely as accepted by Apache HttpClient. Select the appropriate API the blog provider supports from the API drop down box.
        • App Key : This is applicable for some providers with MetaWeblog/Blogger Providers like wordpress and blogger(although they don't use any more).
        • UserName/Password as usual. The password will be stored on the file system using Base64 encryption.
        • API: This should co-relate with the Blog Provider host. Supportings APIs.
        • When Atom protocol is chosen, two different authentication modes are available. Basic Authentication with no encryption and WSSE authentication
        • "Add Blog Provider" Clicking on this button will try to validate the connection including authentication and retrieves the blogs you maintain with the provider. Donot enter each blog urls, provide the provider URL here. If this button is not clicked, the provider will not be added.
        • To ensure that your new additions/deletions are persisted permanently don't forget to click "OK".
        • "Cancel" to ignore any modifications made.
        • "Remove Selected Blog Provider", to remove the selected Blog provider. Click "OK" or "Cancel" appropriately.
      • Known Limitations: No updation of the blog provider is possible. You have to remove the blog provider and add the blog provider again. Hope that will be okay for you :).
  • Blogging
    • The "Right Click" context Menu

    • Higlight the text to blog in your active JDeveloper editor, from the context menu select "Blogging"-->"Blog Provider"-->"Blog you want to post to". You will see a window popping up as below.
      • With Categories (Currently supported only for MetaBlog API as Atom 0.3 has no standard format yet for categories)

      • With out categories listed (like Blogger API)

      • Clicking 'OK' will post to the blog, 'Cancel' doesn't.

Setting Up:

To setup various blog providers that were tested

  1. Blogger.com
    • Blogger 1.0 API
      • URL : http://plant.blogger.com/api/RPC2
      • Username/pwd
      • API: Select Blogger 1.0
    • Blogger Atom End point
      • URL: https://www.blogger.com/atom
      • Username/pwd
      • API: Select Atom (Uncheck WSSE Authentication if checked)
  2. JRoller.com
    • MetaWeblog API
      • URL : http://jroller.com/xmlrpc
      • Username/pwd
      • API: Select MetaWeblog
  3. Wordpress.com (A little tricy one)
    • MetaWeblog API
      • URL : http://wordpress.com/xmlrpc.php
      • Username/pwd
      • App Key: Wordpress doesn't accept without this App Key that is availbale in the web interface.
      • API: Select MetaWeblog
      • Once the Blog provider is successfully added and 'OK' button is clicked.
        •  
  4. LiveJournal.com
  5. LiveJournal Atom End point
    • URL: http://www.livejournal.com/interface/atom
    • Username/pwd
    • API: Select Atom (Check WSSE Authentication if unchecked)

 

Know Limitations and workarounds:

  • WordPress:
    • The Blog Manager pulls all the blogs from wordpress for your user id, password, App key combination.
    • The JDev blogger uses the URL of the provider to post to the individual blogs for all blogs from the same provider (except for Atom where it uses service.post url of the blog).
      This works fine for MetaWeblog, Blogger protocols, Atom (Atom is behavior is handled). But as wordpress deviates from the standard, yo have to hack a little bit.
    • Go to $USER_HOME/ .jdev/blogs.xml
    • Go to wordpress entry 
      <provider name="Wordpress" host="http://wordpress.com/xmlrpc.php" userid="user" password="password" appkey="xxx" type="1">
      <blog id="12345" title="Blog Title" host="http://<blogname1>.wordpress.com/xmlrpc.php"/>
      <blog id="23456" title="Blog Title1" host="http://<blogname2>.wordpress.com/xmlrpc.php"/>
      </provider>
    • Add host attribute to the blog tag pointing to the correct url for the specific blog.
    • Ensure you don't break the xml file.

Happy Blogging!!