Android Java: Remove first two entries from Google News feed in SimpleRssReader

: Joel Lipman; AndroidOS; 24 October 2014; Hits: 5942

What?
A quick article on how to remove the first two entries from a RSS feed produced by a bunch of java files collectively known as "SimpleRssReader.

Why?
The original file reads of a feed from PCWorld.com. I adapted this to read a google news rss feed and the first two entries are "<query> - Google News", everytime. This article documents what I did to fix it.

How?
Basic to some but I'm new to the game. I'm trying to remove the first two entries from a news feed from a Google News feed.

Modifying the strings can be done in the PcWorldRssParser.java (without it crashing the app). The gist is to check for a description (the first two items do not have one). The following will also return a publishing date:

Find the List function in:
PcWorldRssParser.java (readFeed) and replace with

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private List<RssItem> readFeed(XmlPullParser parser) throws XmlPullParserException, IOException {
        parser.require(XmlPullParser.START_TAG, null, "rss");
        String title = null;
        String link = null;
        String date = null;
        String desc = null;
        List<RssItem> items = new ArrayList<RssItem>();
        while (parser.next() != XmlPullParser.END_DOCUMENT) {
            if (parser.getEventType() != XmlPullParser.START_TAG) {
                continue;
            }
            String name = parser.getName();
            if (name.equals("title")) {
                title = readTitle(parser);
            } else if (name.equals("link")) {
                link = readLink(parser);
            } else if (name.equals("pubDate")) {
                date = readDate(parser);
            } else if (name.equals("description")) {
                desc = readDesc(parser);
            }
                if (title != null && link != null && desc != null) {

                    RssItem item = new RssItem(title, link, date, desc);
                    items.add(item);
                    title = null;
                    link = null;
                    date = null;
                    desc = null;
                }

        }
        return items;
    }

    private String readDate(XmlPullParser parser) throws XmlPullParserException, IOException {
        parser.require(XmlPullParser.START_TAG, ns, "pubDate");
        String date = readText(parser);
        parser.require(XmlPullParser.END_TAG, ns, "pubDate");
        return date;
    }
    private String readDesc(XmlPullParser parser) throws XmlPullParserException, IOException {
        parser.require(XmlPullParser.START_TAG, ns, "description");
        String desc = readText(parser);
        parser.require(XmlPullParser.END_TAG, ns, "description");
        return desc;
    }

private List<RssItem> readFeed(XmlPullParser parser) throws XmlPullParserException, IOException {
parser.require(XmlPullParser.START_TAG, null, "rss");
String title = null;
String link = null;
String date = null;
String desc = null;
List<RssItem> items = new ArrayList<RssItem>();
while (parser.next() != XmlPullParser.END_DOCUMENT) {
if (parser.getEventType() != XmlPullParser.START_TAG) {
continue;
}
String name = parser.getName();
if (name.equals("title")) {
title = readTitle(parser);
} else if (name.equals("link")) {
link = readLink(parser);
} else if (name.equals("pubDate")) {
date = readDate(parser);
} else if (name.equals("description")) {
desc = readDesc(parser);
}
if (title != null && link != null && desc != null) {
RssItem item = new RssItem(title, link, date, desc);
items.add(item);
title = null;
link = null;
date = null;
desc = null;
}
}
return items;
}
private String readDate(XmlPullParser parser) throws XmlPullParserException, IOException {
parser.require(XmlPullParser.START_TAG, ns, "pubDate");
String date = readText(parser);
parser.require(XmlPullParser.END_TAG, ns, "pubDate");
return date;
}
private String readDesc(XmlPullParser parser) throws XmlPullParserException, IOException {
parser.require(XmlPullParser.START_TAG, ns, "description");
String desc = readText(parser);
parser.require(XmlPullParser.END_TAG, ns, "description");
return desc;
}

Modify for date and description
RssAdapter.java (getView)

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@Override
    public View getView(int position, View convertView, ViewGroup parent) {
        ViewHolder holder;
        if (convertView == null) {
            convertView = View.inflate(context, R.layout.rss_item, null);
            holder = new ViewHolder();
            holder.newsItemTitle = (TextView) convertView.findViewById(R.id.newsItemTitle);
            holder.newsItemDateD = (TextView) convertView.findViewById(R.id.newsItemDateD);
            holder.newsItemDateM = (TextView) convertView.findViewById(R.id.newsItemDateM);
            holder.newsItemDesc = (TextView) convertView.findViewById(R.id.newsItemDesc);
            convertView.setTag(holder);
        } else {
            holder = (ViewHolder) convertView.getTag();
        }
        holder.newsItemTitle.setText(items.get(position).getTitle());
        holder.newsItemDateD.setText(items.get(position).getDate().substring(5, 7));
        holder.newsItemDateM.setText(items.get(position).getDate().substring(8, 11).toUpperCase());
        holder.newsItemDesc.setText(items.get(position).getDesc());
        return convertView;
    }

    static class ViewHolder {
        TextView newsItemTitle;
        TextView newsItemDateD;
        TextView newsItemDateM;
        TextView newsItemDesc;
    }

@Override
public View getView(int position, View convertView, ViewGroup parent) {
ViewHolder holder;
if (convertView == null) {
convertView = View.inflate(context, R.layout.rss_item, null);
holder = new ViewHolder();
holder.newsItemTitle = (TextView) convertView.findViewById(R.id.newsItemTitle);
holder.newsItemDateD = (TextView) convertView.findViewById(R.id.newsItemDateD);
holder.newsItemDateM = (TextView) convertView.findViewById(R.id.newsItemDateM);
holder.newsItemDesc = (TextView) convertView.findViewById(R.id.newsItemDesc);
convertView.setTag(holder);
} else {
holder = (ViewHolder) convertView.getTag();
}
holder.newsItemTitle.setText(items.get(position).getTitle());
holder.newsItemDateD.setText(items.get(position).getDate().substring(5, 7));
holder.newsItemDateM.setText(items.get(position).getDate().substring(8, 11).toUpperCase());
holder.newsItemDesc.setText(items.get(position).getDesc());
return convertView;
}
static class ViewHolder {
TextView newsItemTitle;
TextView newsItemDateD;
TextView newsItemDateM;
TextView newsItemDesc;
}

RssItem.java

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public class RssItem {

    private String title;
    private String link;
    private String date;
    private String desc;

    public RssItem(String title, String link, String date, String desc) {
            this.title = title;
            this.link = link;
            this.date = date;
            this.desc = desc;
    }

    public String getTitle() {
        return title;
    }

    public String getLink() {
        return link;
    }

    public String getDate() {
        return date;
    }

    public String getDesc() {
        return desc;
    }

}

public class RssItem {
private String title;
private String link;
private String date;
private String desc;
public RssItem(String title, String link, String date, String desc) {
this.title = title;
this.link = link;
this.date = date;
this.desc = desc;
}
public String getTitle() {
return title;
}
public String getLink() {
return link;
}
public String getDate() {
return date;
}
public String getDesc() {
return desc;
}
}

My rss_item.xml (reduced down):

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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:orientation="vertical">

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/newsItemDateD"
        android:maxLines="1"
        android:gravity="center|bottom"
        android:layout_height="50dip"
        android:layout_width="70dip"
        android:textSize="30sp" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/newsItemDateM"
        android:maxLines="1"
        android:gravity="center|top"
        android:layout_height="30dip"
        android:layout_width="70dip"
        android:layout_below="@+id/newsItemDateD" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/newsItemTitle"
        android:layout_toRightOf="@+id/newsItemDateD"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/newsItemDesc"
        android:layout_alignLeft="@+id/newsItemTitle"
        android:layout_below="@+id/newsItemTitle"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" />

</RelativeLayout>