Build an RSS feed reader in Python

Here’s a basic RSS feed reader built in Python using the feedparser library. It reads an RSS feed URL, parses it, and displays the latest entries in a user-friendly format.

Prerequisites

Install feedparser:

bash
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pip install feedparser

Python Code: RSS Feed Reader

python
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import feedparser

def fetch_rss_feed(url):
    print(f"Fetching RSS feed from: {url}n")
    feed = feedparser.parse(url)
    
    if feed.bozo:
        print("Failed to parse RSS feed.")
        return

    print(f"Feed Title: {feed.feed.get('title', 'No title')}n")
    
    for idx, entry in enumerate(feed.entries[:10], start=1):
        title = entry.get('title', 'No title')
        link = entry.get('link', 'No link')
        published = entry.get('published', 'No publish date')
        summary = entry.get('summary', 'No summary')

        print(f"{idx}. {title}")
        print(f"   Link: {link}")
        print(f"   Published: {published}")
        print(f"   Summary: {summary[:200]}...n")  # Trim summary for display

if __name__ == "__main__":
    # Example RSS feed (BBC News)
    rss_url = input("Enter RSS feed URL: ")
    fetch_rss_feed(rss_url)

How It Works

• Prompts the user to enter an RSS feed URL.

• Uses feedparser to download and parse the feed.

• Displays the title, link, publication date, and a trimmed summary of the latest 10 entries.

Example Feed URLs to Try

• BBC: http://feeds.bbci.co.uk/news/rss.xml

• CNN: http://rss.cnn.com/rss/edition.rss

• TechCrunch: http://feeds.feedburner.com/TechCrunch/

Optional Enhancements

• Save and manage a list of feed URLs.

• GUI using tkinter or web interface using Flask.

• Periodic updates with schedule or APScheduler.

Let me know if you’d like this turned into a web or GUI app.