more control over 'replace'

[haayman-imagem]

I've got this RSS feed https://www.destentor.nl/deventer/rss.xml where the title often changes, resulting in a different link every time except the last part after ~, e.g.

https://www.destentor.nl/regio-deventer/derde-klasse-en-lager-eenrichtingsverkeer-bij-helios-be-quick-zutphen-dicht-bij-periodetitel~aec0d31e

I'd like to be able to set the guid to just the part after ~, but the 'replace' function doesn't let me specify which field I'd like to replace (the link shouldn't be modified) and right now the guid is skipped entirely by the replace function

[onli]

The guid is currently using the changing title, right? In that case yes, this can work, we just need to add a field selector to the replace block and add the guid as a treated field.

But let's go into that problem for a bit. So the feed changes regularly, and they change the title, the guid and the link? And the problem is that because of that change you get the same feed items again and again as unread in your feedreader? Does the description change as well?

[haayman-imagem]

that's exactly it. I keep seeing the same post up to 3 or 4 times a day.

[haayman-imagem]

I use feed2toot to post new items to mastodon, so every change results in a new post on mastodon

[onli]

I was thinking about recommending to use the builderblock instead. That one can recalculate the guid, but it hashes the description plus the title for that :/ So the changing title would lead to an always changing guid, similar as to now. To make that configurable would be too much for the interface.

A guid-calculating block would not be completely off, but very specific to RSS. Too specific I think.

That's the same reason I'm hesitating a little bit: The replace block was targeting content inside a feed, and the guid is more some metadata that shouldn't really be exposed too much. It is usually irrelevant.

When you post the news item, do you use the description and the title in your toot?

[haayman-imagem]

I only use the title and the link

[haayman-imagem]

But isn't it a good option to add a dropdown to specify where the search/replace should be applied then?

[onli]

But isn't it a good option to add a dropdown to specify where the search/replace should be applied then?

Yes, I think it is :) But adding the guid to that selection would be new. And how should the block behave if all fields are selected? Should it really then replace text in the guid by default? That feels off.

Ideally those field selections in blocks should be extended to offer all possible fields in the input field. But not sure we can do this now in the current flow.

If we find no other solution, I will add a field selection to the replace block, with guid as an option, but not being treated when the default is selected.

I only use the title and the link

Does the description stay constant, or is that changed as well?

If the description stays constant, you might be able to use that instead. Then you could replace the title with something static - like the description -, give all of that to a feed builder block and use its "Recalculate guid" option. That should work.

[haayman-imagem]

I reckon that if they're constantly finetuning the title this is probably true for the description

[haayman-imagem]

yes, the default behaviour for the dropdown should be the same as what you're doing now of course. The (multiselect) dropdown is just meant to give more control

[onli]

@haayman-imagem I added a field dropdown to the replace block, with guid as an option. Give it a try please :) You might need to reload the editor to see the change.

[haayman-imagem]

It works like a charm. Clever how the attribute isPermalink changes to false. I was already worries about that

[onli]

That's based on some simple logic in https://github.com/pipes-digital/pipes/blob/95854a6a528595d04b079812b11644fb7124257f/block.rb#L53, I hope it holds up. Thanks for testing! Please close here when you are comfortable with the solution.