DOWNLOAD

You can download the Blog Viewer component at flashcomponents.net. In case you are missing the documentation and help file that goes with it, you can grab the most recent version here.

FUTURE PLANS

Some of them will depend on the next version of Flash having features it currently doesn't and on people having faster computers than today.

Better RSS feeds: I would like to eventually find or build a new RSSification system or modify an existing one specifically for this component. The two things I would most like to add are time and date stamps and the reproduction of ALL posts in a particular blog page. Unfortunately, most RSS feeds cut off before the end of the HTML page.

Better archive support: If everybody using this component was using the same type of RSS feed, i.e. the one specifically meant to go with it, it would be much easier to 1) render archive RSS feeds and 2) figure out which time period each archive page covers.

Link styles: I would really like to add parameters for link color and link rollover color. The link color isn't too much of a problem, but the link rollover color I believe isn't possible with this version of Flash. It would work if each link was in a text field of its own. But since a link inside of a post makes up only a small section of a multiline text field, you can't assign a rollover or click event to the link itself. I am quite positive this is not possible as of today. If I am wrong, do tell me so!

Image wrapping: Right now, an image will stand on its own with the rest of the post appearing below it. It would be nice to have the text wrap around the image, wouldn't it? I am going to work on that. This is the part that requires better processor speed because the wrapping will involve lots of additional and cumbersome string manipulations.