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Plugin Tips

The plugin will accept most CSS. There are several things it can’t do, however.

• The plugin cannot correct invalid CSS code.
• The plugin will not work if the content HTML is invalid (such as a hanging open or closed tag).
• The plugin cannot accept multiple CSS declarations per line. For example, the plugin cannot accept: ` p, h1, h3, #id, .classname { style code} `. Each declaration must be entered in separately.
• CSS code must be on one line. I do have error checking to strip multi-line CSS to one line though.
• Invalid CSS code will be stripped out. Make sure you have a backup somewhere.
• Certain style attributes may cause your feed to invalidate. Here’s a list of acceptable attributes.

How the Plugin Works

Feed Styler uses HTML Parser to parse the content HTML. The parsed HTML is then styled.

For those curious what the plugin does in the back-end of things, here are three files that will give you a good idea of what the plugin does to your content. Please note that Feed Styler does not permanently modify your content.

• Sample HTML Code : This is sample HTML code with classes and IDs specified.
• Sample Styles : This is sample Feed Styler CSS code that will style the sample HTML code.
• Resulting Code : This shows what the Sample Code will look like after being run through Feed Styler.

The Sample Code is the type of code you might find in a regular blog post: headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, lists, etc… The plugin determines if the content being served to the user is a feed. If the content is a feed, the content is run through the Feed Styler filter. All IDs, Classes, and Tags that have styles specified in Feed Styler will have the appropriate inline style added. Any feed reader that doesn’t strip out inline styles (shame on you FeedDemon) will now show a styled feed.

Some Tips When Styling Your Feed

Not all feed readers support inline styles. For example, FeedDemon doesn’t support inline styles. So don’t fully rely on Feed Styler for the appearance of your feed.

Here are some more tips:

• Remember to keep feeds readable. Most feeds have a light background and dark text.
• Avoid pixels if possible. Use percentages or ems.
• Be wary of floats, especially towards the end of your content.
• Remember that people subscribed to your feed to read your content.