hatom
hAtom
hAtom is a microformat for content that can be syndicated, primarily but not exclusively weblog postings. hAtom is a strongly based on a subset of the Atom syndication format; every concept in hAtom has a corresponding definition in Atom.
NOTE: the structure is in the process of being constructed, please give me a few days to get it in shape! DavidJanes
Draft Specification
Editor
Authors
Copyright
This specification is (C) 2005-2024 by the authors. However, the authors intend to submit (or already have submitted, see details in the spec) this specification to a standards body with a liberal copyright/licensing policy such as the GMPG, IETF, and/or W3C. Anyone wishing to contribute should read their copyright principles, policies and licenses (e.g. the GMPG Principles) and agree to them, including licensing of all contributions under all required licenses (e.g. CC-by 1.0 and later), before contributing.
Patents
This specification is subject to a royalty free patent policy, e.g. per the W3C Patent Policy, and IETF RFC3667 & RFC3668.
Introduction
Semantic XHTML Design Principles
Note: the Semantic XHTML Design Principles were written primarily within the context of developing hCard and hCalendar, thus it may be easier to understand these principles in the context of the hCard design methodology (i.e. read that first). Tantek
XHTML is built on XML, and thus XHTML based formats can be used not only for convenient display presentation, but also for general purpose data exchange. In many ways, XHTML based formats exemplify the best of both HTML and XML worlds. However, when building XHTML based formats, it helps to have a guiding set of principles.
- Reuse the schema (names, objects, properties, values, types, hierarchies, constraints) as much as possible from pre-existing, established, well-supported standards by reference. Avoid restating constraints expressed in the source standard. Informative mentions are ok.
- For types with multiple components, use nested elements with class names equivalent to the names of the components.
- Plural components are made singular, and thus multiple nested elements are used to represent multiple text values that are comma-delimited.
- Use the most accurately precise semantic XHTML building block for each object etc.
- Otherwise use a generic structural element (e.g.
<span>or<div>), or the appropriate contextual element (e.g. an<li>inside a<ul>or<ol>). - Use class names based on names from the original schema, unless the semantic XHTML building block precisely represents that part of the original schema. If names in the source schema are case-insensitive, then use an all lowercase equivalent. Components names implicit in prose (rather than explicit in the defined schema) should also use lowercase equivalents for ease of use. Spaces in component names become dash '-' characters.
- Finally, if the format of the data according to the original schema is too long and/or not human-friendly, use
<abbr>instead of a generic structural element, and place the literal data into the 'title' attribute (where abbr expansions go), and the more brief and human readable equivalent into the element itself. Further informative explanation of this use of<abbr>: Human vs. ISO8601 dates problem solved
Format
In General
Schema
Schema elements are based on the Atom nomenclature and follow the microformat pattern of prefixing a unique identifier (in this case, atom) on the outermost container elements -- the Feed or Entry. The parts of this microformat are based on analysis of many weblog, bulletin board and media posts and can be read blog-post-brainstorming#Discovered_Elements. Note the renaming of 'EntryGroup' to 'Feed' to be more consistent with Atom ternminology.
Nomenclature
| Concept | Atom Identifier | hAtom Microformat Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Feed | atom:feed
|
add class="atomfeed"; OR implicit in the XHTML page
|
| Feed Title | atom:title
|
Not defined in the first iteration of this proposal. |
| Feed Permalink | atom:link@rel=alternate
|
Not defined in the first iteration of this proposal. |
| Entry | atom:entry
|
Add class="atomentry"; if practical, also define id="unique-identifier" to the Entry.
|
| Entry Title | atom:title
|
Use <h#> in block elements; OR non-preferentially add class="title" in inline elements.
|
| Entry Content | atom:content
|
Add class="content" to all appropriate blocks. Multiple Entry Content blocks are logically considered one concatenated atom:content equivalent.
|
| Entry Summary | atom:summary
|
Add class="summary" to all appropriate blocks. Multiple Entry Summary blocks are logically considered one concatenated atom:summary equivalent.
|
| Entry Permalink | atom:link
|
Add rel="link".
|
| Entry Created | atom:published
|
Use <abbr class="published" title="YYYYMMYYThh:mm:ss">...</abbr>, following the datetime-design-pattern.
|
| Entry Author | atom:author
|
Use <address class="vcard">...</address>
|
Nesting Rules
Disambigutation
XMDP Profile
Parsing Details
Examples
This section is informative.
Transformation 1
A well behaved weblog.
Original:
<body>
<div id="wrap">
<div id="content">
...
<div class="entry">
<h3 id="post-60">
<a href="http://www.microformats.org/blog/..." rel="bookmark" title="...">Wiki Attack</a>
</h3>
<p>We had a bit of trouble with ...</p>
<p>We’ve restored the wiki and ...</p>
<p>If anyone is working to combat said spammers ...</p>
<h4 class="tags">Technorati Tags:</h4>
<ul class="tags">
<li><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/mediawiki" rel="tag">mediawiki</a></li>
<li><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/microformats" rel="tag">microformats</a></li>
<li><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/spam" rel="tag">spam</a></li>
</ul>
<ul class="post-info">
<li>
<a href="http://www.microformats.org/blog/..." rel="bookmark" title="...">October 10th, 2005</a>
</li>
<li>
<address class="vcard"><a class="url fn" href="http://theryanking.com">Ryan King</a></address>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.microformats.org/blog/...">4 Comments</a>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="entry">
....
</div>
...
</div>
</div>
</body>
Transformed to hAtom compliant (shown in UPPER CASE for visibility only):
<body>
<div id="wrap">
<div id="atomfeed content">
...
<div class="atomentry entry" ID="post-60">
<h3>
<a href="http://www.microformats.org/blog/..." rel="LINK bookmark" title="...">Wiki Attack</a>
</h3>
<DIV CLASS="CONTENT">
<p>We had a bit of trouble with ...</p>
<p>We’ve restored the wiki and ...</p>
<p>If anyone is working to combat said spammers ...</p>
</DIV>
<h4 class="tags">Technorati Tags:</h4>
<ul class="tags">
<li><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/mediawiki" rel="tag">mediawiki</a></li>
<li><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/microformats" rel="tag">microformats</a></li>
<li><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/spam" rel="tag">spam</a></li>
</ul>
<ul class="post-info">
<li>
<a href="http://www.microformats.org/blog/..." rel="LINK bookmark"
title="..."><ABBR CLASS="POSTED" TITLE="20051010T14:07:00-0700">October 10th, 2005</ABBR></a>
</li>
<li>
<address class="vcard"><a class="url fn" href="http://theryanking.com">Ryan King</a></address>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.microformats.org/blog/...">4 Comments</a>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="entry entry" ID="post-59">
....
</div>
...
</div>
</div>
</body>
Changes:
- Added
class="feed"to Feed - Added
class="entry"to each Entry - Moved
id="###"from<h3>to Entry - Added
rel="link"to all Entry Permalinks - Added
<div class="content">...</div>around the Entry Content - Added
<abbr class="posted" title="YYYYMMDDThh:mm:ss+ZZZZ">...</abbr>around the Entry Datetime
Also note:
- We did not need to add a
<address>element - We did not need to add a
<h#>element
Transformation 2
A not-so well behaved weblog (an older blogspot weblog)
Original:
<body bgcolor="..."> <div class="posts"> <a name="112993192128302715"> </a><br> <div style="clear:both;"></div><strong>Nelson's final prayer</strong> written on the night before Trafalgar:<blockquote>May the Great God, ... heart. <div style="clear:both; padding-bottom: 0.25em;"></div> <br> <span class="byline"> posted by Natalie at <a href="2005_10_16_nataliesolent_archive.html#112993192128302715">9:49 PM</a> </span> </div> <div class="posts"> <a name="112993022840118939"> </a> <br> <div style="clear:both;"></div><strong>I really, truly </strong>didn't go ... view. <div style="clear:both; padding-bottom: 0.25em;"></div> <br> <span class="byline"> posted by Natalie at <a href="2005_10_16_nataliesolent_archive.html#112993022840118939">9:28 PM</a> </span> </div> ... </body>
Transformed to hAtom compliant:
<body bgcolor="...">
<DIV CLASS="atomfeed">
<div class="atomentry posts" ID="112993192128302715">
<strong CLASS="TITLE CONTENT">
Nelson's final prayer
</strong>
<SPAN CLASS="CONTENT">
written on the night before Trafalgar:<blockquote>May the Great God, ... heart.
</SPAN>
<DIV>
<span class="byline">posted by <address>Natalie</address> at
<a REL="LINK" href="HTTP://NATALIESOLENT.BLOGSPOT.COM/2005_10_16_nataliesolent_archive.html#112993192128302715">
<ABBR CLASS="POSTED" TITLE="20051024T094900-0000">9:49 PM</ABBR></a>
</span>
</DIV>
</div>
<div class="entry posts" ID="112993022840118939">
<strong CLASS="TITLE CONTENT">I really, truly </strong>
<SPAN CLASS="CONTENT">
didn't go ... view.
</SPAN>
<DIV>
<span class="byline">
posted by <address>Natalie</address> at
<a REL="LINK" href="HTTP://NATALIESOLENT.BLOGSPOT.COM/2005_10_16_nataliesolent_archive.html#112993022840118939">
<ABBR CLASS="POSTED" TITLE="20051024T094900-0000">9:28 PM</ABBR></a>
</span>
</DIV>
</div>
...
</DIV>
</body>
Changes:
- Added
class="feed"to Feed - Added
class="entry"to each Entry - Moved
id="###"up to the Entry (and deleted the empty anchor block) - Added
rel="link"to the Entry Permalinks - Made the Entry Permalink non-relative
- Added
<span class="title">...</div>around the Entry Title - Added
<span class="content">...</div>around the Entry Title (!) - Added
<span class="content">...</div>around the Entry Content - Added
<abbr class="posted" title="YYYYMMDDThh:mm:ss+ZZZZ">...</abbr>around the Entry Datetime - Added
<address>to the poster's name
Also note:
- there are multiple content blocks, because Natalie Solent embeds the title in the content
- cleaned up lots of crap HTML presentation stuff, with the assumption it would be fixed in the stylesheet
- this is one of the uglier transformations you're likely to see
Transformation 3
A media page.
Original:
Transformed to hAtom compliant:
Changes:
Transformation 4
A bulletin board.
Original:
Transformed to hAtom compliant:
Changes:
More Examples
See hatom-examples.
Examples in the wild
This section is informative.
Implementations
This section is informative.
References
Normative References
Informative References
Specifications That Use hAtom
Similar Work
Work in progress
This specification is a work in progress. As additional aspects are discussed, understood, and written, they will be added. There is a separate document where we are keeping our brainstorms and other explorations relating to hAtom:
Discussions
Q&A
- If you have any questions about hAtom, check the hAtom FAQ, and if you don't find answers, add your questions!
Issues
- Please add any issues with the specification to the separate hAtom issues document.
See Also
- hAtom - the draft proposal
- hatom-issues - problems? complaints? ideas? Put them here
- hatom-faq - knowledge base
- blog-post-brainstorming
- blog-post-formats
- blog-post-examples
- blog-description-format - how to describe a blog (as opposed to the individual entries, which is what we're doing here)