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How Feeds Are Generated

Since feeds are simply XML documents, they can be created using a text editor. Adding new entries by hand, however, is a tedious and error-prone process. Typically, the life of a feed begins when the user creates an entry (text, graphics, audio, and the like) and adds it to a database. Then an application takes the entries from the database and produces a feed. Often the application creates more than just a feed; it also generates a webpage. The application that generates the feed can be either local to the user’s system or web-based. See Figure 1-3.

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