Graphical user interface to manipulate syndication data feeds

A pipe specification editor system to configure a pipe for processing a syndication data feed, the editor system including one or more computing devices configured to:

• provide a graphical user interface to receive a user specification of a plurality of constituent pipes, each constituent pipe characterized by one or more pipes and/or modules, each constituent pipe characterized by an input node and an output node, wherein
• the input node is configured to input a syndication data feed and the output node is configured to output a syndication data feed;
• and
• at least one of the constituent pipes includes a module configured to retrieve a source syndication data feed, one or more of which includes a module to retrieve a source syndication data feed that is data representing content of a web page but is not itself the content of the web page;
• wherein the input node and output node of a constituent pipe correspond to input nodes and output nodes of pipes and/or modules by which that pipe is characterized;
• provide a graphical user interface to receive a user specification of wires to connect each of at least some of the output nodes to at least one input node, wherein the wires are configured to provide a syndication data feed provided from an output node of a constituent pipe to an input node of another constituent pipe;
• and
• save, as at least a portion of a pipe specification, an indication of the user specification of constituent pipes and wires.

A pipe specification execution computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer program instructions stored therein which are operable to configure one or more computing devices to cause the execution of the pipe specification, including to configure the one or more computing devices to:

• interpret instructions corresponding to constituent pipe specifications and at least one wire specification which the pipe specification comprises, wherein
• each constituent pipe is characterized by at least one of a group consisting of an input node and an output node, such that
• the input node, if present, is configured to input a syndication data feed and the output node, if present, is configured to output a syndication data feed;
• and
• at least one of the constituent pipes includes a module configured to retrieve a source syndication data feed, one or more of which includes a module to retrieve a source syndication data feed that is data representing content of a web page but is not itself the content of the web page;
• the wires are configured to connect each of at least some of the output nodes to at least one input node, including to provide a syndication data feed provided from an output node of a constituent pipe to an input node of another constituent pipe;
• and
• the input node and output node of a constituent pipe correspond to input nodes and output nodes of pipes and/or modules by which that pipe is characterized;
• and
• execute instructions of the one or more computing devices corresponding to the interpreted instructions to generate an output syndication data feed corresponding to the pipe specification and syndication data input to the execution of the pipe specification.

At least one computer readable storage medium having tangibly embodied therein a collection of computer-readable pipe specifications, each pipe specification including computer-interpretable instructions specifying constituent pipes and wires, wherein for each pipe specification,

• the pipe specifications are characterized by at least one of a group consisting of an input node and an output node, such that
• the input node, if present, is configured to input a syndication data feed and the output node, if present, is configured to output a syndication data feed;
• and
• at least one of the constituent pipes includes a module configured to retrieve a source syndication data feed, one or more of which includes a module to retrieve a source syndication data feed that is data representing content of a web page but is not itself the content of the web page;
• the wires are configured to connect each of at least some of the output nodes to at least one input node, including to provide a syndication data feed provided from an output node of a constituent pipe to an input node of another constituent pipe.

A method of creating a pipe specification to configure a plurality of constituent pipes for processing a syndication data feed, comprising:

• receive, via a user interface, specification of a plurality of constituent pipes, each constituent pipe characterized by at least one of a group consisting of an input node and an output node, wherein
• the input node, if present, is configured to input a syndication data feed and the output node, if present, is configured to output a syndication data feed;
• and
• at least one of the constituent pipes includes a module configured to retrieve a source syndication data feed, one or more of which includes a module to retrieve a source syndication data feed that is data representing content of a web page but is not itself the content of the web page;
• receive, via a user interface, specification of wires to connect each of at least some of the output nodes to at least one input node, wherein the wires are configured to provide a syndication data feed provided from an output node of a constituent pipe to an input node of another constituent pipe;
• and
• save, as at least a portion of a pipe specification, an indication of the specified modules and wires.