FeedControl update to Google AJAX Feed API

FeedControl was added recently by google to AJAX feed API which works like GSearchControl in Google AJAX Search API. This class makes it easier to add multiple feeds and to draw them up by basic predefined google CSS which can be overidden as needed.

FeedControl constructor doesnt take any argument and has three methods associated with it

1. addFeed(url,title)
2. draw(element,options)
3. setNumEntries(num)
4. setLinkTarget(Target)

There are already very good examples given by google AJAX API group which covers almost all methods and options of this new class. I specially liked to see the tabbed feed drawoption one, which looked very fancy and can be used effectively in creating neat and clean mashups.

Please look at the reference of this class to find out more on these methods but I will give a brief introduction of these methods although they dont require much explaination.

addFeed(url,title) : to add a new feed to your feedcontrol object and the second argument is used to give it a label which is displayed accordingly by the CSS attached to it.

draw(element,options): To load the feed and draw on the page, It takes the DOM element as its argument which will act as the container of the feed and also it takes a optional second argument which can instruct of other options of drawing, currently there is one option called DrawMode which can take two value

google.feeds.FeedControl.DRAW_MODE_TABBED
google.feeds.FeedControl.DRAW_MODE_LINEAR.

setNumEntries(num): Num of entries to be pulled when draw is called.

setLinkTarget(target): where should the link open when clicked. Default is the same window, Pl check the documentation for possible values.

ADVANTAGES:

few advantages that can be observed by addition of feedControl in feed API are:
>Simpler programming model
>Drawing is done by the API itself, which can be controlled by overidding the CSS
>Title now contains the link to the entry too :)
>Default CSS which can be used where no sophisticated layout is needed.

3 Examples are given by the Google team, which can be accessed from here