Data feed widgets in Elementi 2015

This page is about the advanced data-driven widgets included in Elementi 2015 X. For other Elementi versions, see below.

Introduction

The advanced data-feed widgets are available only for Elementi X users and can be used to display content extracted from data sources based on any type of text-based format - the most useful being JSON & XML data format, which are usually used by web services - although some might need to be processed through JavaScript parsers (like HTML). See more about Data feeds in general.

Common data formats like: RSS, Text, Spreadsheets, and Calendars, are also supported, though it's recommended to use the dedicated widgets instead - see data-driven widgets page for more details.

Widgets

Under the "Data feeds" folder of Elementi 2015 X Library, you can find seven ready-to-use widgets that automatically display data extracted from the provided data source:

Data feed widgets

Text Bar
Displays text content using a fixed number of lines and applying a bottom-to-top & line-by-line scrolling effect whenever the entire text doesn't fit into the widget area.
Text Ticker
Displays text content using a continuous horizontal scrolling effect. The font size is adjusted automatically for the text to fit into the widget area.
Text Roll
Displays text content using a continuous vertical scrolling effect. The font size is adjusted automatically for the selected number of lines to fit into the predefined area.
Media Playlist
Displays a playlist of media items (images, videos) included into the data feed.
Media Crawler
Displays the media items (images, videos) included into the data feed using a continuous scrolling effect.
Slideshow
Displays slides composed of text & media layers, which are automatically filled out with data retrieved from the data feed. The slides are displayed one after another, with or without a transition effect in between, similarly to a playlist.
Table
Displays slides composed of multiple cells of text & media layers, which are automatically filled out with data retrieved from the data feed. The slides are displayed one after another, with or without a transition effect in between, similarly to a playlist.

Configuration

Each of the widgets above can be customized using the options provided under "Properties" tab - for more details go to the dedicated page of each widget type, linked above.

Data source setup

To edit the properties related to the data source, click on the button. This opens the Data Feed Properties dialog, which offers advanced options for more complex data processing.

Note:

At any point, the data source configuration can be tested by clicking on the "Test..." button.

Data parsing

The parser(s) used by these widgets can be changed from the "Data Feed Properties" dialog; the following parsers are available: RSS, XML, JSON (default), CSV, RegExp, ICS, Script, Directory Listing and Query String. Additionally, a Date/Time parser is available for data formatting.

Data filtering

To allow filtering the resulted data based on some criteria, the following filters are available under the "Format" option within the "Data Feed Properties" dialog: Num. Filter, Date Filter, and String Filter.