Name:
Feed Styler
Plugin Page:
http://www.devlounge.net/extras/feed-styler
Description:
Feed Styler is a WordPress plugin for WordPress users who are comfortable with CSS and would like to be able to style their feeds. Feed Styler enables you to keep your existing class and ID style declarations in your content, but allows a different style to be applied to the feed of that same content. No longer do feeds have to be stripped of style and color.
Features:
- Images show up styled in feed readers that strip inline styles.
- Accepts nested CSS declarations. For example:
#ul li ul li .classname { css code } - Accepts multiple classnames per tag. For example:
<p class=”alert right”> - Cascades your styles.
- Works on all feed readers that do not strip inline styles.
- Allows you to keep inline styles out of your post content.
- Allows you to keep your site appearance and feed appearance separate.
- Allows you to test your styles on your post content for immediate feedback.
Review:
I had the opportunity of testing this plugin even before it’s final release and was pleased with what I saw even then.
Installation of the plugin is normal. However, to get it to work you need to have a basic understanding of CSS.
Novice users can view their style.css and copy some of the styles from there itself.
One suggestion that I have regarding styling your own feed is about colors. If you are setting the font colors, then make sure that you sent the background color as well, because if the background color of the users reader is close to that of your text color, then your text will be rendered unreadable.
For best results, you should only change the font sizes and maybe font type and layout etc. Minor image styling is also a good addition, including placement of the same.
But, if you’re keen to experiment, the possibilities are endless.
Are you using this plugin already or do you plan to do so in the future? What is your opinion on styling your feeds?
I am going to try this today. Its 4.35am, I want to sleep, so later today, looks good 🙂
From a marketing perspective, I think styling your feeds is a bad idea. I mean, having your design out there is good and all, but the more you style your feeds, I believe the less likely someone will want to visit your site to comment.
Part of the reason I, and I think many others, enjoy feeds is that they’re so plain; they just provide the information of the post. From there you can decide if you want to delve deeper into the site, see its design, comment on post, etc.
I love this feature! Very important because I publish full text feed with images. 🙂
When I wrote the plugin, I wrote it mostly to do images. But like Ajay mentioned, if you want to play around with more than that, the possibilities are endless.
I personally only use it for images myself, and I think that is the plugin’s greatest strength and most practical use.