Quick Guide to Realtime Data in Feedly without Webhooks

Hey there, fellow JavaScript devs! Ready to dive into the world of real-time data with Feedly? Let's skip the webhook hassle and get straight to the good stuff: polling. Buckle up, because we're about to make your Feedly integration smooth as butter.

The Feedly API: Your New Best Friend

Feedly's API is a goldmine of content, and we're going to tap into it without the complexity of webhooks. Why? Because sometimes, simple is better. Polling might be old school, but it's reliable and gets the job done.

Getting Your Hands on the Feedly API

First things first, you'll need an API key. Head over to the Feedly Developer portal, create an app, and grab that key. It's your golden ticket to the content kingdom.

Authentication is a breeze with Feedly. Just slap your API key in the headers, and you're good to go:

const headers = {
  'Authorization': `Bearer ${YOUR_API_KEY}`
};

Polling: The Art of Asking Nicely

Polling is all about timing. Too frequent, and you're a pest. Too slow, and your data's stale. Aim for a sweet spot – maybe every 5 minutes. Here's a basic structure:

async function pollFeedly() {
  while (true) {
    await fetchFeedlyData();
    await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 300000)); // 5 minutes
  }
}

Fetching the Good Stuff

Let's grab those user feeds. The /v3/streams/contents endpoint is your go-to. Watch out for rate limits, though. Feedly's not a fan of overeager pollers.

async function fetchFeedlyData() {
  const response = await fetch('https://cloud.feedly.com/v3/streams/contents?streamId=user/1234/category/global.all', { headers });
  const data = await response.json();
  // Do something awesome with data
}

Handling the Loot

Got your JSON? Great! Now parse it, store it, love it. Consider using a local cache to keep things snappy:

let cachedEntries = [];

function updateCache(newEntries) {
  cachedEntries = [...newEntries, ...cachedEntries].slice(0, 100); // Keep last 100 entries
}

Keeping Your UI Fresh

Users love that real-time feel. Update your UI smoothly with new data:

function updateUI(entries) {
  entries.forEach(entry => {
    // Add entry to UI
    // Maybe a nice fade-in effect?
  });
}

No new data? No problem. Just skip the update and keep on polling.

Turbocharge Your Polling

Want to be a good API citizen? Use ETags:

let etag = '';

async function fetchFeedlyData() {
  const response = await fetch('https://cloud.feedly.com/v3/streams/contents?streamId=user/1234/category/global.all', {
    headers: {
      ...headers,
      'If-None-Match': etag
    }
  });
  
  if (response.status === 304) return; // No new data
  
  etag = response.headers.get('etag');
  const data = await response.json();
  // Process new data
}

When Things Go South

Network hiccups? No sweat. Implement exponential backoff:

async function pollWithBackoff() {
  let backoff = 1000;
  while (true) {
    try {
      await fetchFeedlyData();
      backoff = 1000; // Reset on success
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Polling failed:', error);
      await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, backoff));
      backoff *= 2; // Double the backoff time
    }
  }
}

Putting It All Together

Here's a complete example to get you started:

const API_KEY = 'your_api_key_here';
const STREAM_ID = 'user/1234/category/global.all';
let etag = '';
let cachedEntries = [];

async function pollFeedly() {
  let backoff = 1000;
  while (true) {
    try {
      await fetchFeedlyData();
      backoff = 1000; // Reset on success
      await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 300000)); // 5 minutes
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Polling failed:', error);
      await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, backoff));
      backoff = Math.min(backoff * 2, 300000); // Cap at 5 minutes
    }
  }
}

async function fetchFeedlyData() {
  const response = await fetch(`https://cloud.feedly.com/v3/streams/contents?streamId=${STREAM_ID}`, {
    headers: {
      'Authorization': `Bearer ${API_KEY}`,
      'If-None-Match': etag
    }
  });
  
  if (response.status === 304) return; // No new data
  
  etag = response.headers.get('etag');
  const data = await response.json();
  updateCache(data.items);
  updateUI(data.items);
}

function updateCache(newEntries) {
  cachedEntries = [...newEntries, ...cachedEntries].slice(0, 100);
}

function updateUI(entries) {
  entries.forEach(entry => {
    console.log(`New entry: ${entry.title}`);
    // Add to UI
  });
}

pollFeedly();

Wrapping Up

There you have it! A slick, webhook-free way to get real-time(ish) data from Feedly. Polling might not be the new hotness, but it's reliable, easy to implement, and gets the job done.

Remember, while this approach is straightforward, it's not suitable for all use cases. For high-frequency updates or when you need immediate notification of changes, webhooks might still be your best bet.

Happy coding, and may your feeds always be fresh! 🚀📰