Securing Ajax Applications

Atom

Atom is another XML syndication format that is used for creating web feeds. Atom Publishing Protocol (APP) is a simple HTTP-based protocol for creating and updating web resources.

Like RSS, Atom feeds are used for the syndication of web content such as in Weblogs and headlines. Feeds usually contain a title and entries, which can be headlines, full-text articles, links, summaries, or other content.

Atom compared to RSS

RSS, having arrived first to the syndication scene, was not perfect. Poor interoperability and incompatibility with earlier versions showed the need for a new standard. A faction of developers split off and formed Atom as a new syndication standard.

Here some ways that Atom attempts to distinguish itself from RSS:

1. Atom can distinguish between different content types such as HTML and plain text.

2. Atom defines itself within an XML name space.

3. Atom requires each entry to be unique by using a unique identifier.

4. Atom has separate elements for summary and content. Rather than simply providing a description, Atom attempts to distinguish between summary and content by providing the ability to include nontextual content in a summary.

5. Atom includes a standard for auto-discovery—a process by which news readers and browsers can automatically know whether a page supplies a feed.

6. Atom requires xml:base for relative URIs—providing the ability to distinguish between relative and nonrelative URIs.

7. Atom also uses the xml:lang attribute rather than introduce its own proprietary language ...