> On the iTunes tech specs page > (http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/podcaststechspecs.html) > the following example is given for tracking downloads: > > +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > Please note that iTunes does not provide usage statistics. > Some podcasters have created mechanisms for tracking the > number of times that each episode has been downloaded. iTunes > does not provide support in how to track downloads, but the > following notes may be helpful: > > * 302s will be followed to a depth of 5 redirects and > will not update the feed URL in the directory. > * The URL before the GET-style form values (before the > first ?) must end in a media file extension (e.g. mp3). To > work around this, the feed provider can alter their URL from this: > http://www.podcaster.com/load.php?f=&Wipeout.php > to this: > http://www.podcaster.com/load.mp3?f=&Wipeout.mp3 > Notice how it says load.mp3 instead of load.php. It > should be possible to accomplish this via various means, such > as web server rewrites. iTunes looks at the extension of the > path part of the url, i.e. the part before the"?". > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > > I really don't understand what they are saying. I have my > podcasting feed as a .cfm page and I am using the cfxml tag > and cfcontent to transform it into xml output: > > <cfprocessingdirective suppresswhitespace="Yes"> <cfcontent > type="text/xml; charset=utf-8"> <cfxml variable="theXML"> > <rss > xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd"; > version="2.0"> xml.... > </rss> > </cfxml> > > <cfoutput>#ToString(theXML)#</cfoutput> > </cfprocessingdirective>
What they're saying is that iTunes, instead of looking at the MIME type returned by a URL, looks at the URL itself to determine if it's a media file. In that respect, I would argue that iTunes is broken, but I doubt that Steve Jobs gives a damn what I think. I guess you could make the argument that it shouldn't have to check the files to see what kind of file they are, but it seems to me that all files in a podcast RSS feed would be media files. So, if you want to serve podcasts through CF that can be consumed through iTunes, you'll have to either map the .mp3 file extension to CF, and have CF serve your files via CFCONTENT, or have your web server rewrite URLs for you, or just have URLs directly to the mp3 files that don't involve CF at all, then use your web server's functionality (log files, ISAPI filter, etc) to track downloads. Now, the code sample you have above is for your RSS feed, which should contain the URLs to the individual podcasts. Your RSS feed can be any sort of public URL at all, as long as it returns RSS. But the URLs within the enclosure element have to have file extensions that iTunes will recognize as media files. Dave Watts, CTO, Fig Leaf Software http://www.figleaf.com/ Fig Leaf Software provides the highest caliber vendor-authorized instruction at our training centers in Washington DC, Atlanta, Chicago, Baltimore, Northern Virginia, or on-site at your location. Visit http://training.figleaf.com/ for more information! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Introducing the Fusion Authority Quarterly Update. 80 pages of hard-hitting, up-to-date ColdFusion information by your peers, delivered to your door four times a year. http://www.fusionauthority.com/quarterly Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Talk/message.cfm/messageid:262167 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Talk/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.4
