Tag: metaWeblog

Joomla with MovableType XML-RPC plugin

Posted by Radoslav Bogdanovic - 2009/11/30 - Joomla
0

Just after fixing some of the limitations in the metaWeblog XML-RPC plugin I did find that there is another plugin for Joomla which actually fixes all the limitations that I had before with  metaWeblog XML-RPC plugin. This plugin is provided by joomler.net in Japan. It is strange how I could miss that from the beginning when I was searching for plugins which would allow me to use Windows Live Writer as blog editor with Joomla. Anyway this plugin is on version 2.3.3 and as this version number suggests without any of the limitations that the metaWeblog plugin had. This plugin is also available from the Joomla extension directory 

Here is a brief installation guide

  • Download MovableType XML-RPC plugin and install via "Extensions->Install/Uninstall"
  • Turn on and configure the plugin parameters under "Extensions->Plugin Manager" (and turn off other XML-RPC plugins)
  • Enable "Web Services" under "Global Configuration->System"
  • In your blog editor you need to add /xmlrpc/index.php to the end of URL for your homepage. If your homepage URL is http://www.homepage.com then the URL to use here is  http://www.homepage.com/xmlrpc/index.php. If your blog editor cannot find or determine the type automatically then you would be offered to choose. Select Movable Type API

Here is another link to Using Windows Live Writer with Joomla

Note: I did have have some issues with installation of this plugin. When I tried to install the plugin using "Extensions->Install/Uninstall" It would give me an error which said someting that it could not find installation xml file or similar. I really don't know what I did it but it suddenly worked. I have seen other blog posts where they have tried to install this plugin and given up in favor of the metaWeblog plugin where it just worked. Another explanation is that there are many blog posts which show how to install the metaWeblog plugin but only a few on the MovableType plugin. Also what's confusing is that the joomler.net site is in japanese and no installation instructions in english is given from the plugin developer.

Fixes for Joomla metaWeblog XML-RPC API plugin

Posted by Radoslav Bogdanovic - 2009/11/29 - Joomla
5

I have now finally fixed the bugs or better said the limitations in the metaWeblog XML-RPC API plugin for Joomla by Justo de Rivera. My initial statement was "how hard can it be" and it was not that hard but it took me some time anyway. The trickiest part was to figure out  how to return a string array with XML-RPC in Joomla.

My main concern was handling of categories and the problems were:
  1. If multiple categories with same name but with different section existed then the wrong category was chosen when creating a new post
  2. The ability to change a category on a post was not available
  3. The ability to get the categories for already posted posts. The category would always be empty.
All of these problems have now been fixed in my new version of the metaWeblog XML-RPC API plugin which I also have changed version to be 0.9.1 as it is based on the 0.9 version of the same plugin by Justo Gonzalez de Rivera. I have tried to keep the original code as is and only add those missing parts or change what's wrong. I have also tried to contact Justo for adding these changes to his original plugin in JoomlaCode.org without success. I think that these changes could be valuable for more people than me so that's why I have made it available to the public.
 
Here is a brief installation guide for enabling blog editors such as Windows Live Writer or  MarsEdit and Blogo on Mac to connect to Joomla.  
  • Install my new version of  metaWeblog XML-RPC API plugin via "Extensions->Install/Uninstall"
  • Install Real Simple Discovery plugin via "Extensions->Install/Uninstall"
  • Turn both plugins on under "Extensions->Plugin Manager" (and turn off other XML-RPC plugins)
  • Enable "Web Services" under "Global Configuration->System"
  • In your blog editor add the URL to your site

This has been tested on Joomla! 1.5.15 with Windows Live Writer 14.0.8089.726, Marsedit 2.3.3,  Blogo 1.2.10 and ScribeFire 3.4.6. 

Now it's time to reconsider my previous statement to skip Joomla in favor for WordPress for blogging and install Joomla on this site as well.