Atom (standard) - Definition and Overview

Atom is an XML-based document format and HTTP-based protocol designed for the syndication of Web content such as Weblogs and news headlines to Web sites as well as directly to user agents. It is similar to the various versions of RSS, but aims to be more flexible. Critics would argue that it has merely created additional confusion.

Atom is a work-in-progress within the IETF Atom Publishing Format and Protocol working group (atompub) (http://www.ietf.org/html.charters/atompub-charter.html). Implementors are urged to wait until the spec is finished before deploying it, so that interoperability problems (http://diveintomark.org/archives/2004/02/04/incompatible-rss) are minimized. As well as a replacement for RSS (the "Atom Syndication Format"), the Atom Project is producing the "Atom Publishing Protocol", with a similar aim of improving on and replacing existing publishing mechanisms, such as the Blogger API and LiveJournal XML-RPC Client/Server Protocol. Atom was previously known as "Echo".

Gmail provides an atom feed of a user's inbox.

See also

For Atom feeds of Wikipedia content, see Wikipedia:Syndication

External links

• IETF Atom Publishing Format and Protocol working group (atompub) (http://www.ietf.org/html.charters/atompub-charter.html)
• Atom Wiki (http://www.intertwingly.net/wiki/pie/FrontPage) - the main place for work on Atom.
• AtomEnabled.org (http://www.atomenabled.org/) - the official website of the Atom project
• The great syndication wars (http://phaedo.cx/archives/2003/07/15/the-great-syndication-wars/)
• Why we need Echo (http://www.sixapart.com/log/2003/06/why_we_need_ech.shtml)
• Should Atom Use RDF? (http://www.xml.com/pub/a/2003/08/20/dive.html)