[wp-hackers] Summer of Code: AtomPub-based Importer Midway Status Report

[Ronald Heft]

Hello everyone,

I'm Ronald Heft, and I have been working on an AtomPub-based importer for
TypePad/Movable Type during Google's Summer of Code. The importer aims to
alleviate some of the issues with the previous importer, and provide a
simpler import process, similar to the current Blogger importer.

We're now halfway through the Summer of Code, so I'm sending out this status
update. Over the past month I have implemented the following features in the
importer:

- Developed a method for parsing the TypePad AtomPub feed (MT's is currently
unavailable due to bug in their AtomPub feed).
- Worked around limitations of TypePad's AtomPub implementation, such as
missing draft status and trackbacks.
- Wrote the code to convert the information into WordPress data.
- Created a progress bar to help make the slow import process feel faster.

Over the remainder of the program, I have set the following goals:

- Improve performance wherever possible.
- Remove workarounds and implement trackbacks / draft status correctly
should TypePad add those to their Atom API.
- Continue to work with Six Apart in getting Movable Type's AtomPub feed
working. Should this become a reality, make any changes needed to get
Movable Type to import.
- Import media stored on TypePad's servers into WordPress' media browser,
all using AtomPub.
- Test the importer on as many TypePad blogs as possible, both large and
small.

Since the performance of the importer is quite slow at the moment due to
workarounds and slow TypePad servers, performance enhancements will be my
overall goal for the remainder of the program. I want to make sure the
import process is as quick and painless as possible.

For anyone interested, I have a video of the importer (albeit, slow),
available here: <http://www.viddler.com/explore/cavemonkey50/videos/45/>

You can follow the development on Google's Code servers: <
http://code.google.com/p/wordpress-soc-2008/source/browse/trunk/ronald>

Anyone is welcome to download the current SVN release of the importer and
test it out. I would greatly appreciate that, as I could always use more
feedback.

Due to 2.6's release date being moved up, you won't see the new importer in
trunk until trunk goes bleeding again, but the importer will definitely be
ready for 2.7.

-- 
Ronald Heft, Jr.
Information Sciences and Technology
Pennsylvania State University

ronaldheft.com
cavemonkey50.com