Add to Google Reader

Add your favorite RSS feeds to your Google Reader with a simple click of the RSS button in the Smart Address Field of Safari. When Safari detects the availability of a feed on a given page, an RSS button is displayed in the browser's address bar:

By default, clicking on this button loads the feed into the default feed reader that is configured in Safari's preferences:

The problem is that preference options are only provided for for:

• Safari's own feed reader format
• Various installed desktop aggregators

Users of web based readers are left to fend for themselves.

Until Now

The Add to Google Reader extension for Safari 5 changes all of that. It captures a click on the RSS button and redirects the feed preview page in Google Reader where the user can subscribe immediately. The extension defaults to loading the feed directly in Google Reader <del>, but for those who prefer, an option is available that will load the Google page that provides an option for subscribing in iGoogle</del>.

The option to subscribe via iGoogle has been removed as of v1.1.8. For details and an explanation, please see my blog and/or reference the changelog below. My apologies to anyone who was actively using this feature.

Installation

Download the latest version. Once the Add to Google Reader extension is downloaded, double click on the .safariextz file to install.

Credits

Some things I can do on my own. Others I cannot. For the latter bits, credit--and my gratitude--belongs elsewhere.

Forked

This extension is built on the excellent work done by Alexander Chuprin. I forked his project in order to meet my own needs (and hopefully those of at least a few others).

Changelog

v1.1.8

• Brought the implementation full circle in a way that may be problematic to some.

  One of the things that I really wanted to do with this extension was to offer the option of subscribing via iGoogle, but Safari's extension API doesn't really support that. Under the covers, hijacking the RSS button really means capturing the feed display before it gets shown. The right way to do that is via a start script that executes before a page is loaded. At this point in the execution stack, settings can't be accessed.

  In order to reach the settings, a second file has to be loaded, an asynchronous message passed to it to request the settings and a return message sent with the settings. Functionally, this works, but it results in an unacceptable UX because the page actually gets loaded before the return message is processed. There's a very obvious redirection happening that's extremely annoying.

  Unless and until Safari provides a more robust API that can handle this kind of interception and interaction, I'm going to remove the ability to subscribe via iGoogle. If anyone has a problem with this, let me know and I'll make an earlier release available.

  Additional details are available on my blog.

v1.1.5

• Fixed an issue when attempting to subscribe to a feed under SSL. The script wasn't loading and the protocol wasn't being replaced properly. See ticket #3 for additional details.

v1.1.4

• A few optimizations.

v1.1.3

• Streamlined the compiled extension size by removing the .git/ directory and the internal copy of the extension. It should be a much smaller file now (thanks for pointing that out, Martin).

v1.1.2

• Included a proper update manifest to support automatic updating.
• Included a custom icon for the extension.

v1.1.1

• Added an option to display the iGoogle option, if desired.

v1.1.0

• Redirect to Google Reader instead of displaying the iGoogle option.

v1.0.0

Alexander's original version. The RSS button redirects to the iGoogle/Google Reader option page.