Yahoo! Pipe is a free online web application which helps you combine many feeds into one. Sort it by your preference, filter it and finally present it. In other words, Yahoo! Pipes is a web mashup, which combines data from many web sources into a single integrated source.
Yahoo! Pipes is similar to Unix Pipes in that simple commands are combined together to produce the desired output. The interface of Yahoo! Pipes is very simple and free from clutter. The entire main menu is laid out on the left hand column with each sub menu's description appearing at the bottom left corner of the screen.
The remaining part of the screen resembles a graphical interface on which the modules appear. These modules when interconnected resemble a pipe. Listed below are a few ways in which Yahoo! Pipes can be utilized to its maximum potential to create your desired custom feed.
1. Get all Your Feeds in One Place.
In order to get started, expand the 'sources' option from the main menu. There are two methods of transferring the modules on to the graphical interface. Either drag and drop the sub menu manually or click on the + sign on the sub menu button and the graphical interface pulls out the module on its screen.
With 13 options in front of you, Yahoo! Pipes spoils you for choices. Ensure that you go through the description of each sub menu on the screen and opt for the best suited module.
2. Perform A Number of Operations on the Feeds.
The 'operators' option from the main menu lists a fantastic array of operations that can be performed on all the fetched feeds. These include counting, renaming, sorting, splitting and even filtering the feeds.
For each operation performed, the output of one module needs to be connected to the input of the next module. This helps in maintaining the flow of the feeds through the operations and modifications performed by you.
3. View and Debug your Pipes Output.
After you have finished making the pipe, connect the output of the last module to the input of the debugger. The Debugger is the only option in the bottom panel of the Yahoo! Pipes screen. By simply clicking on the debugger option, you can view the output of the pipe.
If the output of the pipe is not as desired, you can modify the modules or the conditions supplied to them. When the pipe is ready and output is as desired, you need to save the pipe and copy the code provided to you.
You can create unlimited pipes and make them public or create clones of your favorite pipes and tweak them according to your requirement. The Yahoo! Pipes interface takes a little getting used to, but as you near the end of creating a pipe, a solid understanding of the tool dawns.