| Internet media type |
application/atom+xml;profile=opds-catalog
|
|---|---|
| Initial release | 5 May 2010 (2010-05-05) |
| Latest release |
OPDS 1.2 |
| Type of format | web syndication |
| Extended from | Atom |
| Open format? | Yes |
| Website | opds |
The Open Publication Distribution System (OPDS) catalog format is a syndication format for electronic publications based on Atom and HTTP. OPDS catalogs enable the aggregation, distribution, discovery, and acquisition of electronic publications. OPDS catalogs use existing or emergent open standards and conventions, with a priority on simplicity.
The Open Publication Distribution System specification is prepared by an informal grouping of partners, combining Internet Archive, O'Reilly Media, Feedbooks, OLPC, and others.
OPDS is based on the initial work done by Lexcycle, the company behind Stanza,[1]aneBook reader application for iOS.[citation needed] All revisions of the specification were produced by an informal group organized around an open mailing list.[2]
| Version | Date |
|---|---|
| Older version, yet still maintained: 0.9[4] | May 25, 2010 |
| Older version, yet still maintained: 1.0[5] | August 30, 2010 |
| Older version, yet still maintained: 1.1[6] | June 27, 2011 |
| Current stable version: 1.2 [7] | November 11, 2018 |
| Future release: 2.0[8] | ? |
Legend: Old version Older version, still maintained Latest version Latest preview version Future release
| |
Many e-readers or e-book reading applications support importing books from an OPDS catalog. E-book management applications such as Calibre also often include OPDS server software to make an e-book collection available through an OPDS catalog.
An example of an acquisition feed in OPDS:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/terms/"
xmlns:opds="http://opds-spec.org/2010/catalog">
<id>urn:uuid:433a5d6a-0b8c-4933-af65-4ca4f02763eb</id>
<link rel="related"
href="/opds-catalogs/vampire.farming.xml"
type="application/atom+xml;profile=opds-catalog;kind=acquisition"/>
<link rel="self"
href="/opds-catalogs/unpopular.xml"
type="application/atom+xml;profile=opds-catalog;kind=acquisition"/>
<link rel="start"
href="/opds-catalogs/root.xml"
type="application/atom+xml;profile=opds-catalog;kind=navigation"/>
<link rel="up"
href="/opds-catalogs/root.xml"
type="application/atom+xml;profile=opds-catalog;kind=navigation"/>
<title>Unpopular Publications</title>
<updated>2010-01-10T10:01:11Z</updated>
<author>
<name>Spec Writer</name>
<uri>http://opds-spec.org</uri>
</author>
<entry>
<title>Bob, Son of Bob</title>
<id>urn:uuid:6409a00b-7bf2-405e-826c-3fdff0fd0734</id>
<updated>2010-01-10T10:01:11Z</updated>
<author>
<name>Bob the Recursive</name>
<uri>http://opds-spec.org/authors/1285</uri>
</author>
<dc:language>en</dc:language>
<dc:issued>1917</dc:issued>
<category scheme="http://www.bisg.org/standards/bisac_subject/index.html"
term="FIC020000"
label="FICTION / Men's Adventure"/>
<summary>The story of the son of the Bob and the gallant part he played in the lives of a man and a woman.</summary>
<link rel="http://opds-spec.org/image"
href="/covers/4561.lrg.png"
type="image/png"/>
<link rel="http://opds-spec.org/image/thumbnail"
href="/covers/4561.thmb.gif"
type="image/gif"/>
<link rel="alternate"
href="/opds-catalogs/entries/4571.complete.xml"
type="application/atom+xml;type=entry;profile=opds-catalog"
title="Complete Catalog Entry for Bob, Son of Bob"/>
<link rel="http://opds-spec.org/acquisition"
href="/content/free/4561.epub"
type="application/epub+zip"/>
<link rel="http://opds-spec.org/acquisition"
href="/content/free/4561.mobi"
type="application/x-mobipocket-ebook"/>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Modern Online Philately</title>
<id>urn:uuid:7b595b0c-e15c-4755-bf9a-b7019f5c1dab</id>
<author>
<name>Stampy McGee</name>
<uri>http://opds-spec.org/authors/21285</uri>
</author>
<author>
<name>Alice McGee</name>
<uri>http://opds-spec.org/authors/21284</uri>
</author>
<author>
<name>Harold McGee</name>
<uri>http://opds-spec.org/authors/21283</uri>
</author>
<updated>2010-01-10T10:01:10Z</updated>
<rights>Copyright (c) 2009, Stampy McGee</rights>
<dc:identifier>urn:isbn:978029536341X</dc:identifier>
<dc:publisher>StampMeOnline, Inc.</dc:publisher>
<dc:language>en</dc:language>
<dc:issued>2009-10-01</dc:issued>
<content type="text">The definitive reference for the web-curious
philatelist.</content>
<link rel="http://opds-spec.org/image"
href="/covers/11241.lrg.jpg"
type="image/jpeg"/>
<link rel="http://opds-spec.org/acquisition/buy"
href="/content/buy/11241.epub"
type="application/epub+zip">
<opds:price currencycode="USD">18.99</opds:price>
<opds:price currencycode="GBP">11.99</opds:price>
</link>
</entry>
</feed>
Dozens of OPDS catalogs are available online, and in many different languages.[9]
Many users of OPDS also create their own OPDS catalog, as a way to access their ebooks from any device.[10]
Developers implementing an OPDS catalog usually use the Feedbooks catalog[11] as an example of a fully featured catalog. An OPDS validator is also available to test OPDS feeds.[12]
OPDS standard
OPDS working group links
Other resources
