Knime Date Difference Calculator

   In this post, we will take a look at the Knime Date Difference Calculator created by BI-FI Blogs and explore how to use it. 

   This project is useful for calculating due dates, managing shipment dates or simply calculating the date difference to see : 

• How many days and working days has passed from Start Date
• How many weeks has passed from Start Date
• How many days and working days left till End Date
• How many weeks left till End Date

   This workflow contains; flow variable usage, date-time extraction nodes and many advanced syntax for date calculations. You can copy these node configurations for your own projects as well.

   You can download the workflow via link below. All the workflows created by BI-FI Blogs will be available on Knime Hub as well.  

Click to Check the Knime Date Difference Calculator

Workflow should look like this. Now let's break it down to see how it works.

First, execute and view the STEP 1 and 

enter the Start Date and End Date for the calculations.

Now,  just run the STEP 2 metanode. This metanode creates a date range with your Start-End Date and calculates the duration for the calculations.

   After that, STEP 3.1 calculates how many days, work days and weeks has passed. To calculate the work days, first we extract the day number of the dates and if date number is greater than 5 (Friday), that day will labeled as weekend. 

For the STEP 3.2, to calculate how many days left till the End Date, we need to know which date is the execution date. We are using nodes on the right to find the execution date and pass it as a flow variable to use in calculations.

   Finally, we can run the dashboard node to see all the calculations at once as tables below. 

   We have explained the workflow details, but only manuel job is entering the dates just once. After that you can run the workflow and it will create the tables for you.  

If you liked this project, please don't forget to share and leave a comment below! 

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Twitter Scraper Project: Retrieve Latest Tweets with Knime

In this post, we will delve into the exciting world of social media analytics by creating a Knime Workflow that retrieves the latest tweets from Twitter containing specific keywords. As businesses and individuals increasingly turn to Twitter for real-time updates, sentiment analysis, and engagement tracking, having a tool to gather relevant tweets is invaluable.

Overview of the Project

Our project aims to develop a user-friendly workflow that can automatically pull in tweets based on chosen keywords. The result will be a neatly organized table that displays not only the tweets themselves but also important metrics such as the user's name, follower count, and retweet count. This information can be incredibly useful for marketers, researchers, and anyone looking to gain insights from social media conversations.

Prerequisites: Setting Up Your Twitter Developer Account

Before we can start scraping tweets, you'll need to have a Twitter Developer Account. This is a straightforward process and is free of charge. Simply follow the link below to apply for your account:

Apply for Twitter Developer Account

Once your account is set up, you will receive your unique API keys, which are essential for authenticating your requests to the Twitter API. These keys will enable you to interact with Twitter’s data securely and access the tweets you’re interested in.

Download the Workflow Created by BI-FI Blogs

This workflow serves as a robust template that you can customize to suit your specific needs. It has been designed with ease of use in mind, so even those who are new to Knime will find it accessible

Connecting to Twitter's API

Once you have downloaded the workflow, the first thing you should do is to open the Twitter API Connector node within Knime. Here, you’ll need to enter your Twitter developer account details, including your API keys. This step is crucial, as it establishes a secure connection between your workflow and Twitter's API.

Setting Up Your Search Keywords

Next, you will need to specify the keywords for your search. In the Twitter API Connector, simply input the keywords that you want to track. After entering your desired keywords, click on the “Click Apply as New Default” button. This action saves your settings and prepares the workflow to fetch tweets that match your criteria.

Executing the Workflow

With everything set up, you can now run the rest of the workflow. Just hit the Execute All button, and watch as Knime performs its magic! The workflow will automatically connect to the Twitter API, search for the latest tweets containing your specified keywords, and compile the results into a comprehensive table.

Exporting Your Results

Once the tweets have been gathered, you can easily export the results to an Excel file for further analysis or reporting. This is accomplished using Step 5 of the workflow, which streamlines the process of data exportation. Having your data in Excel format allows for additional manipulation and presentation options.

Share Your Feedback

If you found this project helpful, please don't forget to share it with your network! We welcome your feedback and encourage you to leave a comment below. Your insights not only help us improve our workflows but also assist others who are exploring the capabilities of data scraping and analysis using Knime.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Twitter Scraper Project empowers users to tap into the wealth of information available on Twitter efficiently. By following the steps outlined in this post, you can create a valuable tool for social media analysis that helps you stay informed about trends and conversations relevant to your interests or business goals. Download the workflow today and start uncovering insights from Twitter!

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How To Read and Automate any RSS with Knime

In this post, we will learn how to read an RSS feed and automate this process using Knime. RSS feeds are a powerful tool for keeping up with the latest updates on your favorite websites. They allow you to receive information in a standardized format, making it easier to aggregate content and stay informed.

What is RSS?

Before we dive into the technical aspects, let's take a moment to understand what RSS actually means. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. It is a web feed that allows users and applications to access updates to websites in a standardized, computer-readable format.

By leveraging RSS feeds, you can stay updated on new content from blogs, news sites, and other online platforms without having to visit each site manually. This is particularly useful for content creators and marketers who want to track updates from multiple sources efficiently.

Our Example: BI-FI Blogs RSS Feed

In our example, we will utilize the RSS feed of our blog. By following this guide, you will be able to view our blog posts along with their links and creation dates every time you run the workflow. This way, you won’t miss any of the valuable content we publish!

Step 1: Getting the RSS Feed URL

The first step in automating the reading of an RSS feed is to obtain the URL of the feed itself. In our case, you can click on the RSS icon on our blog, which will take you to a new tab displaying the feed. The URL for our blog's RSS feed is as follows:

https://bifiblogs.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Make sure to copy this URL, as we will need it in the next steps.






Then download the Knime workflow created by BI-FI Blogs from the link below or drag it to your Knime Workflow Editor.

Click to Download the Knime Workflow




After you open the workflow, it should look like the image above. 

Step 3: Configuring the Workflow

If you want to use a different RSS feed, you can easily replace the URL in the Table Creator node. Simply paste the new RSS feed URL and run the workflow. This flexibility allows you to adapt the workflow to your specific needs, making it a versatile tool for tracking various feeds.

We will continue with the RSS feed of our blog from the first step. 

Step 4: Running the Workflow

Now that everything is set up, all you have to do is run the entire workflow. Once executed, the workflow will process the RSS feed and display the latest blog posts in a table view. You will be able to see all the recent blogs along with their links and publication dates, as illustrated in the image below.

Benefits of Automating RSS Feeds

Automating the process of reading RSS feeds has several benefits:

• Time-Saving: You no longer need to manually check multiple websites for updates. The workflow will automatically fetch and display the latest content for you.
• Real-Time Updates: With every run of the workflow, you receive the most current information, ensuring you never miss out on important posts.
• Customization: The ability to easily change the RSS feed URL allows you to tailor the workflow to your interests, whether that be specific blogs, news sites, or other content providers.

Conclusion

If you enjoyed this post and found it helpful, please don't forget to share it with your colleagues and friends. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we encourage you to leave a comment below!

By following these steps, you now have a powerful tool at your disposal to read and automate any RSS feed using Knime. This can significantly enhance your content consumption strategy and keep you updated on the topics you care about most. Happy scraping!

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