DEV Community: Enamul Haque

How to Add Reading Time in Ghost CMS Blog Posts

Enamul Haque — Sat, 29 Jun 2024 05:43:21 +0000

In this Blog, we'll walk you through the process of adding reading time to your Ghost blog posts.

Why Add Reading Time?

User-Friendly Experience: Readers appreciate knowing how much time they need to invest in an article before they start reading. It helps them manage their time effectively.
Improved Engagement: Clear expectations about the reading time can encourage visitors to explore longer articles, increasing overall engagement on your blog.
Content Planning: As a content creator, knowing the average reading time of your posts can assist in planning and structuring future content. Now, let's dive into the steps to add reading time to your Ghost blog posts.

1. Display Reading Time on Your Post Page

Now follow the steps below to add reading time to your post.

Step-1: First, download your desired theme file then open it with the code editor.

Step-2: Open the file responsible for rendering your post content (post.hbs).

Step-3: Wherever you want the reading time displayed, insert the magical words {{reading_time}}. Typically, this is near the post metadata.

Step-4: Add the following code to display the reading time:

{{#if}}
    <span class="reading-time">
    <span>&bull;</span> 
    {{reading_time minute="1 minute" minutes="% min read"}}
    </span>
{{/if}}

This script initializes the reading time calculation and updates the specified element with the calculated time.

Customize your message (optional): Want to add a personalized touch? The reading_time helper takes two optional arguments:

minute:Specify the text for a 1 minute read (e.g., "1 min read").
minutes: Customize the text for longer reads (e.g., "% min read").
Example: {{reading_time minute="1 minute read " minutes="% minutes read"}} This would display "1 minute read" for posts under 2 minutes and "% minutes read" for longer ones.
Step-5: Save the changes and upload the theme again. Now visit your blog post you should now see the estimated reading time displayed near the post metadata. Congratulations! You've successfully added reading time to your Ghost blog posts.

2. Style the Reading Time Display

If your theme doesn't automatically style the reading time display, you may want to add some CSS to make it visually appealing. Edit your theme's screen.css file and add styles for the .reading-time class.

/*CSS Code for styling your reading time */
.reading-time {
    font-size: 14px;
    color: #888;
    margin-top: 5px;
}

Feel free to customize the styles according to your theme's design.

You can also add this code in the site header using Code injection from the ghost dashboard.

3. Translate Your Reading Time

If you want to use your website in multilingual then you need to translate your website.

Translating your reading time in other languages in Ghost CMS requires a bit of extra effort, but there are several ways to achieve it now I will show you how to use the t helper:

Using the `t` Helper:

Ghost provides a built-in helper called t for translating text. You can use this to translate the reading time output into your desired language. Here's how:

In your theme's post template: Wrap the reading_time helper output in a t helper call with the appropriate translation key. For example:

{{reading_time minute=(t '1 min read') minutes=(t '% mins read')}}

You need to define translation keys for "reading time" and other relevant phrases in your theme's languages directory. These keys should correspond to the translations in your chosen language.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Adding reading time to your Ghost blog posts is a simple yet powerful way to improve user experience and engagement. It sets expectations, builds trust, and helps readers make informed choices about how to dive into your content.

How to Use Webflow Templates: Beginner's Guide

Enamul Haque — Sat, 22 Jun 2024 08:02:33 +0000

Are you looking to create a stunning website without the hassle of coding? Don’t worry you are coming to the right place Webflow is the best choice for you. Webflow is a powerful tool for creating stunning websites without needing to write a single line of code. But for those just starting out, the blank canvas of a new project can be daunting. That's where Webflow templates come in!

How To Use Webflow Templates

Using Webflow templates is easy, even if you have no prior experience with web design. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

Step-1: Finding the Perfect Template

Webflow offers a user-friendly template marketplace where you can browse through a variety of options. You can filter by category, features, and price (free or premium) to find a template that aligns with your vision.

You'll find templates for:

Business websites
E-commerce stores
Blog websites
Landing pages

Once you've found a few potential templates, take some time to explore them in the Webflow Designer. This will give you a better sense of the layout, structure, and customization options.

Step-2: Using a Webflow Template

When you find the perfect template, using it is as simple as clicking a button. To use the Webflow template you need to log in to your Webflow dashboard.

To use the Webflow template you need to create a new site, Click on the “new site” button.

Now click on the “template” option.

You will see the template collections. There are both free and premium templates. Select the template of your choice give a name and open it with the webflow designer interface.

Step-3: Customizing Your Template

Now you can start to customize your Webflow template. You're not stuck with the original design; you can make it your own! After completing importing a template, it's time to customize the design to fit your brand. Webflow's visual editor makes it easy to customize every aspect of your website, from colors and fonts to layout and content. Simply click on an element to edit it, or drag and drop new elements onto the page. You can also add custom animations and interactions to make your website stand out.

Here are some ways to personalize your template:

Replace Text and Images: Change all content with your own text, images, and logos.
Edit Styles: Fine-tune the fonts, colors, and spacing to create a unique visual identity.
Add or Remove Elements: Feel free to add new sections or remove elements that don't suit your needs.
CMS Content Management: If your template uses a CMS, you can easily add, edit, and publish website content.

Webflow's intuitive visual interface makes customization a breeze. You can drag, drop, and edit elements directly on the canvas, giving you complete control over your website's look and feel.

Step-4: Preview and Publish

Before you publish your website, preview it to make sure everything looks and works well. Webflow allows you to preview your website in real-time, so you can see exactly how it will look on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. Once you're happy with the design, simply click the publish button to make your website live.

Step-5: Domain Setup

Free plans offer subdomains (e.g., yoursite.webflow.io). For a custom domain (yourbrand.com), you'll need a paid Site plan. These plans provide secure hosting and advanced SEO controls to get your site noticed.

Choosing Your Plan

Webflow offers tiered plans for both websites and e-commerce stores. The best plan depends on your needs. If you're starting with a simple website, a Basic Site plan might suffice. For e-commerce or feature-rich websites, consider higher tiers that offer more CMS items, form submissions, and advanced functionalities.

Using Webflow E-Commerce Functionality

Learn how to enable e-commerce options, add products, configure payment and shipping options, and optimize your store for a seamless shopping experience.

1. Enabling E-Commerce:

To enable e-commerce on your Webflow site, go to the Project Settings, select the 'E-Commerce' tab, and follow the prompts to set up your store. Choose a suitable plan that supports e-commerce. Webflow offers various plans depending on the size and needs of your store.

2. Adding Products:

Navigate to the E-Commerce panel within the Designer. Click on 'Products' and then 'Add New Product'.
Fill in the product details, including name, description, price, images, and variants (such as sizes or colors).

3. Design Your Store Pages:

Use the template's pre-built product pages as a starting point. Customize layouts to showcase product information, add variations (sizes, colors), and integrate eye-catching "Add to Cart" buttons.

4. Checkout Flow:

Webflow allows you to design a smooth checkout process. This might involve customizing the shopping cart page, designing the checkout form, and integrating a payment gateway (like Stripe or PayPal) to securely accept payments.

Summary

Webflow templates are a powerful tool for getting your website up and running quickly and efficiently. By following these steps and leveraging the intuitive Webflow interface, you can create a professional and customized website without needing to code. So dive into the Webflow template marketplace, find a template that inspires you, and get creative.