Highlight and Share Web Snippets with MASHA
Productivity Sauce
Bookmark sharing services are a dime a dozen nowadays, but what if you want to give your visitors the ability to share specific text snippets from a web page without relying on third-party services? Then MASHA (which stands for MArk and SHAre) is just the ticket. This nifty little tool provides a simple and elegant solution for highlighting text fragments on a web page and sharing them with other users.
Deploying is not particularly complicated, even if your web coding skills are not up to scratch. Grab the latest release of the software from the project's GitHub repository. If you have Git installed on your system, you can do that by executing the following command:
git clone https://github.com/SmartTeleMax/MaSha.git
Copy the src directory containing all MASHA's parts to your server (you might want to rename the directory to something more descriptive, e.g., masha). To enable MASHA on a specific web page, you need to add a few elements to it. First of all, insert the following code between the <head></head> tags:
<!--[IF IE]> <script type="text/javascript" src="ierange.js"></script> <![ENDIF]--> <script type="text/javascript" src="masha.js"></script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="masha.css"> <script type="text/javascript"> // if jQuery is not available if(window.addEventListener){ window.addEventListener('load', function(){ // can be called by domready MaSha.instance = new MaSha(); }, false); } else { window.attachEvent('onload', function(){ // can be called by domready MaSha.instance = new MaSha(); }); } // if jQuery available: $(document).ready(function() { MaSha.instance = new MaSha(); }); </script>
Make sure that all the links in the code point to the right files in the src directory. Next, you have to mark selectable content in the page using the <div id="selectable-content"></div> tags:
<div id="selectable-content"><p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit</p></div>
Finally, insert the code that enables the clear selection button somewhere at the bottom of the page:
<div id="upmsg-selectable"> <div class="upmsg-selectable-inner"> <img src="../src/img/textselect/upmsg_arrow.png" alt=""> <a href="#" class="upmsg_closebtn"></a> </div> </div>
That's all there is to it. Open the MASHA-enabled page in a browser, and select a text fragment. MASHS then automatically highlights the selection and generates a URL which you can share with other users. Besides simple highlighting functionality, MASHA has a few other handy features, including the ability to share a selection via Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. The source code distribution contains sample pages that demonstrate MASHA's more advanced functionality.
comments powered by DisqusSubscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Gnome 47.1 Released with a Few Fixes
The latest release of the Gnome desktop is all about fixing a few nagging issues and not about bringing new features into the mix.
-
System76 Unveils an Ampere-Powered Thelio Desktop
If you're looking for a new desktop system for developing autonomous driving and software-defined vehicle solutions. System76 has you covered.
-
VirtualBox 7.1.4 Includes Initial Support for Linux kernel 6.12
The latest version of VirtualBox has arrived and it not only adds initial support for kernel 6.12 but another feature that will make using the virtual machine tool much easier.
-
New Slimbook EVO with Raw AMD Ryzen Power
If you're looking for serious power in a 14" ultrabook that is powered by Linux, Slimbook has just the thing for you.
-
The Gnome Foundation Struggling to Stay Afloat
The foundation behind the Gnome desktop environment is having to go through some serious belt-tightening due to continued financial problems.
-
Thousands of Linux Servers Infected with Stealth Malware Since 2021
Perfctl is capable of remaining undetected, which makes it dangerous and hard to mitigate.
-
Halcyon Creates Anti-Ransomware Protection for Linux
As more Linux systems are targeted by ransomware, Halcyon is stepping up its protection.
-
Valve and Arch Linux Announce Collaboration
Valve and Arch have come together for two projects that will have a serious impact on the Linux distribution.
-
Hacker Successfully Runs Linux on a CPU from the Early ‘70s
From the office of "Look what I can do," Dmitry Grinberg was able to get Linux running on a processor that was created in 1971.
-
OSI and LPI Form Strategic Alliance
With a goal of strengthening Linux and open source communities, this new alliance aims to nurture the growth of more highly skilled professionals.