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
-
Arch Linux Available for Windows Subsystem for Linux
If you've ever wanted to use a rolling release distribution with WSL, now's your chance.
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.