Highlight Your Ghost Blog with Prism.js and Copy-to-Clipboard Functionality

Excerpt
Enhancing the presentation of code snippets on your blog can significantly improve readability and user engagement. I recently integrated Prism.js, a lightweight and extensible syntax highlighter, into my Ghost blog to provide syntax highlighting and a convenient copy-to-clipboard feature. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the steps to achieve this, including the necessary code for the site header and footer.

Why Prism.js?

Prism.js is a popular choice for syntax highlighting due to its lightweight nature, extensive language support, and ease of customization. Additionally, its plugin architecture allows for extended functionalities, such as line numbers, autoloading language definitions, and a toolbar for copying code snippets to the clipboard.

Steps to Integrate Prism.js

1. Add CSS and Custom Styles

First, we’ll add the necessary CSS and custom styles to the site header. This step involves including the Prism.js theme stylesheet and defining some custom styles to ensure the toolbar looks great on your blog.

In the Ghost admin panel, navigate to “Settings” > “Code Injection”. Under the “Site Header” section, insert the following code:

<link href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/prism/1.23.0/themes/prism-tomorrow.min.css" rel="stylesheet" />
<style>
    .toolbar-item {
        background: #333;
        color: #fff;
        border-radius: 3px;
        padding: 5px;
    }
</style>

Next, we’ll add the necessary JavaScript to the site footer. This includes the core Prism.js library and the plugins required for autoloading language definitions, adding a toolbar, and enabling the copy-to-clipboard functionality.

In the “Site Footer” section of “Code Injection”, add the following scripts:

<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/prism/1.23.0/prism.min.js"></script>
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/prism/1.23.0/plugins/toolbar/prism-toolbar.min.js"></script>
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/prism/1.23.0/plugins/copy-to-clipboard/prism-copy-to-clipboard.min.js"></script>
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/prism/1.23.0/plugins/autoloader/prism-autoloader.min.js"></script>

Understanding the Integration

Code Highlighting

Prism.js works by applying CSS classes to the different components of your code, such as keywords, strings, and comments. By including the appropriate CSS file, we ensure these elements are styled consistently across all code snippets.

Copy-to-Clipboard

The copy-to-clipboard functionality is enabled by the corresponding Prism.js plugin. This plugin adds a “Copy” button to each code block, making it easy for users to copy the entire block to their clipboard with a single click.

Autoloading Languages

Prism.js supports many programming languages, but to keep the library lightweight, it loads only the core components by default. The autoloader plugin dynamically loads the necessary language definitions as needed, ensuring that syntax highlighting works correctly for all code snippets on your blog.

Customizing the Appearance

You can further customize the appearance of the code snippets and toolbar by modifying the CSS included in the site header. For instance, you can change the colors, font sizes, or positioning of the toolbar to better match your blog’s overall design.

Conclusion

By integrating Prism.js into your Ghost blog, you can enhance your code snippets with beautiful syntax highlighting and a user-friendly copy-to-clipboard feature. This not only improves the readability of your code but also provides a convenient way for your readers to interact with it. Remember, you can always tweak the CSS to better fit your blog’s design.

With these simple steps, your blog can offer a more engaging and visually appealing experience for readers who frequently interact with code snippets. Happy coding!