In today's tutorial we will learn how to show both facebook and blogger comments inside tabs that can be easily switched and toggled. The comment count will appear inside the tabs with an icon thus letting the visitor a much clearer option of commenting. The tabs are clickable to behave like buttons. The tabs act more like two separate pages that let the user decide which commenting system to choose. The tabs are created using normal JavaScript code used for toggle view. Its extremely easy to install if you follow this tutorial carefully. I am sure most of you were waiting for this therefore it would be fun sharing it today.
Create a Facebook App
In order to control and keep a backup of the comments made on your blog you will need to create a FB application. The steps of creating this app is very simple. Simply follow these easy steps:
Note: Facebook has changed its layout interface so the screenshots could look a little different from current interface. Steps are exactly the same.
- Go To Facebook Developers Page
- Submit your blog URL and give it a name. Keep Site name as your "Blog Title" and Site URL as your "blog address"
3. Hit "create app" button and proceed
4. After submitting the security check code you will see this page,
5. Save that FACEBOOK APP ID in a notepad because we will need that later. Now Click the link near the top-right corner of the same page that says "Developer Dashboard"
6. One the new window that appears click the Edit Settings link ,
7. Then go to Website option and write your Site Domain as blogspot
8. Save Changes and jump to the next step of this tutorial
Creating Tabs For Facebook Comments in Blogger
For blogger comments to display next to tabbed facebook comments, your blogger comment form settings must be set to embedded below post. To show blogger comments below posts do this:
- Go To Blogger > Settings > Comments
- Set "Comment Form Placement" to Embedded below post
Now follow these easy steps one by one:
- Go To Blogger > Design > Edit HTML
- Backup your template
- Click the "Expand widget templates" box
- Search for <head>
- Just below it add the following code,
<meta expr:content='data:blog.pageTitle' property='og:title'/>
<meta expr:content='data:blog.url' property='og:url'/>
<meta content='article' property='og:type'/>
<meta content='Blog LOGO Image Link' property='og:image'/>
<meta content='FACEBOOK APP ID' property='fb:app_id'/>
<script src='http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1'/>
<script src='http://code.jquery.com/jquery-latest.js'/><script type='text/javascript'>
function commentToggle(selectTab) {
$(".comments-tab").addClass("inactive-select-tab");
$(selectTab).removeClass("inactive-select-tab");
$(".comments-page").hide();
$(selectTab + "-page").show();
}
</script>
- Replace Blog LOGO Image Link with the image link of your blog logo. Your logo size should be as small as 30px by 30px in size. If you don't want a logo to display whenever someone shares your comment on his wall then simply delete the yellow highlighted code.
- Replace FACEBOOK APP ID with the numeric facebook app Id that you were asked to note down. You can find your Facebook App ID in settings page of the app you created earlier.
6. Search for <html and replace it with the following code,
<html xmlns:fb='http://www.facebook.com/2008/fbml'
Note: Give a space at the end of the above code.
7. Now Search for ]]></b:skin> and just above it paste the following CSS code,
/*--- Tabbed Facebook Comments By MBT ----*/.comments-page { background-color: #f2f2f2; width:450px;}
#blogger-comments-page { padding: 0px 5px; display: none;}
.comments-tab { float: left; padding: 5px; margin-right: 3px; cursor: pointer; background-color: #f2f2f2;}
.comments-tab-icon { height: 14px; width: auto; margin-right: 3px;}
.comments-tab:hover { background-color: #eeeeee;}
.inactive-select-tab { background-color: #d1d1d1;}
- To change the background colour of tabs content area simply edit #f2f2f2
- To change the width of the comment box container change width:450px;
8. Next search for this
<div class='comments' id='comments'>
After the first occurrence of the above available code paste this code:
<div class='comments-tab' id='fb-comments' onclick='javascript:commentToggle("#fb-comments");' title='Comments made with Facebook'>
<img class='comments-tab-icon' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYgW2JPf_owb212MC5zQ7XV6r6q-eURGs9aXok9JDW65nNiNtG6IN7de-DpLRbl1qWo8fZv4f3bAg7xLEv39R8KEoDvtydU4s7UgnckcFRfmapnRMtMR0GKXGoxVcuhBVpRGVdb7Pto4/s400/fbcomment.png'/>
<fb:comments-count expr:href='data:post.url'/> Comments
</div>
<div class='comments-tab inactive-select-tab' id='blogger-comments' onclick='javascript:commentToggle("#blogger-comments");' title='Comments from Blogger'>
<img class='comments-tab-icon' src='http://www.blogger.com/img/icon_logo32.gif'/> <data:post.numComments/> Comments
</div><div class='clear'/>
</div>
<div class='comments-page' id='fb-comments-page'>
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType == "item"'>
<div id='fb-root'/><fb:comments colorscheme='light' expr:href='data:post.canonicalUrl' expr:title='data:post.title' expr:xid='data:post.id' width='450'/> <div style='color:#fff; background-color:#3B5998;border: solid 1px #ddd; font-size:10px; padding:3px; width:440px;'>Facebook Comments by
<b><a href='http://www.mybloggertricks.com/' style='text-decoration:underline; color:#fff;' target='_blank' title='Blogger Widgets'>Blogger Widgets</a></b>
</div>
</b:if>
</div>
Note: If the above code gave errors then delete the red highlighted lines from the code above.
- To change the width of the comment box size change the numeric value width='450' . Keep it equal to the width of the comment box container we set earlier in step#7.
- To change the footer credits size (i.e. Facebook Comments by blogger Widgets), change this value width:440px
- Keep a difference of 10 pixels between the comment box size and footer size. For example if you set comment box-size to width='450' then set footer-size to width:440px
- To change the text inside tabs edit Comments for Facebook Tab and Comments for Blogger Tab
9. Save your template and you are All Done!
Visit your blog to see it working just fine. :)
Note: If you have activated blogger threaded comments then the Tabs will display only when at least one comment is posted in blogger
Moderate Comments
In order to mark any comment as spam or remove/hide any comment you need to log into your facebook account and then visit this page:
You can moderate all comments at once without visiting every post in your blog and moderating comments individually for every post.
How To allow Other Login Providers
With Facebook Plugin you can choose to accept comments even with Yahoo, Hotmail or AOL. To accept comment from third part providers simply click the Settings link on Facebook comment box inside any of your post and click the checkbox that says "Other login providers"
Note: The Settings link or Moderator view will only appear on your new new posts or on posts with less than 2 Facebook comments posted. There fore in order to make a one time settings, simply visit your fresh post and edit it from the facebook tab.
Credits
This tabbed commenting system has been enhanced and publicized by MBT blog by using scripts of James. If you wish to share this post with your readers then kindly link back to this post as the only favor for our efforts.
Need Help?
I am sure this post looks a little too techy but its made as easy as possible. If you ran into a trouble then just let me know by posting your query. The next part of this series will teach you how to display facebook and blogger comments count on homepage in a presentable way. Peace and blessings pals! :)
If you don't want to get yourself into Serious Technical Trouble while editing your Blog Template then just sit back and relax and let us do the Job for you at a fairly reasonable cost. Submit your order details by Clicking Here »
Mohammad
3/05/2012
Widgets
