Latest release: https://github.com/douglasback/widget-the-people
Widget the People is a Node.js application that enables petition creators and webmasters to embed a widget that promotes a particular petition on We the People.
A sample deployment is available at petition-promoter.herokuapp.com
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Clone this repository:
git clone git@github.com:douglasback/widget-the-people.git -
Install the required node modules:
npm install
- To run a local instance,
cdto the project directory and run
node app.js
The app will be available at http://localhost:5000/.
You can also deploy this app to a PaaS provider like Heroku or AppFog. (The Procfile in this repository is currently designed to work with Heroku.)
When running, the app takes a petition title inputted by the user and generates code in the form of an <iframe> that the user can copy and paste into their own website.
The iframe's src attribute refers to the app instance, so it must be available in order for the widget to function once embedded.
- Languages: Node.js, HTML, JavaScript, Compass, and SCSS
- Libraries / Frameworks: jQuery, Underscore.js, Bootstrap Typeahead.js, Grunt.js
- Data formats used: JSON, JSONP
The widget generation page bootstraps itself on load by making an API call to get the list of petitions. If the API is slow or not returning responses, the app will fail to function as expected.
One advantage of using Node.js to generate the widget is to reduce the number of client-side resources required by the <iframe>.
Widget the People was developed by Douglas Back.
An unprioritized todo list of sorts.
- Allow users to customize the look and feel of the widget (to some degree, e.g. color scheme, fonts).
- Provide a method to allow users to embed HTML/CSS directly rather than rely on the iframe.