create a command-line blog using Python

by Posted on

Step 1: Set Up the Project

  1. Create a new directory for your project:
    bash
    mkdir cli_blog
cd cli_blog
  2. Create a Python file for the blog:
    bash
    touch blog.py

Step 2: Write the Blog Application

In blog.py, write the following code:

python
import os
import datetime

# File to store blog posts
BLOG_FILE = "blog_posts.txt"

def clear_screen():
    """Clear the terminal screen."""
    os.system('cls' if os.name == 'nt' else 'clear')

def display_menu():
    """Display the main menu."""
    print("Welcome to the Command-Line Blog!")
    print("1. View Blog Posts")
    print("2. Add a New Post")
    print("3. Exit")

def view_posts():
    """Display all blog posts."""
    clear_screen()
    if not os.path.exists(BLOG_FILE):
        print("No posts found. Add a new post!\n")
        return

    with open(BLOG_FILE, "r") as file:
        posts = file.readlines()

    if not posts:
        print("No posts found. Add a new post!\n")
    else:
        print("=== Blog Posts ===\n")
        for i, post in enumerate(posts, 1):
            print(f"{i}. {post.strip()}")
        print()

def add_post():
    """Add a new blog post."""
    clear_screen()
    print("=== Add a New Post ===\n")
    title = input("Enter the title of your post: ")
    content = input("Write your post: ")
    author = input("Enter your name: ")
    timestamp = datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")

    with open(BLOG_FILE, "a") as file:
        file.write(f"[{timestamp}] {title} by {author}\n")
        file.write(f"{content}\n\n")

    print("\nPost added successfully!\n")

def main():
    """Run the blog application."""
    while True:
        display_menu()
        choice = input("Choose an option (1-3): ")

        if choice == "1":
            view_posts()
        elif choice == "2":
            add_post()
        elif choice == "3":
            print("Goodbye!")
            break
        else:
            print("Invalid choice. Please try again.\n")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

Step 3: Run the Blog Application

Run the script:

bash
python blog.py

You’ll see a menu with the following options:

  1. View Blog Posts: Displays all saved blog posts.
  2. Add a New Post: Allows you to write and save a new blog post.
  3. Exit: Exits the application.

Step 4: Test the Application

  1. Choose Option 2 to add a new post. Enter a title, content, and your name.
  2. Choose Option 1 to view all posts. You’ll see the post you just added.
  3. Add more posts and view them.
  4. Choose Option 3 to exit the application.

Step 5: How It Works

  • Blog Posts Storage: All posts are stored in a text file (blog_posts.txt). Each post includes a timestamp, title, author, and content.
  • Menu-Driven Interface: The application uses a simple menu to navigate between viewing posts, adding posts, and exiting.
  • Clear Screen: The terminal screen is cleared before displaying new content for a better user experience.

Optional Enhancements

  1. Edit or Delete Posts: Add functionality to edit or delete existing posts.
  2. Search Posts: Allow users to search for posts by title or author.
  3. Categories/Tags: Add support for categorizing or tagging posts.
  4. Export to HTML: Add an option to export all posts to an HTML file for easy sharing.
  5. Rich Text Formatting: Use a library like rich to add colors and formatting to the terminal output.

Example Output

Main Menu:

Welcome to the Command-Line Blog!
1. View Blog Posts
2. Add a New Post
3. Exit
Choose an option (1-3):

View Posts:

=== Blog Posts ===

1. [2023-10-01 14:30:00] My First Post by John Doe
   This is my first blog post. I'm excited to start blogging!

2. [2023-10-02 09:15:00] Python Tips by Jane Doe
   Here are some Python tips for beginners.

Add a New Post:

=== Add a New Post ===

Enter the title of your post: My Second Post
Write your post: This is another blog post about Python.
Enter your name: John Doe

Post added successfully!

Published by howdy