Breaking News Ticker Widget For BlogSpot - JSON Feeds Support!

Posted: 13 Dec 2016 04:22 AM PST

Breaking News Ticker Widget For BlogSpot

Breaking News Ticker widget for Blogspot blogs is a free, flat, stylish, modern, easy to use and responsive Blogger jQuery news ticker. It displays text-based titles of your latest posts in a scrolling fashion automatically. It is the best way to showcase your hottest content to your website visitors on your homepage just how BBC or CNN does it! We have coded it using Blogger JSON Feeds API and jQuery News Ticker plugin.

Some sites like codecanyon are selling News Ticker Plugins at $5, but you will not only get it free at MBT but you will also learn how such widgets are coded if you read our JSON Feeds series.

Instead of using RSS Feeds to built a scrolling newsticker, we will use JSON Feeds to create a more advanced, lightweight and dynamic News Ticker that will not only just display titles but will also show almost every info (i.e. Avatar/Comments/Published date) about your blog post.

DEMO

What is a News Ticker?

A news ticker is a primarily horizontal, text-based display. Most tickers are traditionally displayed in the form of scrolling text running from right to left across the screen. This term originally refers to Television News tickers, scrolling near the bottom of the TV screen. The TV news ticker allows breaking news to be shown to the viewer without interrupting the current broadcast. Similarly webmasters have adopted a similar method of displaying latest news on their websites homepage. The latest headlines of your websites or blog is shown scrolling from left to right across the width of the site to keep visitors informed about most updated content.

In short it is a simple, handy widget that helps you to showcase your website's latest headlines, latest updates or featured content from a specific category.

Features of Breaking News Ticker Widget:

Blogger News Ticker is an advanced widget equipped with these features:

Author Avatar - Unique!
Displays latest posts dynamically. - Unique!
Displays recent posts from a specific category/label.
Scrolling text with two animations: reveal & fade
Clickable Comments Count
Custom Date Format - Unique!
Title Length is adjustable
Fully Customizable - Multi Colors!
Responsive and mobile friendly.
Controls Navigation. Play/Pause, Next/Previous
Support all browsers: Firefox, Chrome, IE, Safari etc.
Many more!

How To add News Ticker Widget In Blogger?

To add news ticker widget in your blogger templates, please follow these easy steps:

Go To Blogger > Template
Backup your template
Click "Edit HTML"
Just below <head> tag paste the following JS and CSS source links:
<link href='http://fortawesome.github.io/Font-Awesome/assets/font-awesome/css/font-awesome.css' rel='stylesheet'/>
<link href='http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Oswald' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'/>
Next search ]]></b:skin> and just above it paste the following code:
/*########Default Newsticker Styles#########*/
.ticker-wrapper.has-js{margin:20px 0;padding:0 20px;width:780px;height:32px;display:block;-webkit-border-radius:15px;-moz-border-radius:15px;border-radius:15px;background-color:#f8f0db;font-size:.75em}
.ticker{width:710px;height:23px;display:block;position:relative;overflow:hidden;background-color:#f8f0db}
.ticker-title{padding-top:9px;color:#900;font-weight:700;background-color:#f8f0db;text-transform:uppercase}
.ticker-content{margin:0;padding-top:9px;position:absolute;color:#1F527B;font-weight:700;background-color:#f8f0db;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap;line-height:1.2em}
.ticker-content a{text-decoration:none;color:#1F527B}
.ticker-content a:hover{text-decoration:underline;color:#0D3059}
.ticker-swipe{padding-top:9px;position:absolute;top:0;background-color:#f8f0db;display:block;width:800px;height:23px}
.ticker-swipe span{margin-left:1px;background-color:#f8f0db;border-bottom:1px solid #1F527B;height:12px;width:7px;display:block}
.ticker-controls{padding:8px 0 0;list-style-type:none;float:left}
.ticker-controls li{padding:0;margin-left:5px;float:left;cursor:pointer;height:16px;width:16px;display:block}
.ticker-controls li.jnt-play-pause{background-image:url(../images/controls.png);background-position:32px 16px}
.ticker-controls li.jnt-play-pause.over{background-position:32px 32px}
.ticker-controls li.jnt-play-pause.down{background-position:32px 0}
.ticker-controls li.jnt-play-pause.paused{background-image:url(../images/controls.png);background-position:48px 16px}
.ticker-controls li.jnt-play-pause.paused.over{background-position:48px 32px}
.ticker-controls li.jnt-play-pause.paused.down{background-position:48px 0}
.ticker-controls li.jnt-prev{background-image:url(../images/controls.png);background-position:0 16px}
.ticker-controls li.jnt-prev.over{background-position:0 32px}
.ticker-controls li.jnt-prev.down{background-position:0 0}
.ticker-controls li.jnt-next{background-image:url(../images/controls.png);background-position:16px 16px}
.ticker-controls li.jnt-next.over{background-position:16px 32px}
.ticker-controls li.jnt-next.down{background-position:16px 0}
.js-hidden{display:none}
.no-js-news{padding:10px 0 0 45px;color:#F8F0DB}
.left .ticker-controls,.left .ticker-content,.left .ticker-title,.left .ticker{float:left}
.left .ticker-controls{padding-left:6px}
.right .ticker-controls,.right .ticker-content,.right .ticker-title,.right .ticker{float:right}
.right .ticker-controls{padding-right:6px}
/*########Blogger Newsticker by MBT#########*/
.ticker-wrapper.has-js{margin:0;padding:0;width:98%;height:42px;display:block;border-radius:0;background-color:#fff;border:1px solid #eee;font-size:12px}
.ticker{width:80%;height:42px;display:block;position:relative;overflow:hidden;background-color:#fff}
.ticker-title{background:#71db00;padding:10px;color:#FFF;font-size:16px;font-family:oswald;text-transform:uppercase;text-shadow:1px 1px 6px #666}
.ticker-title:after{left:76px;top:10px;height:0;width:0;position:absolute;content:" ";pointer-events:none;margin-left:0;margin-top:1px;border-left:13px solid #71db00;border-top:10px solid transparent;border-bottom:10px solid transparent;-moz-transform:scale(.9999)}
.ticker-content{background-color:#fff;margin-left:15px;color:#444;margin-top:1px}
.ticker-swipe{background-color:#fff;position:relative;top:5px;left:100px!important}
.ticker-swipe span{margin-left:1px;background-color:#fff;border-bottom:1px solid #333;height:12px;width:7px}
.ticker-controls{padding:0!important;margin:13px 0 0 10px !important;list-style-type:none;position:relative;right:-50px}
.ticker-controls li{padding:0;margin-left:5px;float:left;cursor:pointer;height:16px;width:16px;display:block}
.ticker-controls li a{border:0!important;padding:0!important}
.ticker-controls li.jnt-play-pause,.ticker-controls li.jnt-play-pause.paused,.ticker-controls li.jnt-play-pause.paused.over,.ticker-controls li.jnt-prev,.ticker-controls li.jnt-play-pause.over,.ticker-controls li.jnt-next{position:absolute;background:none}
.ticker-controls li.jnt-play-pause:after,.ticker-controls li.jnt-play-pause.over:after{content:"\f04c";font-size:13px;color:#71db00;font-family:fontAwesome;position:relative;left:1.8em}
.ticker-controls li.jnt-play-pause.paused:after,.ticker-controls li.jnt-play-pause.paused.over:after{content:"\f04b";font-size:13px;color:#71db00;font-family:fontAwesome;position:relative;left:1.8em}
.ticker-controls li.jnt-prev:after{content:"\f04a";font-size:13px;color:#71db00;font-family:fontAwesome;position:relative;left:0}
.ticker-controls li.jnt-next:after{content:"\f04e";font-size:13px;color:#71db00;font-family:fontAwesome;position:relative;left:3.6em}
.ticker .iauthor:before,.ticker .icomments:before,.ticker .idate:before{font-family:fontAwesome;position:relative;padding-right:8px;color:#fff}
.ticker .iauthorpic{width:16px!important;height:16px!important;border-radius:50%;float:none;display:inline-block!important;margin:0;padding-right:3px;position:relative;top:3px}
.ticker span{padding-right:5px;font-family:Oswald;font-weight:400}
.ticker .icomments a{color:#71db00;font-size:11px}
.ticker .icomments a:hover{text-decoration:underline}
.ticker .icomments:before{content:'\f086';padding:0 3px 0 0;color:#777;position:relative;top:-1px}
.ticker .idate{font-size:11px;padding-right:7px}
.ticker .idate:before{content:'\f073';padding:0 5px;color:#777;position:relative;top:-1px}
.ticker .mbttitle{font-family:oswald;font-size:14px;color:#71db00!important;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none}
.ticker .mbttitle:hover{text-decoration:underline}
Make these changes
- To change the green color theme of the News Ticker simply replace the green highlighted color codes with color of your choice. The color can be in rgb or #hexadecimal, both work. Use our Color Code Generator.
Save your template.
Now go to Blogger > Layout
Select "Add a Gadget"
Choose "HTML/JavaScript" gadget
Keep the title field empty and then paste the following code inside it:

<script type="text/javascript" src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.6.0/jquery.min.js"></script><script src="http://www.jquerynewsticker.com/includes/jquery.ticker.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
//----------------------------Defaults
var ListBlogLink = "http://www.mybloggertricks.com";
var ListCount = 5;
var TitleCount = 70;
var ListLabel = "Widgets";
//----------------------------Function Start
function mbtlist(json) {
document.write('<ul id="js-news" class="js-hidden">');
for (var i = 0; i < ListCount; i++)
{
//-----------------------------Variables Declared
var listing= ListImage = ListUrl = ListTitle = ListImage = ListContent = ListConten = ListAuthor = ListTag = ListDate = ListUpdate = ListComments = thumbUrl = TotalPosts = sk = AuthorPic= ListMonth = Y = D = M = m = YY = DD = MM = mm = TT = "";
//----------------------------- Title URL
for (var j = 0; j < json.feed.entry[i].link.length; j++) {
if (json.feed.entry[i].link[j].rel == 'alternate') {
break;
}
}
ListUrl= "'" + json.feed.entry[i].link[j].href + "'";
//----------------------------------- Title Stirng
if (json.feed.entry[i].title!= null)
{
ListTitle= json.feed.entry[i].title.$t.substr(0, TitleCount);
}
if (json.feed.entry[i].thr$total)
{
ListComments= "<a href='"+json.feed.entry[i].link[j].href+"#comment-form'>"+json.feed.entry[i].thr$total.$t+"</a>";
}
ListAuthor= json.feed.entry[i].author[0].name.$t.split(" ");
ListAuthor=ListAuthor.slice(0, 1).join(" ");
AuthorPic = json.feed.entry[i].author[0].gd$image.src;
//################### Date Format
ListMonth= ["Jan", "Feb", "Mar", "Apr", "May", "Jun", "Jul", "Aug", "Sep", "Oct", "Nov", "Dec"];
ListDate= json.feed.entry[i].published.$t.substring(0,10);
                         Y = ListDate.substring(0, 4);
                        m = ListDate.substring(5, 7);
                         D = ListDate.substring(8, 10);
                         M = ListMonth[parseInt(m - 1)];
//----------------------------------- Printing List
var listing = "<li class='news-item'><span class='iauthor'><img class='iauthorpic' src='"+AuthorPic+"'/>"
+ListAuthor+ "</span> <span class='icomments'>"
+ListComments + "</span> <span class='idate'>"
+ D + " " + M + "</span><i class='fa fa-chevron-right'></i> <a class='mbttitle' href="
+ListUrl+
"target='_blank'>"
+ListTitle+
"</a></li>";
document.write(listing);
}
}
document.write("</ul><script src='"+ListBlogLink+"/feeds/posts/default/-/"+ListLabel+"?alt=json-in-script&callback=mbtlist'></"+"script>");
/*##########Breaking News Ticker Settings########*/
    $(function () {
        $('#js-news').ticker({
        speed: 0.20,
        controls: true,
        titleText: 'Hottest',
        displayType: 'reveal',
        pauseOnItems: 2000,
});
});
</script>

Make these changes:
- ListBlogLink : Insert your Blog URL here
- ListCount : Decide how many breaking titles do you wish to display.
- TitleCount : Choose how many characters to display in post title length.
- ListLabel : Insert your blog label here. Remember that labels are case sensitive. Therefore type it exactly as it is shown in your browser address bar. News Ticker will not work if label case is not correct. Edit "Widgets"
- speed: Edit this value (0.20) to increase or decrease the scroll speed.
- controls: Set true to false if you wish to hide the control buttons i.e. Play/Pause, Next/Previous
- titleText: Set the News Ticker title here from Hottest to anything you like such as Latest, Breaking etc.
- displayType: There are two types of scrolling text animation, reveal or fade. Set it as per your preference.
- TitleCount : Choose how many characters to display in post title.
- If you want to show latest posts headlines of your blog without mentioning any specific label/category then simply remove /-/"+ListLabel+" from the code above.
Click Save button and you are all ready to start showing animated plus scrolling headlines to your readers! :)

Do You Need Any Help?

The installation steps above are made extremely simple. You just need to follow it carefully especially taking care of the label case sensitivity and also the jQuery file. Let me know if you need any help. I would love to assist you as soon as time allows.

I really appreciate when you share your feedback. Please let us know how useful was this tutorial for you and how can this cool news ticker widget help you to better engage your readers and increase your pageviews. Would be waiting to hear from you.

The next tutorial will be based on adding a tooltip to this ticker for displaying Image Thumbnail plus description snippet, it would be an amazing enhancement to the current design, so stay tuned for updates! :)