---
title: 'Shortcodes'
date: 2024-02-04T22:22:43+01:00
---

## Custom shortcodes

Hugo provides [built-in shortcodes](https://gohugo.io/content-management/shortcodes/#use-hugos-built-in-shortcodes),
Hextra adds [some more](https://imfing.github.io/hextra/docs/guide/shortcodes/). 
However, I need to embed other media sources and want to migrate some of my own
HTML[^1] and CSS[^2] structures. For this purpose there is an official guide on
[creating own shortcodes](https://gohugo.io/templates/shortcode-templates/).

### iFrame

To embed arbitrary media `layouts/shortcodes/iframe.html` is created containing
the following code:

```html {filename="layouts/shortcodes/iframe.html"}
{{ $src := .Get "src" -}}
{{ $class := .Get "class" -}}

<div class="wrap-element{{ with $class }} {{ . }}{{ end }}">
  <iframe class="wrapped-iframe"
    {{ with $src }}src="{{ . }}"{{ end }}
    frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>
  </iframe>
</div>
```

The values of the named shortcode parameters `src` and `class` are saved into
variables and inserted, if not null. Additionally, the file
`assets/css/custom.css` is created and populated with:

```css {filename="assets/css/custom.css"}
/* Responsive iframe */

.wrap-element {
  margin-top: 1.5rem;
  position: relative;
  overflow: hidden;
  padding-top: 56.25%;
}

.wrapped-iframe {
  border-radius: 0.5rem;
  position: absolute;
  top: 0;
  left: 0;
  width: 100%;
  height: 100%;
  border: 0;
}

@media (min-width: 1280px) {
  .funkwhale {
    padding-top: 28.12%;
  }
}
```

The definitions of the CSS classes `wrap-element` and `wrapped-iframe` are
applied to the `div` and `iframe`element to make the embeded resource
responsible. This idea originates from a snippet of
[W3Schools](https://www.w3schools.com/howto/howto_css_responsive_iframes.asp).
The `funkwhale` class is used for embedding Funkwhale media in order to decrease
the height of the iframe on bigger screens.

As a result the following shortcode embeds my Influenca (Official Musicvideo):

```
{{</* iframe src="https://libre.video/videos/embed/163971b8-dfff-4309-a579-185090ae88c5" */>}}
```

### Raw HTML

For using raw HTML code in a Markdown the file `layouts/shortcodes/rawhtml.html`
is created as follows:

```html {filename="layouts/shortcodes/rawhtml.html"}
<!-- raw html -->
{{.Inner}}
```

This way I can write raw HTML code between an opening `{{</* rawhtml */>}}` and
closing `{{</* /rawhtml */>}}` shortcode. The idea is taken from a blog post by
[Ana Ulin](https://anaulin.org/blog/hugo-raw-html-shortcode/).

### Media figure

Audio and video sources can be enclosed in a `<figure>`[^3] element providing additional description in a caption and a link to the source file. My audio
shortcode is inspired by the [solution in the Zen theme](https://github.com/frjo/hugo-theme-zen/blob/main/layouts/shortcodes/audio.html):

```html {filename="layouts/shortcodes/audio.html"}
{{ $caption := .Get "caption" -}}
{{ $preload := .Get "preload" | default "none" -}}
{{ $src := .Get "src" -}}
{{ $type := .Get "type" -}}

<figure class="media">
  <audio controls preload="{{ $preload }}">
    <source src="{{ $src }}" {{ with $type }}type="{{ . }}"{{ end }}>
  </audio>
{{ with $caption -}}
  <figcaption>{{ . | markdownify }}</figcaption>
{{ end }}
{{ with $src -}}
  <a href="{{ . }}">Source link</a>
{{ end -}}
</figure>
```

The video shortcode is extended by a `poster` attribute to view an image before
playing back the video:

```html {filename="layouts/shortcodes/video.html"}
{{ $caption := .Get "caption" -}}
{{ $poster := .Get "poster" -}}
{{ $preload := .Get "preload" | default "none" -}}
{{ $src := .Get "src" -}}
{{ $type := .Get "type" -}}

<figure class="media">
  <video controls preload="{{ $preload }}" poster="{{ $poster }}">
    <source src="{{ $src }}" {{ with $type }}type="{{ . }}"{{ end }}>
  </video>
{{ with $caption -}}
  <figcaption>{{ . | markdownify }}</figcaption>
{{ end }}
{{ with $src -}}
  <a href="{{ . }}">Source link</a>
{{ end -}}
</figure>
```

The additional `<figcaption>` and `<a>` elements are organized by a grid[^4]
using the following CSS code added to the `assets/css/custom.css` file:

```css {filename="assets/css/custom.css"}
/* Media figure */

figure.media {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-areas: 'player player'
                       'caption link';
  grid-template-columns: 2fr 1fr;
  margin-top: 1rem;
}

figure.media figcaption {
  margin: 1rem;
  grid-area: caption;
}

figure.media audio {
  border-radius: 0.5rem;
  grid-area: player;
  max-height: 40px;
  width: 100%;
}

figure.media video {
  border-radius: 0.5rem;
  grid-area: player;
  width: 100%;
}

figure.media a {
  margin: 1rem;
  grid-area: link;
}
```

## Nesting

In order to nest several shortcodes using the Hextra theme, I have to explicitly
set [Goldmark](https://gohugo.io/getting-started/configuration-markup/) markdown
renderer to unsafe mode by including the following setting in the `hugo.yaml`
configuration file.

```yaml {filename="hugo.yaml"}
markup:
  goldmark:
    renderer:
      unsafe: true
```

## Shortcode adaption

Sometimes built-in shortcodes just need a slight adaption to work for me.

### Custom CSS class

The [figure shortcode](https://gohugo.io/content-management/shortcodes/#figure)
already provides the option to provide a custom class. In order to keep the size
of a figure for a thumbnail image small I add the following CSS code to the
`assets/css/custom.css` file:

```css {filename="assets/css/custom.css"}
/* Cover figure */

figure.thumbnail {
  width: 200px;
}
```

[^1]: [HTML](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML) in the Wikipedia
[^2]: [CSS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSS) in the Wikipedia
[^3]: [Figure](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/figure)
in the MDN Web Docs.
[^4]: [CSS grid layout](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/CSS_Grid_Layout)
in the MDN Web Docs