Expandable Recent Comments Widget for Blogger/Blogspot

This Expandable Recent Comments is a very accessible widget that can be collapsed or expanded through user interaction, so that now, we don't have to click on the commenter or post title link in order to see the content of a comment.

The expanding content can be shown or hidden by clicking on the plus/minus icon or by pressing the "Show all" or "Hide all" button at run time.
How To Add The Expandable Recent Comments Widget to Blogger

Step 1. Log in to your Blogger dashboard and go to Layout > Click on "Add a Gadget" link

Step 2. From the pop-up window, scroll down and click on the HTML/JavaScript widget

Step 3. Copy and paste this code inside the empty box:

<style type="text/css" media="screen">
.row-aa {        background: #f2f2f3; }
.row-bb {        background: #F8F5F1; }
.row-div { 
  margin:0px;
  padding:5px;
}
.comment-header {
  font-size:0.9em;
//  border:1px solid #E0E0E0;
//  background-color:#F3F3F3;
  padding:4px;
  margin-top:10px;
  margin-bottom:5px;
}
.comment-box {
  margin:0px;
  padding:0px;
  font-size:0.9em;
  height:500px;
  overflow:auto;
}
.comments1  { 
//  background: #F3F3F3;
  padding:3px;
  border-left:1px dashed #A6A6A6;
  color: #888888;
  font-style: italic;
  padding-top:4px;
  margin-bottom:5px;
}
.comment-footer {
  text-align:center;
  font-size:0.9em;
  padding:4px;
  margin-top:5px; 
}
</style>

<div style="text-align: center" class="comment-header"><input class="comment-button" id="commshowall" type="button" onclick="if (this.value == &#39;Show all&#39;) { unfold_all(this); this.value=&#39;Hide all&#39;; } else { fold_all(this); this.value=&#39;Show all&#39;; }" style="width:8em;font-size:1em;font-family:Verdana,sans" value="Show all" /></div>

<div class="comment-box">
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://helplogger.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/expandable-recent-comments.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript"  src="http://helplogger.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?start-index=1&max-results=999999&alt=json-in-script&callback=showrecentposts">
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"  src="http://helplogger.blogspot.com/feeds/comments/default?start-index=1&max-results=999999&alt=json-in-script&callback=showrecentcomments">
</script>

</div>

Note: Replace http://helplogger.blogspot.com with your blog/site address.

Step 4. Save your widget and you're done!

Enjoy :)

Add Recent Comments Widget with Avatars To Blogger

In one of my previous tutorials, I have shared a simple Recent Comments widget having the ability to display the latest comments published on the blog posts. However, the main disadvantage of it was that it didn't have the option of showing the users' avatars; so for those who'd like to see something more, here's a stylish Recent comments widget with round avatars and comment excerpts. Besides providing the option of displaying the commenters avatars, we'll be able to change the default image for the anonymous avatar, as well.

Isn't that great? Let's begin adding it!

How to add recent comments widget with avatars

Step 1. Go to Blogger Dashboard > select your blog > go to 'Layout' & click the 'Add a Gadget' link.

Step 2. When the popup window appears, scroll down and choose the 'HTML/Javascript' gadget.

Step 3. Now, copy and paste the following code inside the empty box:

<style type="text/css">
ul.helploggercomments{list-style: none;margin: 0;padding: 0;}
.helploggercomments li {background: none !important;margin: 0 0 6px !important;padding: 0 0 6px 0 !important;display: block;clear: both;overflow: hidden;list-style: none;word-break:break-all;}
.helploggercomments li .avatarImage {padding: 3px;
background: #fefefe;-webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 1px #ccc;-moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 1px #ccc;box-shadow: 0 1px 1px #ccc;float: left;margin: 0 6px 0 0;position: relative;overflow: hidden;}
.avatarRound {-webkit-border-radius: 100px;-moz-border-radius: 100px;border-radius: 100px;}
.helploggercomments li img {padding: 0px;position: relative;overflow: hidden;display: block;}
.helploggercomments li span {margin-top: 4px;color: #666;display: block;font-size: 12px;font-style: italic;line-height: 1.4;}
</style>
<script type="text/javascript">
//<![CDATA[
    // Recent Comments Settings
    var
 numComments  = 5,
 showAvatar  = true,
 avatarSize  = 60,
 roundAvatar = true,
 characters  = 40,
 showMorelink = false,
 moreLinktext = "More »",
 defaultAvatar  = "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB33HS1qdU2O_zwR7wpCorTsHvUjhvhoegrEP994jxeGKD2yjif22uy2R1mYwDjXif6uyyTr-BzZCwokz5I0c2qeLYtTzdSDTyUj7mEAjzTdrXci2McYf5ses0EaawaEaZeJVlCwHBDL6J/s1600/default-avatar.jpg",
 hideCredits = true;
//]]>
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://helplogger.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/helplogger/[helplogger.blogspot.com]recent-comments.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/feeds/comments/default?alt=json&callback=helploggercomments&max-results=5"></script><div style="font-size: 10px; float: right; margin-top: -15px">Get this <a href="http://helplogger.blogspot.com/2012/03/add-recent-comments-widget-with-avatar.html" rel="nofollow" >Recent Comments Widget</a></div>

Note
- by default, 5 comments will be displayed... to show more replace the "5" values in red
- to change the avatar for anonymous users, replace the following address with the url of your image:

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB33HS1qdU2O_zwR7wpCorTsHvUjhvhoegrEP994jxeGKD2yjif22uy2R1mYwDjXif6uyyTr-BzZCwokz5I0c2qeLYtTzdSDTyUj7mEAjzTdrXci2McYf5ses0EaawaEaZeJVlCwHBDL6J/s1600/default-avatar.jpg

- to change the size of the avatar, replace 60 value in green.
- for square avatars, remove the line in red

Step 4. After you've made the changes, click Save... and we're done!

Once a reader sees the recent comments widget in the blog's sidebar, he comes to know that your blog is pretty active and that encourages him to post comments on your blog. This way, you can gather some active user base to comment on your blog posts.

Recent Comments Widget For Blogger

The Recent Comments Widget for Blogger displays the most recent comments on your blog's sidebar, showing a snippet of the last comments along with the title of the post where the comment was made. The list will be gathered in descending order (newest at the top).

This gadget is coded in JavaScript and styled with CSS but there hasn't been added too much, so that it could fit the color scheme of your Blogger template.

Parameters to be configured:
a. Number of comments: total number of comments to display
b. Date on which the comment has been published: either display or hide it
c. Posts on which a comment has been made: you can either hide the post titles or show them
d. Number of words per comment excerpt: The first "n'' words of the comment will be listed

To add the Recent Comment Widget to a Blogger blog is very easy.  Just follow the next steps below:

How To Add Recent Comments Widget to Blogger

Step 1. Log in to your Blogger Dashboard, select your blog > go to "Layout" and click the "Add a Gadget" link:

Step 2. From the pop-up window, scroll down and click on the "HTML/JavaScript" option:

Step 3. Copy and paste the below code in the HTML/JavaScript box:

<script style=text/javascript src="http://helplogger.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/recent comments widget.js"></script>
<script style=text/javascript>
    var a_rc = 5;
    var m_rc = false;
    var n_rc = true;
    var o_rc = 100;
</script>
<script src=http://your-blog-name.blogspot.com/feeds/comments/default?alt=json-in-script&callback=showrecentcomments></script><div style="font-size: 10px; float: right;">Get this <a href="http://helplogger.blogspot.com/2012/03/recent-comments-widget-for-blogger.html" rel="nofollow" >Recent Comments Widget</a></div>
<style type="text/css">
.rcw-comments a {
    text-transform: capitalize;
}

.rcw-comments {
    border-bottom: 1px dotted;
    padding-top: 7px!important;
    padding-bottom: 7px!important;
}
</style>

Step 4. Replace http://your-blog-name.blogspot.com with your address (pay attention to not have two forward slashed at the end of it).

Other settings:
- to change the number of comments that are being displayed, replace the "5" value from a_rc=5;
- to add the date on which the comment has been made, change the "false" text from m_rc=false to "true";
- to hide the post titles, change the "true" text from n_rc=true to "false";
- to show more or less comment characters, change the "100" value from o_rc=100

Step 5. Click the "Save" button and go to see the recent comments widget on your Blogger blog!