BlogForge Documentation

For Stakeholders and Developers

A modern blog platform built with Flask, featuring AI-powered content generation, social media repurposing, and a beautiful user interface.

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Note: This documentation serves both stakeholders looking for product information and developers setting up or contributing to the project. For customer-facing product details, see PRODUCT.md. For technical deep-dives, see DOCUMENT.md.

Features

• 📝 Rich Blog Editor: Markdown support with live preview
• 🤖 AI Integration: Powered by Google Gemini for content generation
• 🔄 Social Media Repurposing: Convert blogs to LinkedIn posts and Twitter threads
• 🏷️ Tag System: Organize content with customizable tags
• 🔍 Search Functionality: Find blogs by title, description, or tags
• 📱 Responsive Design: Beautiful UI that works on all devices
• 💾 Auto-save: Automatic saving while editing
• 📊 Draft System: Save and manage draft posts
• 👥 Multi-user: Support for multiple authors

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8 or higher
• pip3

Setup

1. Clone the repository

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd BlogForge

2. Run the setup script

   ./start.sh

   This will:

   • Create a virtual environment
   • Install all dependencies
   • Initialize the database
   • Set up the project structure

3. Configure your environment Edit .flaskenv and update:

   • SECRET_KEY: Generate a secure secret key
   • GEMINI_API_KEY: Get your API key from Google AI Studio

4. Start the application

   ./run.sh

5. Open your browser Navigate to http://localhost:5000

Manual Setup

If you prefer to set up manually:

# Create virtual environment
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Initialize database
flask db init
flask db migrate -m "Initial migration"
flask db upgrade

# Start the application
flask run

Project Structure

BlogForge/
├── app/
│   ├── __init__.py          # Flask app initialization
│   ├── models.py            # Database models
│   ├── ai/                  # AI-related routes
│   ├── main/                # Main application routes
│   ├── posts/               # Blog post routes
│   ├── templates/           # HTML templates
│   └── static/              # CSS, JS, and assets
├── migrations/              # Database migrations
├── uploads/                 # File uploads
├── start.sh                 # Setup script
├── run.sh                   # Run script
├── requirements.txt         # Python dependencies
└── README.md               # This file

Configuration

Environment Variables

Create a .flaskenv file with the following variables:

FLASK_APP=app
FLASK_ENV=development
SECRET_KEY=your-secret-key-here
DATABASE_URL=sqlite:///blogforge.db
GEMINI_API_KEY=your-gemini-api-key-here

Database

The application uses SQLite by default. To use a different database:

1. Update DATABASE_URL in .flaskenv
2. Run flask db upgrade to apply migrations

API Keys

Google Gemini API

1. Visit Google AI Studio
2. Create a new API key
3. Add it to your .flaskenv file

Usage

Creating a Blog Post

1. Click "New Post" in the sidebar
2. Write your content in Markdown
3. Add tags to categorize your post
4. Click "Save" to publish

AI Features

When editing a post, you can:

• Repurpose to LinkedIn: Convert your blog to a LinkedIn post
• Generate Tweet Thread: Create a Twitter thread from your blog
• Auto-save: Your changes are automatically saved every 15 seconds

Search

Use the search bar in the header (Feed page only) to find blogs by:

• Title
• Description
• Tags
• Author

Development

Running in Development Mode

source .venv/bin/activate
flask run --debug

Database Migrations

# Create a new migration
flask db migrate -m "Description of changes"

# Apply migrations
flask db upgrade

Adding New Features

1. Create new routes in the appropriate blueprint
2. Add templates in the templates/ directory
3. Update the database models if needed
4. Create and apply migrations

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Virtual environment not found

   ./start.sh

2. Database errors

   flask db upgrade

3. Missing dependencies

   pip install -r requirements.txt

4. API key errors

   • Check your .flaskenv file
   • Verify your Gemini API key is valid

Logs

Check the console output for error messages. The application logs important events and errors.

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Test thoroughly
5. Submit a pull request

License

This project is open source and available under the MIT License.

Support

For issues and questions:

1. Check the troubleshooting section
2. Review the logs for error messages
3. Create an issue in the repository

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Happy Blogging! 🚀