Possible to share a post by save a picture with a QR code?

AI-generated summary

A discussion on the possibility of sharing a post by saving a picture with a QR code is ongoing. The original idea, posted by qhhxy, aims to increase users’ willingness to share posts and reduce the difficulty of accessing the forum.

sam suggests that this can be achieved through a theme component using a library like qrcodejs, estimating 4-8 hours of development time. No plans to add this to the core have been mentioned.

Alternatively, thoka proposes using a QR-code provider or API, providing examples of how to generate QR codes with links to Discourse pages.

Falco confirms that using a QR-code provider is a viable option and offers guidance on adding this to a theme for those interested in learning.

The community is showing support for this feature, with Zup suggesting it would be a fantastic addition to the core, bridging the gap between offline and online worlds. Ralf_Stockmann agrees, highlighting the potential benefits for quickly sharing links during presentations or conferences.

Hello,
please kindly check the following picture:


:up_arrow: Users can scan the QR code and jump to the forum directly.

Need to turn the text into a picture, and turn this url into a QR code.

This can greatly increase users’ willingness to share the post and reduce the difficulty for them to access the forum.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks for reading!

4 Likes

I think this is a very handy idea, it could be achieved in a theme component using:

qrcode.js

I estimate it would take 4-8 hours to build, if you wanted to commission such a component recommend you post on Marketplace

If someone builds it I recommend a button be added here via the component.

No plans to add this to core at the moment.

6 Likes

Could this also be implemented by choosing a qr-code provider / API ?

For example: a link to this page could be generated with following URL:
https://api.qrserver.com/v1/create-qr-code/?size=230x230&margin=10&data=https://meta.discourse.org/t/possible-to-share-a-post-by-save-a-picture-with-a-qr-code/190012

Or even better using the shorter form
https://api.qrserver.com/v1/create-qr-code/?size=230x230&margin=10&data=https://meta.discourse.org/t/190012


I would appreciate pointers how to add this to a theme.

In my case I am looking for an easy solution to get a printout of a topic including a link provided by QR code.

2 Likes

Yes, that would also work.

This is somewhat complex if you aren’t familiar with Discourse development workflow. If you keen on learning Developer’s guide to Discourse Themes is a good start.

4 Likes

I had this same idea and searching meta took me to this topic.

It would be a fantastic feature for core because it bridges the gap between the offline and online worlds.

It would be especially convenient to display the QR directly in the post header, and clicking it or hovering over it would display an enlarged version.

Example:

2 Likes

Great support for this idea. This would be a good way to quickly and easily send the listeners of a presentation to the desired community at a conference.

1 Like