Building an AI-Powered Blog Post Editor with AI21 Labs and ReactJS

Introduction to AI21 Labs

AI21 Labs is an innovative AI laboratory dedicated to transforming how we engage with technology, particularly in the realms of writing and comprehension. With a goal to redefine machine assistive technology, AI21 Labs aims to make machines true thought partners. This focus on Natural Language Processing (NLP) allows for seamless understanding and generation of human language, giving rise to powerful solutions such as AI-driven writing assistants and summarization tools.

Among its offerings is the versatile AI21 Studio, which includes an array of Large Language Model APIs, easily customizable to suit specific application needs. By leveraging AI21 Labs, businesses can enhance user experience through dynamic AI-powered features.

Introduction to ReactJS

ReactJS, often shortened to React, is a widely-used JavaScript library known for building user interfaces, especially for single-page applications. It effectively manages the view layer in web and mobile applications, enabling developers to create interactive UIs with ease.

By allowing for changes in data without the need for reloading the page, React ensures faster, scalable, and simpler web applications. Its design principle focuses solely on user interfaces, making it compatible with other programming libraries or frameworks.

In this tutorial, we will explore building a website frontend using ReactJS alongside the AI capabilities of AI21 Labs, offering a comprehensive guide suitable for both experienced and novice developers.

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of Typescript and/or React
Access to the AI21 Labs API

Outline

Initializing the Project
Writing the Project Files
Testing the AI-Powered Blog Post Editor App
Discussion

Initializing the Project

Installing Create React App

To create a new React.js application efficiently, we utilize Create React App (CRA) by installing it globally via npm:

npm install -g create-react-app

Creating a New React Project with Typescript

Execute the following command to set up a new project named ai21-blog-editor using CRA with a Typescript template:

npx create-react-app ai21-blog-editor --template typescript

This initializes a new directory called ai21-blog-editor with a fully functional React application that supports Typescript.

Integrating TailwindCSS

Installing TailwindCSS

Following the official Tailwind CSS documentation, we will begin by installing TailwindCSS and initializing the library:

npm install -D tailwindcss postcss autoprefixer

After installation, we can initialize Tailwind with the command:

npx tailwindcss init -p

Configuring Template Paths

We then add our template paths in the tailwind.config.js file. Locate the file and add the respective lines:

content: ["./src/**/*.{js,jsx,ts,tsx}"]

Adding Tailwind Directives

Next, we include the Tailwind directives in our ./src/index.css file:

@tailwind base;
@tailwind components;
@tailwind utilities;

Now Tailwind CSS seamlessly integrates into our project!

Installing Required Libraries

Before moving forward, let’s finalize preparation by installing libraries such as dotenv for environment variable management:

npm install dotenv

Writing the Project Files

App.tsx

Let's begin by updating the App.tsx file to establish the basic app structure, removing any unused imports:

import React from 'react';
import './App.css';

function App() {
  return (Blog Post Editor App);
}

export default App;

BlogEditor.tsx

Now, create a new file named BlogEditor.tsx inside the src folder with the following basic structure:

import React, { useState } from 'react';

const BlogEditor = () => {
const [text, setText] = useState('');
const [link, setLink] = useState('');
const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);

const API_KEY = process.env.REACT_APP_AI21_API_KEY;

return (
   
      setText(e.target.value)}>
   
);
};

export default BlogEditor;

State Variables and Constants

We will maintain the following state variables:

text: Current blog post text.
link: URL to summarize (optional).
loading: Indicates API request status.
API_KEY: Used for the AI21 API key.

Event Handlers

handleChangeText: Function to update the text state variable.
handleChangeLink: Function to update the link state variable.

API Helper Functions

handleGenerateCompletion: Calls the AI21 API for text completion.
handleFixGrammar: Sends request to correct grammatical errors.
handleParaphrase: Requests paraphrasing of the input text.
handleImproveText: Suggests improvements for the current text.
handleSummarizeLink: Extracts summary from a provided link.

.env

This file is necessary for environment variable storage, which includes API keys and other confidential data:

REACT_APP_AI21_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

index.css

Add styles for the loading indicator and other UI elements as needed in this file.

index.html

Customize the index.html file to personalize your app’s title:

<title>Blog Editor App</title>

Testing the AI-Powered Blog Post Editor App

You can run the app using:

npm start

The application should be accessible via localhost:3000. Test the features, such as generating text completions, fixing grammar, paraphrasing, improving text, and summarizing links, to see how well they function.

Conclusion

In summary, we've explored the multifaceted functionalities provided by AI21 Labs and how to harness these within a Blog Post Editor app using ReactJS. By integrating cutting-edge AI features like text completion, grammar correction, paraphrasing, improvement suggestions, and link summarization, we empower users to enhance their writing experience significantly. Start building your AI-powered applications today!