This is a simple react component that uses @sanity/block-content-to-react. The great part here is that they have allowed for serializers and you can add a great deal of customization to any of the block based PortableText that you will be receiving from the graphql from Sanity.io.

// /src/MadLib.js import { useQuery } from 'react-query'; import { useParams, Link } from 'react-router-dom'; import { useState, useEffect } from 'react'; import BlockContent from '@sanity/block-content-to-react'; import { sanity, imageUrlBuilder } from './sanity'; import styles from './MadLib.module.css'; const query = ` *[ _type == 'madLib' && slug.current == $slug ] `; function MadLib() { // this variable is populated from `react-router` which pulls it from the URL const { slug } = useParams(); // data is fetched from sanity via the sanity client and stored into // application state via react-query. note that the slug is used as the // "query key": https://react-query.tanstack.com/guides/query-keys const { data = [] } = useQuery(slug, () => sanity.fetch(query, { slug })); // we'll use destructuring assignment to return the first mab lib const [madLib] = data; // this will store the state of the answers of this mad lib const [answers, setAnswers] = useState( // if the items exist in localStorage, then localStorage.getItem(slug) ? // then set the initial state to that value JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem(slug)) : // otherwise, set the initial state to an empty object {}, ); // this is a react "effect" hook: https://reactjs.org/docs/hooks-effect.html // we use this to watch for changes in the `slug` or `answers` variables and // update local storage when those change. useEffect(() => { localStorage.setItem(slug, JSON.stringify(answers)); }, [slug, answers]); if (!madLib) { return

Loading…h1>; } // once the mad lib is loaded, we can map through the structured content to // find our placeholder shape. the end result is an array of these placeholders const placeholders = madLib?.story .map((block) => block.children.filter((n) => n._type === 'placeholder')) .flat(); // using the above placeholders array, we calculate whether or not all the // blanks are filled in by checking the whether every placeholder has a value // in the `answers` state variable. const allBlanksFilledIn = placeholders?.every( (placeholder) => answers[placeholder._key], ); return ( <>

{madLib.title}h2> {!allBlanksFilledIn ? ( // if all the blanks are _not_ filled in, then we can show the form <>

Fill in the blank!p>

When you're done, the finished mad lib will appear.p>

{ e.preventDefault(); const answerEntries = Array.from( // find all the inputs e.currentTarget.querySelectorAll('input'), ) // then get the name and values in a tuple .map((inputEl) => [inputEl.name, inputEl.value]); // use `Object.fromEntries` to transform them back to an object const nextAnswers = Object.fromEntries(answerEntries); setAnswers(nextAnswers); }} >

{/* for each placeholder… */} {placeholders.map(({ _key, type }) => (
• {/* …render an input an a label. */} {type} label> li> ))} ul> Submit!button> form> ) : ( // if all the blanks are filled in, then we can show the rendered // story with a custom serializer for the type `placeholder` <> answers[_key] }, }} /> { // we reset the state on click after the users confirms it's okay. if (window.confirm('Are you sure you want to reset?')) { setAnswers({}); } }} > Reset button> {/* this is a simple link back to the main mab libs index */} ← More Mad Libs Link> )} ); } export default MadLib;

Sanity is a headless content based CMS. You write in a rich text editor, which creates portable text. So unlike markdown you wont have to convert header # items but you will have to serialize the portable text into something that Gatsby can understand. I won't dive too deeply into how you create a site using sanity.io there are some great guides for that using gatsby-source-sanity.

I get it. I get the tangibility of flat files. I get that it feels good to take your coding skills into your prose. But it's not the best way to work with content. Text editors with familiar affordances that produce typed rich text that can be queried and serialized into whatever you need are better. Where developers can define the data structures they need, and editors get easy-to-use tools to get their work done. Like what we're building at Sanity with Portable Text.

Portable text is a JSON-based open specification with a renewed approach to handling and presenting rich text in modern applications. Portable text is created to solve challenges in creating rich content and its presentation in various differing interfaces.