how do you comfort a broken hearted friend?

Just be the shoulder that they need to lean on. Listen and only give advice if they ask for it. Most of the time people just want you to listen to what they are going through.

Well the best comfort that you can give is the comfort to accept the situation without having the feeling of being alone... most of the time, when we are struggling from a certain situation... all we have to feel is that there is someone who will lead us out... and be there for us... The feeling that there is a friend who would tell you what he think is wrong... and help you find the best possible solution to move on with his/her life... Talk about the problem... her pain... everything... then help him/her to let go... RElationship is not always good... and not all last forever... Maybe in time... someone better will come along... and one day he/she will know the reason why he must loose his/her beloved one...

take him or her out just like you did. buy for him what he or she likes most. then take him or her out for a walk. just anything that will make him to forget the stuff.

Honestly? You dont' and you cant'. You can temporarily make them forget but eventually it will always be themselves who gets themselves out of the runt they found themselves in. You can only be there. Be a sounding board if they need to vent out their feelings. Be their shoulder to cry on, if they need one. Just be there, so that they dont' feel alone or lonely. Something like that...Well, that's what I think anway

It depends on the friend, one of my friends loves to go shopping, so after her bad break up, I'd drag her out of the house and we'd try on clothes that we could never afford for fun. Another friend loved to dance, so I'd take her out to the club and help her hit on guys to dance with. I think getting people out in public helps a lot, they can see that there's a light at the end of the tunnel and that they can exist without their ex.