/Invariable

A simple static site generator

Primary LanguageElixir

Welcome to Invariable:
A Simple to use Static Site Generator

Invariable is a straightforward, easy-to-use application designed to help you create and manage static websites. Crafted with love in Elixir, it incorporates a few select tools to ensure your website building process is as smooth and efficient as possible:

  • Nimble Publisher for managing your content with ease,
  • Tailwind CSS for stylish, responsive designs, managed via a Mix task in the mix.ex file at the root,
  • DaisyUI for adding a splash of user-friendly components, managed through NPM in the package.json file within the assets directory.

Core Features:

  • A simple system for pages and blog posts, utilizing static Markdown files for content creation.
  • YAML-driven navigation, making it straightforward to customize your site's main navigation menu.
  • Automatic deployment via GitHub Actions, enabling content updates directly through GitHub.
  • A collection of convenient styles and components courtesy of Tailwind CSS and DaisyUI.

Invariable aims to simplify the website creation process, allowing you to use GitHub Actions to automatically generate a static site. This site can then be hosted directly from your GitHub repository as a GitHub Page, following the straightforward setup process detailed below.

Getting Started: Runn locally

  • Fork this repository to create a new repo under your account or organization.
  • Copy the contents of /example_content_src/ and put them in /content_src cp -r example_content_src/* content_src
  • Compile the content mix site.build
  • Server the content locally mix run --no-halt

Setting Up GitHub Pages:

  1. Generate a Personal Access Token (PAT) for CI/CD:

    • Navigate through: User Settings → Developer Settings → Personal Access Tokens → Tokens (classic).
    • Click on "Generate new token (classic)," add a note for clarity, and choose 'No Expiration' for longevity. Remember, security is key, so be sure to understand and manage the risks associated with this token.
    • Copy the newly generated PAT for later use.

  2. Create a Secret for Your Repository:

    • Go to Repo Settings → Secrets and variables → Repository secrets → New Repository secret.
    • Name it PAT and paste in your generated token.

  3. Prepare Your Content:

    • Create a new branch named web.
    • Update the content_src/site_config.yml with your site's name, description, and clean up any placeholder navigation links.

  4. Configure GitHub Actions:

    • In the web branch, adjust the .github/workflows/deploy.yml file to trigger on pushes to the web branch.

  5. Launch Your Site:

    • After your changes trigger the GitHub Actions, a gh-pages branch will be created.
    • Set your GitHub Pages source to the gh-pages branch in your repository settings.

Congratulations! 🎉 Your site should now be live.

Additional Configuration:

  • Custom Domain: If you're using a custom domain, update the CNAME in .github/workflows/deploy.yml. Uncomment and modify the cname field as needed. If not using a custom domain, ensure your repository name meets GitHub Pages' requirements.

Invariable is all about making web development accessible and manageable, whether you're a seasoned developer or new to the scene. Enjoy building your site!