Content Management

Please refer to the Wiki

Getting Started For Development

To get a local copy up and running, follow these simple steps.

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of HTML and web development.
A web browser to view the project.
Optionally, a local server environment (like Python's HTTP server) if you want to simulate a more production-like environment.

Installation

Clone the repo or download the ZIP package.

git clone https://github.com/mhei-fub/mhei-fub.github.io

Extract the package (if downloaded as a ZIP) and navigate into the project directory.
Open the index.html file in your web browser to view the project. Alternatively, if using a local server, place the project in your server's root directory and navigate to it using your web browser.

Project Structure

  graph TD;
      admin/menu.yaml-- fetches menu structure -->admin/build.py;
      admin/template.html-- fetches template for files -->admin/build.py;
      admin/build.py-- overwrites menu -->admin/script.js;
      admin/build.py-- builds files -->.html;

.github/: Contains GitHub-specific files, like workflows and actions, for project automation.

admin/: Holds administrative or configuration files crucial for the website's setup and maintenance.

.html: dedicated pages for each menu entry.

Build Script

Our project includes a Python script named build.py located in the admin directory, which plays a crucial role in the website's content management and generation process. This script is designed to automate the creation of HTML files based on structured data provided in YAML files, making it an essential tool for maintaining the site's navigation and content structure efficiently.

How It Works

Parsing YAML Menu: The script reads the YAML menu menu.yaml, which is used to organize and store the website's navigational data and content in a readable format. YAML is chosen for its ease of use and clarity, allowing non-technical contributors to easily understand and edit the content structure.
Generating HTML Files and Menus: Based on the information extracted from the YAML file, build.py generates HTML files. For instance, it assigns index.html to the homepage and creates appropriately named HTML files for other pages, ensuring a seamless mapping between the site's content structure and its corresponding web pages. Moreover, it generates the navigation menu dynamically, incorporating the structure defined in the YAML files into the website's layout.
Customization and Extensibility: The script is designed with flexibility in mind, allowing for easy updates to the website's structure or content by simply modifying the YAML files. This approach minimizes the need for direct HTML edits, streamlining content updates and site maintenance.

Usage

To use the build script, navigate to the admin directory

cd path/to/your/project/admin

And run:

python build.py

Ensure you have Python installed on your system and any dependencies required by the script, particularly the yaml module for parsing YAML files.

pip install pyyaml

This script is a vital part of our project's infrastructure, automating the build process and enabling efficient site updates

GitHub Workflow

In our project's GitHub Actions workflows, we have a specific YAML file named build.yml located under .github/workflows. This workflow is crucial for automating our build process, ensuring that every push to the main branch triggers the build script, keeping our website updated automatically.

The build.yml workflow is designed to perform the following actions upon each push to the main branch:

Checkout Repository: Utilizes the actions/checkout@v4 GitHub Action to check out the latest code.
Set up Python: Sets up a Python environment using actions/setup-python@v5, specifying Python version 3.x. This step ensures that the build environment has Python installed and configured before executing the build script.
Install Dependencies: Runs pip install PyYAML to ensure that the Python environment has all the necessary dependencies installed. This step is critical for the build.py script to run successfully, as it relies on PyYAML for parsing YAML files.
Run Build Script: Executes the build.py script located in the admin directory. This step is where the actual build process happens, generating the website's HTML files based on the content defined in YAML files.
Permissions: Specifies write permissions for the contents, allowing the workflow to commit changes back to the repository if needed.

Usage and Customization

This workflow automates the build process, reducing the need for manual intervention and ensuring that the website is always up to date with the latest changes in the repository. If you need to customize the build process (e.g., changing the Python version, adding more dependencies), you can do so by editing the build.yml file.

License

GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE Version 3, 29 June 2007

Contact

Project lead: Maria Piquer-Rodriguez

Developer: Joaquin Gottlebe

mhei-fub / mhei-fub.github.io