Flatdoc
Flatdoc is a small JavaScript file that fetches Markdown files and renders them
as full pages. Essentially, it's the easiest
way to make open source documentation from Readme files.
- No server-side components
- No build process needed
- Deployable via GitHub Pages
- Can fetch GitHub Readme files
- Gorgeous default theme (and it's responsive)
- Just create an HTML file and deploy!
Current version: v0.9.0
Getting started
Create a file based on the template, which has a bare DOM, link to the
scripts, and a link to a theme. It will look something like this (not exact).
For GitHub projects, simply place this file in your GitHub pages branch and
you're all good to go.
In short: just download this file and upload it somewhere.
The main JS and CSS files are also available in npm and bower.
Via GitHub
To fetch a Github Repository's readme file, use the Flatdoc.github fetcher.
This will fetch the Readme file of the repository's default branch.
Flatdoc.run({
fetcher: Flatdoc.github('USER/REPO')
});
You may also fetch another file other than the Readme file, just specify it as
the 2nd parameter.
Flatdoc.run({
fetcher: Flatdoc.github('USER/REPO', 'Changelog.md')
});
After you've done this, you probably want to deploy it via GitHub Pages.
Via a file
You may also fetch a file. In this example, this fetches the file Readme.md in
the same folder as the HTML file.
Flatdoc.run({
fetcher: Flatdoc.file('Readme.md')
});
You may actually supply any URL here. It will be fetched via AJAX. This is
useful for local testing.
Flatdoc.run({
fetcher: Flatdoc.file('http://yoursite.com/Readme.md')
});
How it works
Flatdoc is a hosted .js file (along with a theme and its assets) that you can
add into any page hosted anywhere.
All client-side
There are no build scripts or 3rd-party services involved. Everything is done in
the browser. Worried about performance? Oh, It's pretty fast.
Flatdoc utilizes the GitHub API to fetch your project's Readme files. You may
also configure it to fetch any arbitrary URL via AJAX.
Lightning-fast parsing
Next, it uses marked, an extremely fast Markdown parser that has support for
GitHub flavored Markdown.
Flatdoc then simply renders menu and content DOM elements to your HTML
document. Flatdoc also comes with a default theme to style your page for you, or
you may opt to create your own styles.
Markdown extras
Flatdoc offers a few harmless, unobtrusive extras that come in handy in building
documentation sites.
Code highlighting
You can use Markdown code fences to make syntax-highlighted text. Simply
surround your text with three backticks. This works in GitHub as well.
See GitHub Syntax Highlighting for more info.
``` html
<strong>Hola, mundo</strong>
```
Blockquotes
Blockquotes show up as side figures. This is useful for providing side
information or non-code examples.
Blockquotes are blocks that begin with
>.
Smart quotes
Single quotes, double quotes, and double-hyphens are automatically replaced to
their typographically-accurate equivalent. This, of course, does not apply to
<code> and <pre> blocks to leave code alone.
"From a certain point onward there is no longer any turning back. That is the
point that must be reached."
--Franz Kafka
Buttons
If your link text has a > at the end (for instance: Continue >), they show
up as buttons.
Customizing
Basic
Theme options
For the default theme (theme-white), You can set theme options by adding
classes to the <body> element. The available options are:
big-h3
Makes 3rd-level headings bigger.
<body class='big-h3'>
no-literate
Disables "literate" mode, where code appears on the right and content text
appear on the left.
<body class='no-literate'>
large-brief
Makes the opening paragraph large.
<body class='large-brief'>
Adding more markup
You have full control over the HTML file, just add markup wherever you see fit.
As long as you leave role='flatdoc-content' and role='flatdoc-menu' empty as
they are, you'll be fine.
Here are some ideas to get you started.
- Add a CSS file to make your own CSS adjustments.
- Add a 'Tweet' button on top.
- Add Google Analytics.
- Use CSS to style the IDs in menus (
#acknowledgements + p).
JavaScript hooks
Flatdoc emits the events flatdoc:loading and flatdoc:ready to help you make
custom behavior when the document loads.
$(document).on('flatdoc:ready', function() {
// I don't like this section to appear
$("#acknowledgements").remove();
});
Full customization
You don't have to be restricted to the given theme. Flatdoc is just really one
.js file that expects 2 HTML elements (for menu and content). Start with
the blank template and customize as you see fit.
Misc
Inspirations
The following projects have inspired Flatdoc.
-
Backbone.js - Jeremy's projects have always adopted this "one page
documentation" approach which I really love. -
Docco - Jeremy's Docco introduced me to the world of literate programming,
and side-by-side documentation in general. -
Stripe - Flatdoc took inspiration on the look of their API documentation.
-
DocumentUp - This service has the same idea but does a hosted readme
parsing approach.
Attributions
Photo taken from Flickr,
licensed under Creative Commons.
Acknowledgements
© 2013, 2014, Rico Sta. Cruz. Released under the MIT
License.
Flatdoc is authored and maintained by Rico Sta. Cruz with help from its
contributors.
- My website (ricostacruz.com)
- Github (@rstacruz)
- Twitter (@rstacruz)
