Static sites

The UX of text files is familiar to almost everyone. Everybody knows how to edit text and categorize them in folders and this is why building sites using a static site generator can be great.

A server-based CMS require a server (even if it’s local), a database and dependencies, and you have to manage the database. It’s a hassle.

Static sites are just text but of course there are downsides. There is a reason that all medium to large sites use some form of server-side system and a database.

[finish this article later]

https://github.com/benbalter/wordpress-to-jekyll-exporter

Generators

• DocPad
• Jekyll
• Octopress (based on Jekyll)
• Assemble
• Happyplan (based on Assemble)
• Middleman

Jekyll and Octopress as well as Middleman are all written in Ruby.

Jekyll

• http://getpoole.com/
• https://gist.github.com/jamtur01/2759606
• https://github.com/dpree/jekyll-navigation
• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9053066/sorted-navigation-menu-with-jekyll-and-liquid

Resources

• http://modernstatic.com/
• http://go-static-my-friend.fredjean.net/ (Middleman)
• https://github.com/k2052/middleman-ebook
• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/16007694/is-there-a-standard-static-site-generator-for-grunt-js