Build a Static Site Generator
Let's build a static site generator from scratch!
Check out this live demo of what you'll build in this course! But you won't just build this site, you'll build the tool that builds this site. It's pretty meta. You'll also deploy yours to a live URL on the internet, just like mine.
What Is a Static Site Generator?
A static site generator takes raw content files (like Markdown and images) and turns them into a static website (a mix of HTML and CSS files).
Static sites are very popular in the real world for blogs and other content-heavy websites because they're lightning-fast, secure, and easy to host. For example, the Boot.dev Blog is a production-level static site generated with Hugo.
Static vs. Dynamic Sites
A static site is what it sounds like... static. The content is always the same. Users can not:
- Upload files
- Log in
- Leave comments
- Save preferences
You would need a dynamic site for that stuff, which is usually powered by a database and a custom web server. Static sites are great for:
- Blogs
- Portfolios
- Landing pages
- Documentation
Assignment
We'll be using the Boot.dev CLI to run and submit the CLI tests for some of the lessons in this project. Make sure you have it installed.
Run and submit the CLI tests.
The tests just ensure that the CLI is installed and configured correctly.
The Boot.dev CLI requires you to be signed in to submit your solution!
Copy/paste one of the following commands into your terminal:
Run
bootdev run 7d4f1f5a-215d-4dc2-ad7a-2728c23fb695
Submit
bootdev run 7d4f1f5a-215d-4dc2-ad7a-2728c23fb695 -s
Run the CLI commands to test your solution.
- echo "bootdev cli is ready!"
- Expecting exit code: 0
- Expecting stdout to contain all of:
- bootdev cli is ready!
Using the Bootdev CLI
The Bootdev CLI is the only way to submit your solution for this type of lesson. We need to be able to run commands in your environment to verify your solution.
You can install it here. It's a Go program hosted on GitHub, so you'll need Go installed as well. Instructions are on the GitHub page.