Building a Static Site Generator

Building a static site generator has been one of the most rewarding projects I’ve worked on. It combines several interesting concepts: file system operations, markdown parsing, templating engines, and command-line interfaces.

Why Build Your Own?

There are many static site generators available (Hugo, Jekyll, Gatsby), but building one from scratch teaches you a lot about how they work. Plus, you get something tailored exactly to your needs.

Key Components

1. Content Structure

Content is organized using a file-based system with Markdown files and YAML frontmatter:

---
title: "Post Title"
date: "2025-10-15"
author: "Author Name"
---

2. Markdown Parsing

Using markdown-it to convert Markdown to HTML, with support for code blocks, tables, and other features.

3. Template Engine

A simple templating system with:

• {{include:filename}} for template composition

• Building a Static Site Generator

  Building a static site generator has been one of the most rewarding projects I’ve worked on. It combines several interesting concepts: file system operations, markdown parsing, templating engines, and command-line interfaces.

  Why Build Your Own?

  There are many static site generators available (Hugo, Jekyll, Gatsby), but building one from scratch teaches you a lot about how they work. Plus, you get something tailored exactly to your needs.

  Key Components

  1. Content Structure

  Content is organized using a file-based system with Markdown files and YAML frontmatter:

  ---
  title: "Post Title"
  date: "2025-10-15"
  author: "Author Name"
  ---
  

  2. Markdown Parsing

  Using markdown-it to convert Markdown to HTML, with support for code blocks, tables, and other features.

  3. Template Engine

  A simple templating system with:

  • {{include:filename}} for template composition
  • {{main_content}} for content injection
  • {{variable}} for metadata

  4. CLI Commands

  Simple command-line interface for building, watching, and serving the site.

  Lessons Learned

  • Start simple and iterate
  • Test with real content early
  • Keep the build process fast
  • Document your decisions

  This site is built using this very generator!

  for content injection
• for metadata

4. CLI Commands

Simple command-line interface for building, watching, and serving the site.

Lessons Learned

• Start simple and iterate
• Test with real content early
• Keep the build process fast
• Document your decisions

This site is built using this very generator!