Explicit ordering of individual pattern templates

[lyzadanger]

Hullo!

This is per the requirements around the ordering of patterns. Within the fabricator source itself, we have control over how to present the "top" level of navigation, primarily tweak-able within https://github.com/cloudfour/fabricator/blob/master/src/views/layouts/includes/f-menu.html

However, the ordering of the individual patterns itself is a) currently based on file dir listing ordering and b) handled by fabricator-assemble, which is a separate module.

The relevant areas of fabricator-assemble are within https://github.com/fbrctr/fabricator-assemble/blob/master/index.js , primarily lines 179-195 and 218-228-ish. To summarize:

• patterns are ordered as they come back from fs file listings
• patterns are title-cased based on filename and their extensions disregarded
• No other transforms are performed

To contrast, our previous system was:

• patterns ordered by file listing, but
• numerical prefixes could be used in filenames (e.g. 02-) to make ordering explicit
• displayed pattern name could be overridden by front matter
• numerical prefixes would be stripped for display

I can't immediately think of a way to get toward this requirement without making changes to fabricator-assemble source. One idea that had occurred to me was to alter the display names just within Handlebars/client-side (e.g. add another helper to transform the appearance of patterns in, say, the nav, but leave them alone on the filesystem). But I realized that helper would have to be in context for fabricator-assemble to be able to compile correctly so again requires changes to that module.

We could fork fabricator-assemble and update the package.json dependencies to use our version, if we wanted. It's a bit squiggly. I'd love for @erikjung and/or @lharding to throw their brains at this, too, if any other inspirations surface...

[tylersticka]

FWIW, as an MVP I think it would be perfectly acceptable to have to specify name in front-matter to avoid 01-example being output as 01 Example. As long as we can override order and display a nicer name, I'm flexible as to how that occurs. (Obviously automatic things are nice, but I figured this would be helpful info in terms of prioritization.)

[tylersticka]

(One more thought: If we do pursue automatic ordering, some file path and URL confusion from our last client project suggests to me that an order property in the YAML front-matter might be preferable to the filename prefix technique.)

[erikjung]

I like what @tylersticka suggested about using a front-matter order property.

@lyzadanger I wonder if we could simply transform the directory object/array just prior to (or during) template rendering (maybe even by using a template helper), rather than mess with it at the assembler level.

{{! src/views/layouts/includes/f-menu.html }}
{{#eachByKey materials "order"}}
<li>
  <a href="{{@key}}.html" class="f-menu__heading">{{name}}</a>
  <ul>
    {{#each items}}
    <li>
      <a href="{{@../key}}.html#{{@key}}">{{name}}</a>
    </li>
    {{/each}}
  </ul>
</li>
{{/eachByKey}}

[erikjung]

Also, I see nothing wrong with transplanting fabricator-assemble and using a tweaked version instead of the current module.

[lyzadanger]

@erikjung I don't see how we'd be able to do that kind of helper without providing it to fabricator-assemble. It's that module that compiles that template :)

[lyzadanger]

@erikjung Omigosh I'm a moron. You can hand off helpers to the assemble task.

[lyzadanger]

OK, then, if we can maintain the helper in the fabricator forked source, I think I can move ahead on this. Cool.

[lyzadanger]

This is sorted via #7