Fundamental Problem + Need One Good Dark Layout with Proper Left Permnaent Sidebar Menu (Feature Requests for CORE + New Layout)

[washere]

Basically this is a perfect system to convert .MD to .HTML but there is a fundamental problem:

All the styling specs are:

• Dispersed across several CSS files
• CSS Files specs, names, numbers & functions vary in each layout

The answer would be to have options on generations for: Dark mode, basic colors, etc. Or at least one style.css file that overrides all other style settings so user can modify it, currently it is like a mangled plate of spaghetti for each layout.

Also we need at least one usable layout. This could be a modification of radar layout: Because: it is the only one with a sidebar that does not disappear as we scroll down (standard sidebar behavior)

But radar has these problems:

1) It is not truly dark nor light but a strange mix. Though sidebar background can easily be changed, main page is not so easy.

2) The sidebar needs to move to left side of screen as is standard with most CMS webpages and also most StaitcGens. Like bootstrap2 and gray, but unlike them it needs to be permanently visible as it currently does on the right of screen.

3) The left main page darkish style is unusable as some font colors are not clear or legible. The same consistent style needs to apply to sidebar too. We need a proper dark style.

Then it would be the only basic usable layout for this system. You can call it radar2 or Satellite or something else. Currently i do not see one usuable layout (theme). Just lots of ideas, none of which are finished.

Also professional style/theme designers need to do these layouts who have a good experience of design and UI/UX.

Basically the way these work is that the system dev creates an easy theme framework or sets of parameters, preferably in one theme/style file or css. And then designers independently create new themes or based on famous established themes.

This is why despite being uniquely useful (md2html + no need for local server) among top StaticGens, of which I have installed and tested over fifty, this StaticGen is basically crippled because:

i) The styling specs at generation phase are not there & limited to a few layouts. ii) None of the layouts are really pro level & usable in serious systems. iii) No single file is coded to override other styling files which varies in each layout

I think the way forward is to make radar2 as I specified as to have at least one good standard layout in dark mode, which (dark mode) is what coders use in all IDE platforms. Plus permanently visible left sidebar, as in right side of radar. Then it would spread fast among coders/devs/techies and then across general population.

Then in the meantime to re-code the whole system & create a theme & styling system with one theme file to specify theme as is the norm.

This is the important bit:

1) THIS SINGLE MODIFIABLE Theme or LAYOUT FILE WOULD BE USED AT GENERATION TIME (Not to modify after generation for each batch)

2) IT would be overriding all other styling files (css, img assets, js, hard-coded core)

Then this StaticGen would be a great success.

[washere]

Here is a nice example of sidebar code, the buttons on homepage swaps sidebar to left, right & top:

https://github.com/mladenplavsic/bootstrap-navbar-sidebar

[washere]

I think the easiest way forward is:

• Create a super minimal layout with a left permanently visible sidebar

• It's layout has the basics only in terms of styling, one dark and one light version with only 2 colors, black & white Light version is white bg with black font & dark version is reverse

• These 2 super minimal layouts have only one css file, style.css, that determines styling No other files in assets (js or scripts etc) or img (no images, no backgrounds etc) that AFFECT STYLING. So styling is solely controlled by the single style.css file

This way designers can take this template & build their own more complex layout designs. Based on classics like solarized, Monokai, Dracula, Gruvbox, Twilight etc etc. Or create new designs.

This is how successful StaticGens spread as people design cool themes.

In effect, the sole style.css file for this super minimal layout, becomes the new THEME standard for markdown-styles.

Then this StaticGen will grow like wild fire because it has certain advantages that others do not have. It is simple yet does so much in terms of markdown & html, plus it is server-less unlike similar ones like pub-server etc.

But it is currently held back by the sub-par layouts (themes) and no way for designers to build on a solid Theming foundation. Because in life & specially with web people think with their eyes first.

Thanks again.

[washere]

After that super minimal left sidebar layout, I have more suggestions for simple yet powerful multi-file linking protocols. But first we need a single minimal layout with permanent left sidebar that is immaculate with only one css file determining the styling. Without that there is no point in further ideas. But with a few multi-file protocols in the engine, we can then go on to a powerful Wiki style site system. I've coded in many languages for many years and also UI/UX design in main packages, so I can say all these need very little coding in the engine, 99% of the work is already done. But first we need a good working minimal sidebar layout with only one styling controller file that is faultless.