Docsify Open Course Starter Kit

This is a starter kit to quickly create a Markdown-based open course site with the site generator Docsify. Global navigation elements can be hidden for seamlessly embedding pages (i.e., into an LMS). Includes an optional "Edit this Page" link.

📸 Docsify Open Course Screenshots

Figure 1. Docsify Open Course Starter Kit. Explore a demo at hibbitts-design.github.io/demo-docsify-open-course-starter-kit/

🚀 GitHub Pages Quickstart

Pre-flight Checklist

1. GitHub account

Installation and Deployment

1. Tap Use this template on the source repository (upper-right green button) and then choose Create a new repository

2. Choose the name for your new repository to contain the copied site files and then tap Create repository from template

3. Go to Settings of your newly created repository, tap the Pages tab (on the left-hand side), choose main branch, then docs folder and finally tap the Save button (see more details in the Docsify documentation)

4. And you're done! (view your new site using the provided URL on the Pages tab - it can take up to 10 minutes for your site to be initially available)

Do you use GitLab? You can also use Docsify with GitLab Pages!

✏️ Editing Your Docsify Site Pages on GitHub

1. Go to the Docsify Markdown (.md) page in the docs folder of your repository you want to edit

2. Tap the Pencil Icon (top left-hand toolbar area) to start the editor

3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and tap the Commit changes button to save your changes

Learn more about creating pages in Docsify.

🔗 Activating the “Edit this Page” Link on Your Docsify Site

1. At the top-level of your GitHub Repository copy the URL

2. Tap on the docs folder

3. Tap on the index.html file

4. Tap the Pencil Icon (top left-hand toolbar area) to start the editor

5. Find the line var gitLinkRepoURL = ''; and enter the URL of your own GitHub Repository between the two quotes (replace github.com with github.dev to use the GitHub.dev web-based editor currently in Beta) and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and tap the Commit changes button to save your changes

To remove the “Edit this Page” link on your Docsify site, restore the value of gitLinkRepoURL to ''.

💻 Locally Editing Your Docsify Site Pages

Editing Your Docsify Site Pages on Your Desktop

1. Tap Code on your repository (upper-right green button)
2. Choose Open Desktop and follow the prompts, installing GitHub Desktop if not already present
3. You will now be able to edit your Docsify site (in the docs folder) using the desktop editor of your choice (e.g. Atom)
4. Use GitHub Desktop to push any changes to your repository.

Learn more about using GitHub Desktop.

You can also clone (i.e download) a copy of your repository to your computer and run Docsify locally to preview your site. See the below video for details.

🧩 Embedding your Docsify Page Content into Other Systems

Figure 2. Docsify Open Course Page Embedded into the Canvas LMS. Explore an example Canvas LMS course using Docsify Open Course pages for content at https://canvas.sfu.ca/courses/44038/

The optional embedded (all lowercase) URL parameter hides a site’s sidebar for seamlessly embedding Docsify page content within another platform such as Canvas LMS, Moodle, Microsoft Teams or being displayed in an existing or new Browser tab. The parameter standalone is supported as an alias for embedded.

To only display Docsify page content, add the following to a Docsify page URL:

?embedded=true

Example standard Docsify page:
https://hibbitts-design.github.io/demo-docsify-open-course-starter-kit/#/resources

Example Docsify page displaying only page content (i.e., no sidebar is shown):
https://hibbitts-design.github.io/demo-docsify-open-course-starter-kit/#/resources?embedded=true

To optionally show a page Table of Contents (based on included Headers), use the following:

?embedded=true&toc=true

Example Docsify page displaying only page content:
https://hibbitts-design.github.io/demo-docsify-open-course-starter-kit/#/resources?embedded=true

Example Docsify page displaying only page content with a page Table of Contents included:
https://hibbitts-design.github.io/demo-docsify-open-course-starter-kit/#/resources?embedded=true&toc=true

To optionally override the hiding of the navbar when displaying only page content, use the following:

?embedded=true&navbar=true

Example Docsify page displaying only page content:
https://hibbitts-design.github.io/demo-docsify-open-course-starter-kit/#/resources?embedded=true

Example Docsify page displaying only page content with the navbar still displayed:
https://hibbitts-design.github.io/demo-docsify-open-course-starter-kit/#/resources?embedded=true&navbar=true

To optionally hide the 'Edit this Page' link, use the following:

?embedded=true&hidegitlink=true

Example Docsify page displaying only page content:
https://hibbitts-design.github.io/demo-docsify-open-course-starter-kit/#/resources?embedded=true

Example Docsify page displaying only page content with the 'Edit this Page' link hidden:
https://hibbitts-design.github.io/demo-docsify-open-course-starter-kit/#/resources?embedded=true&hidegitlink=true

To optionally show the footer ('_footer.md' file), use the following:

?embedded=true&footer=true

Example Docsify page without footer:
https://hibbitts-design.github.io/demo-docsify-open-course-starter-kit/#/resources?embedded=true

Example Docsify page with footer shown:
https://hibbitts-design.github.io/demo-docsify-open-course-starter-kit/#/resources?embedded=true&footer=true

🖼 Presenting your Docsify Page Content as Standalone Webpages

In addition to using URL parameters when embedding Docsify page content into other systems, it is possible to permanently display all pages as standalone, and to also always display a page Table of Contents.

To Display all Pages as Standalone

1. Open the index.html file for editing.
2. Locate the line var standalone = false; and change it to var standalone = true;.
3. Save the index.html file and reload site.

To Display Page Table of Contents

1. Open the index.html file for editing.
2. Locate the line var ToC = false; and change it to var showToC = true;.
3. Save the index.html file and reload site.

Please note a page must have a series of Headings (#, ##, ###) for the Table of Contents to be displayed correctly.

❛❜ Setting the Name of your Docsify Site

1. Open the index.html file for editing.
2. Locate the line <title>Docsify Open Course Starter Kit</title> and change the text between the title tags to be displayed as the site name on the Browser tab
3. Locate the line name: 'Docsify Open Course Starter Kit', and change the text between the quotes to be displayed as the site name at the top of the Docsify Sidebar
4. Save the index.html file and reload site.

⚠️ Troubleshooting

Site not displaying on GitHub Pages
The most likely cause of not seeing your Docsify site on GitHub Pages is that the 'docs' folder is not selected as the source folder. Go to Settings of your repository, tap the Pages tab (on the left-hand side), choose main branch, then docs folder and finally tap the Save button.

🛠 Using an LMS to Host a Docsify Open Course Site

As Docsify Open Course Starter Kit does not require a web server, it can actually be hosted on many LMSs that support file libraries such as Canvas and Moodle.

For example, here is a Docsify Open Course Site hosted within a Canvas course. Single Docsify Open Course site pages can also be embedded while hosted on the same system.

Hosting a Docsify Open Course Site on your LMS

1. Tap Download on your repository page
2. Upload to your LMS file storage area, and unzip the upload file
3. Based on your LMS, determine the external URL required to load the index.html file within the Docsify Docs folder. In Canvas, an example URL would look similar to https://canvas.sfu.ca/courses/44038/files/15884796/download.

⚠️	Once hosted within your LMS, changes made to the source GitHub repository are no longer automatically reflected on your hosted Docsify site. Any GitHub repository updates must be manually uploaded to the LMS file library area.

📚 Docsify and Markdown Resources

Docsify
Docsify Documentation
Docsify Basics by MichaelCurrin

Docsify Themable
Docsify Themeable Documentation
Docsify Themeable GitHub

Markdown
Markdown Here Cheatsheet
Markdown Guide

🧰 Useful Markdown CSS Classes

accordion

<div class="accordion">

<details>
  <summary>Topic One</summary>
  
  Topic one details here.
  
</details>

<details>
  <summary>Topic Two</summary>
  
  Topic two details here.
  
</details>

</div>

badge

<span class='badge'> Tue Jun 12th 11:59pm PDT</span>

<span class='badge' style='--badge-bg-color: #0164db;'> Tue Jun 12th 11:59pm PDT</span>

<span class='badge' style='--badge-bg-color: #e7c500; --badge-text-color: #000;'> Tue Jun 12th 11:59pm PDT</span>

<span class='badge'> [Tue May 16 2:30pm PT](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=CMPT-363+Blackboard+Mini-lectures+and+Activities&iso=20220516T1430&p1=256&ah=1&am=50)</span>  

banner-image (cropped to height of 250px on large screens, 125px on small screens)

![UX - User Experience](images/12650723674_d5c85af332_k.jpg ':class=banner-image')

banner-tall-image (cropped to height of 350px on large screens, 175px on small screens)

![UX - User Experience](images/12650723674_d5c85af332_k.jpg ':class=banner-tall-image')

button

[Required Reading Quiz due Jun 4th](https://canvas.sfu.ca/courses/44038/quizzes/166553 ':class=button')

button-rounded

[Required Reading Quiz due Jun 4th](https://canvas.sfu.ca/courses/44038/quizzes/166553 ':class=button-rounded')

button-secondary

[Required Reading Quiz due Jun 4th](https://canvas.sfu.ca/courses/44038/quizzes/166553 ':class=button-secondary')

button-rounded-secondary

[Required Reading Quiz due Jun 4th](https://canvas.sfu.ca/courses/44038/quizzes/166553 ':class=button-rounded-secondary')

embedly-card (for linked article previews, embedded slides/videos, etc.)

<a class="embedly-card" data-card-controls="0" data-card-align="left" href="https://blog.prototypr.io/defining-usability-e7bf42e8abd0">Defining usability</a>

header-image-fade (suggested width of 1200px to 2000px)

![Photo of Mountain](images/mountain.jpg ':class=header-image-fade')

header-image-fade-full-width (suggested size of 1200px to 2000px, and display of Table of Contents is not available)

![Photo of Mountain](images/mountain.jpg ':class=header-image-fade-full-width')

header-image-full-width (suggested size of 1200px to 2000px width and 400px to 600px height, and display of Table of Contents is not available)

![Photo of Mountain](images/mountain.jpg ':class=header-image')

image-75 (scale image to 75%)

![Photo of Mountain](images/mountain.jpg ':class=image-75')

image-50 (scale image to 50%)

![Photo of Mountain](images/mountain.jpg ':class=image-50')

image-25 (scale image to 25%)

![Photo of Mountain](images/mountain.jpg ':class=image-25')

image-75-border

![Photo of Mountain](images/mountain.jpg ':class=image-75-border')

image-50-border

![Photo of Mountain](images/mountain.jpg ':class=image-50-border')

image-25-border

![Photo of Mountain](images/mountain.jpg ':class=image-25-border')

image-border

![Photo of Mountain](images/mountain.jpg ':class=image-border')

image-border-rounded

![Photo of Mountain](images/mountain.jpg ':class=image-border-rounded')

navpill

[GitHub](https://github.com/hibbitts-design/docsify-this ':class=navpill')

<a class="navpill" href="https://github.com" target="_blank"><i class="fab fa-github fa-fw"></i>GitHub</a>

responsive

<img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/hibbitts-design/publishing-with-docsify-this/main/images/docsify-this-web-page-builder.jpg" width="910" height="682" class="responsive image-border" alt="Docsify-This Web Page Builder">

row & column

<div class="row">
<div class="column">

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

</div>
<div class="column">

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

</div>
</div>

<div class="row reverse-columns">
<div class="column">

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

</div>
<div class="column">

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

</div>
</div>

<div class="row">
<div class="column">

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

</div>
<div class="column-right">

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

</div>
</div>

video-container-4by3

<div class="video-container-4by3"><div class="video-container-16by9"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lJIrF4YjHfQ"></iframe></div>

video-container-16by9
Automatically added to all iFrames with the source domains 'youtube.com' or 'docs.google.com'.

<div class="video-container-16by9"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lJIrF4YjHfQ"></iframe></div>

🎨 Visual Customization

A Docsify Open Course Starter Kit site can be visually customized using CSS within the custom.css file located in the folder docs/assets/css. Using this file new Markdown CSS classes can be defined.

CSS:

.markdown-section .mybutton, .markdown-section .mybutton:hover {
  cursor: pointer;
  color: #CC0000;
  height: auto;
  display: inline-block;
  border: 2px solid #CC0000;
  border-radius: 4rem;
  margin: 2px 0px 2px 0px;
  padding: 8px 18px 8px 18px;
  line-height: 1.2rem;
  background-color: white;
  font-family: -apple-system, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif;
  font-weight: bold;
  text-decoration: none;
}

Markdown:

[Required Reading Quiz due Jun 4th](https://canvas.sfu.ca/courses/44038/quizzes/166553 ':class=mybutton')

Docsify Themeable CSS settings can also be configured, as seen in the examples provided in the default custom.css file.

CSS:

:root {
    --link-color: #0F6CBF!important;
}
*/

It is also possible for dual CSS styling to be configured, with CSS applied to when viewing the site (with overriding custom CSS included in a STYLE tag in the _sidebar.md file) and then other CSS settings within the custom.css file applied to when viewing standalone pages (i.e. ?embedded=true)

CSS in Sidebar file (_sidebar.md):

<style>
  :root {
    --link-color: #CC0633;
    --link-text-decoration: none;
    --link-text-decoration--hover: underline;
  }
</style>

🌐 Using MAMP to View Docsify Sites Locally

An alternative to installing Docsify locally (as described following this section) is to use MAMP to view your Docsify sites locally on your own computer.

1. Download MAMP
2. Move your local Docsify site to the htdocs folder of MAMP
3. Turn MAMP on, tap WebStart and then tap My Website
4. Tap on the folder containing your local Docsify site and then tap on the docs folder

📼 Video Walkthrough of Local Docsify Install/Config

Video 1. Generating Documentation Sites with GitHub and Docsify - Alysson Alvaran

🙇‍Credits and Special Thanks

Docsify Themeable