Scaffold User Guide

This document is the central guide for creating all new content on this website. It details how to use the unified scaffolding script to automatically generate new, pre-filled posts for projects, courses, blog posts, albums, and talks.

The script streamlines the entire content creation process. It provides interactive prompts, handles automatic contributor linking, and generates the correct files and templates for each content type.

1. How to Use the Scaffolding Script

The scaffold.py script is a single, interactive tool that replaces all the old, separate .sh files. It will ask you what you want to create and then prompt you for all the necessary information.

Step 1: Run the Script

From the root directory of the website, run the script (or the new.sh wrapper):

./scaffold.py

Step 2: Select a Post Type

You will see an interactive menu of all available post types.

Select a post type to create:
1.  Album
2.  Blog
3.  Course
4.  Project
5.  Talk
    Enter a number (1-5):
    
    

Type the number for the content you want to create (e.g., 1 for a new Album) and press Enter.

Step 3: Answer the Prompts

The script will guide you through a series of prompts to gather the necessary data. This includes:

• Titles & Excerpts: Basic post information.
• Contributors: For project and talk posts, you will see a numbered list of all team members. You can select them in the correct order (e.g., 2, 1, 3).
• Media Loop (New): For album posts, you will enter a loop to add multiple photos or videos interactively.

Step 4: Get Your New File

Once you finish, the script will create the new file in the correct directory (e.g., album/_posts/ or projects/_posts/) with the correct file extension (.html for talks, .md for everything else), ready for you to add your content.

2. How Contributor Linking Works

For project and talk posts, the script automatically generates links for the contributors you select. This system works by:

1. Scanning team/_posts/: It reads all your team member .md files to get their names and filenames.
2. Using the name field: The link text is pulled from the name: field in the team member’s YAML (e.g., name: Murat Kahveci).
3. Using the file_slug: The link URL is built from the file’s slug to match your site’s /:title/ permalink structure.
   • murat-kahveci.md becomes [Murat Kahveci](/murat-kahveci/)
   • 2024-01-01-annemarie-kegler.md becomes [Annemarie Kegler](/annemarie-kegler/)

3. Guide: talk Posts (Slides)

talk posts are saved as .html files in talks/_posts/. The script will prompt you for all the metadata needed for the title slide and automatically append the full slide deck template.

3.1 Front Matter (Generated)

---
layout: reveal
title: "AI-Driven LT Tracker (5-SC)"
subtitle_desc: "Data-Driven Instructional Planning"
date: 2025-10-15
category: talks
event: "Professional Development Seminar"
location: "Chicago"
type: "invited"
presentation_theme: kahveci-dark
authors:
- name: Murat Kahveci, Ph.D.
  affiliation: Chicago Public Schools
  photo: "/images/team/murat-kahveci.jpg"
  url: "/murat/"
  funding:
- "National Science Foundation"
---

(Refer to previous documentation for slide-specific includes like tables, figures, and math).

4. Guide: project Posts

project posts are saved as .md files in projects/_posts/.

You will be prompted for:

• Title & Year
• Project ID: A short slug (e.g., pec-leap).
• Contributors: A numbered list from team/_posts.
• Duration: (e.g., 2023 - 2024).
• Hosted/Funded By.
• Excerpt: A one-sentence description.

5. Guide: course Posts

course posts are saved as .md files in courses/_posts/.

You will be prompted for:

• Title & Year
• Course Code: (e.g., FSCI).
• Institution/URL.
• Levels/Semester.

6. Guide: blog & album Posts

Blog Posts

Saved in blog/_posts/. You will be prompted for Title, Tags (comma-separated), and Excerpt. Optionally, you can link a Related Project.

Album Posts (Updated)

Saved in album/_posts/. The new structure supports a mixed grid of Photos and YouTube videos.

1. Initial Prompts:

• Title: The name of the album/event.
• Place: Location (e.g., “Cancún, Mexico”).

2. Interactive Media Loop: The script will ask: Select type: [1] Image, [2] YouTube, [Enter] Finish.

• Option 1 (Image):
  • Enter the local URL: /assets/img/my-photo.jpg
  • Enter a Caption.
• Option 2 (YouTube):
  • Enter the ID only: dQw4w9WgXcQ (The part after v=).
  • Enter a Title.
• Finish: Press Enter on a blank line to generate the file.

📸 Image Optimization Guidelines

To ensure the unified grid (16:9 ratio) and the full-screen lightbox load quickly and look sharp, please adhere to these specs before uploading images to assets/img/.

YAML Structure Reference

The script will generate the following structure in your front matter:

media:
- type: image
  url: /assets/img/cancun-beach.jpg
  caption: "A beautiful day."
- type: youtube
  id: "dQw4w9WgXcQ"
  title: "Jetski Video"
  
  

7. Linking Content

To link a “Slides” button from a publication or project page to a presentation, add the presentation_url variable to the YAML front matter of that specific post.

presentation_url: /xyz