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I wanted to create javascript-free documentation and articles, but it was annoying to add latex, code, sidenotes, a table of contents, and other niceties. So I

I wanted to create javascript-free documentation and articles, but it was annoying to add latex, code, sidenotes, a table of contents, and other niceties. So I created a tool to automate the process. It is very unfinished and can't handle many edge cases, but there are plenty of features to try out. Learn how to use it from the documentation located at https://triplelog.com/writer/readme.html https://triplelog.com/writer/readme.html. To give you an idea of what is possible, that page was created with Triplelog Writer and is entirely javascript-free. The total network load is about 100 KB - most of which is the Katex CSS and fonts. I think it is really easy to use, but the documentation is probably not good enough yet to make everyone agree with that statement. If you have any questions about how to use it, ask away.

ggerganov 5y ago
The style looks clean and simple - I like it. It seems to have a good set of presentation tools already. I would recommend to emphasise less on the drawbacks (i.e. not being completely ready, not documented well enough, etc.). The initial warning should be enough for anyone interested in the project to know it's in its early stages. Why not host the source on Github for example?
- uuddlrlrba 5y ago
  Thanks for the kind words! Mainly, I don't really want to deal with pull requests at the moment. Also, I want a dogfooded readme and so having an additional Github readme would be a bit of trouble.
  - tekknolagi 5y ago
    You can add a link to the dogfooded readme and have that be the whole thing.
cxr 5y ago
Kudos. With the writer, you're practicing a software packaging and distribution approach that I'd really like to see more projects make use of. From an earlier comment I wrote: > It would be nice if as part of the zero config effort, programs (esp. programs that aim to be easy-to-use Web-authoring tools) would focus even more on being as close to zero setup/zero installation as possible[...] one should be able to use[...] similar programs by using the browser itself to open and run the program <https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29382091 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29382091> Any special reason why you're distributing the writer as a ZIP and not a self-contained HTML file with all the JS and CSS inlined? The experience is much nicer in the latter case (no cognitive overhead of keeping track of what needs to be copied/moved, no fragile directory structure that can be broken by a partial copy/move, etc.) I think this format for local software is currently undervalued and stands to be exploited to greater effect. (In case your decision to stay off the social coding sites is intentional, kudos again.)
- bachmeier 5y ago
  There would be a lot to inline: <script src="./js/prism.js"></script> <script defer src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/katex@0.15.1/dist/katex.min.js https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/katex@0.15.1/dist/katex.min.js" integrity="sha384-z1fJDqw8ZApjGO3/unPWUPsIymfsJmyrDVWC8Tv/a1HeOtGmkwNd/7xUS0Xcnvsx" crossorigin="anonymous"></script> <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/popper.js/2.11.0/umd/popper.min.js"></script> https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/popper.js/2.11.0/umd/... <script src="https://unpkg.com/tippy.js@6/dist/tippy-bundle.umd.min.js"></script> https://unpkg.com/tippy.js@6/dist/tippy-bundle.umd.min.js"><... <script src="https://unpkg.com/mustache@latest"></script> https://unpkg.com/mustache@latest"></script> <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/marked/marked.min.js"></script> https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/marked/marked.min.js"></script> <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/vega@5"></script> https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/vega@5"></script> <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/vega-lite@5"></script> https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/vega-lite@5"></script> <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/vega-embed@6"></script> https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/vega-embed@6"></script> <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/fflate/umd/index.js"></script> https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/fflate/umd/index.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="./js/purify.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="./js/papaparse.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="./js/components.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="./js/template.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="./js/main.js"></script>
  - cxr 5y ago
    I don't understand your point. The browser eventually has to deal with that stuff whether it's in one bundle or split up with the added overhead of extra HTTP requests/file opens. Being able to more easily avert your eyes and ignore it doesn't change that. There's no magic. If anything, being able to ignore it more easily can actually remove the motivation to wean oneself off the kinds of things that are more convenient than they are strictly necessary.
    - bachmeier 5y ago
      It's unlikely to matter from a performance perspective. If you're only going to load, it doesn't really matter. If you want to work with the file, all the other stuff will be in your way, for little gain.
alecst 5y ago
I adore this. It's exactly the kind of thing I'd love to make for myself. The finished product is tiny, clean, and useful, and it's a nice contrast from the huge page bloat you see on so many sites. It definitely profits from using built-in HTML elements over JS. Even scrolling through your README was fun. If this were combined with a static site generator or CMS it could be a real powerhouse. Great work!
- uuddlrlrba 5y ago
  Thanks! It is intimidating to build from the ground-up, but it has been worth it. I'm not exactly sure how I want to integrate this into a more all-in-one solution. Once I check off some more immediate items on my to-do list I will try to figure out the best way to do that.
  - ngcc_hk 5y ago
    That will be great. Awaiting your result.
- cxr 5y ago
  > If this were combined with a static site generator or CMS it could be a real powerhouse What do you find lacking about existing offerings? (Serious question; not a statement masquerading as rhetorical snark.)
1vuio0pswjnm7 5y ago
Perhaps the next step is to create a Javascript-free editor that can be used to create Javascript-free documentation and articles. The nice thing about Javascript-free documentation and articles is that one does not need a massive, complicated, corporate-controlled web browser with a Javascript engine in order to read them. It would also be nice to not have to use a massive, complicated, corporate-controlled web browser with a Javascript engine in order to create them.

ggerganov 5y ago

The style looks clean and simple - I like it. It seems to have a good set of presentation tools already. I would recommend to emphasise less on the drawbacks (i.e. not being completely ready, not documented well enough, etc.). The initial warning should be enough for anyone interested in the project to know it's in its early stages. Why not host the source on Github for example?

uuddlrlrba 5y ago
Thanks for the kind words! Mainly, I don't really want to deal with pull requests at the moment. Also, I want a dogfooded readme and so having an additional Github readme would be a bit of trouble.
- tekknolagi 5y ago
  You can add a link to the dogfooded readme and have that be the whole thing.

cxr 5y ago

Kudos. With the writer, you're practicing a software packaging and distribution approach that I'd really like to see more projects make use of. From an earlier comment I wrote: > It would be nice if as part of the zero config effort, programs (esp. programs that aim to be easy-to-use Web-authoring tools) would focus even more on being as close to zero setup/zero installation as possible[...] one should be able to use[...] similar programs by using the browser itself to open and run the program <https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29382091 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29382091> Any special reason why you're distributing the writer as a ZIP and not a self-contained HTML file with all the JS and CSS inlined? The experience is much nicer in the latter case (no cognitive overhead of keeping track of what needs to be copied/moved, no fragile directory structure that can be broken by a partial copy/move, etc.) I think this format for local software is currently undervalued and stands to be exploited to greater effect. (In case your decision to stay off the social coding sites is intentional, kudos again.)

bachmeier 5y ago
There would be a lot to inline: <script src="./js/prism.js"></script> <script defer src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/katex@0.15.1/dist/katex.min.js https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/katex@0.15.1/dist/katex.min.js" integrity="sha384-z1fJDqw8ZApjGO3/unPWUPsIymfsJmyrDVWC8Tv/a1HeOtGmkwNd/7xUS0Xcnvsx" crossorigin="anonymous"></script> <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/popper.js/2.11.0/umd/popper.min.js"></script> https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/popper.js/2.11.0/umd/... <script src="https://unpkg.com/tippy.js@6/dist/tippy-bundle.umd.min.js"></script> https://unpkg.com/tippy.js@6/dist/tippy-bundle.umd.min.js"><... <script src="https://unpkg.com/mustache@latest"></script> https://unpkg.com/mustache@latest"></script> <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/marked/marked.min.js"></script> https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/marked/marked.min.js"></script> <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/vega@5"></script> https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/vega@5"></script> <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/vega-lite@5"></script> https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/vega-lite@5"></script> <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/vega-embed@6"></script> https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/vega-embed@6"></script> <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/fflate/umd/index.js"></script> https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/fflate/umd/index.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="./js/purify.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="./js/papaparse.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="./js/components.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="./js/template.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="./js/main.js"></script>
- cxr 5y ago
  I don't understand your point. The browser eventually has to deal with that stuff whether it's in one bundle or split up with the added overhead of extra HTTP requests/file opens. Being able to more easily avert your eyes and ignore it doesn't change that. There's no magic. If anything, being able to ignore it more easily can actually remove the motivation to wean oneself off the kinds of things that are more convenient than they are strictly necessary.
  - bachmeier 5y ago
    It's unlikely to matter from a performance perspective. If you're only going to load, it doesn't really matter. If you want to work with the file, all the other stuff will be in your way, for little gain.

alecst 5y ago

I adore this. It's exactly the kind of thing I'd love to make for myself. The finished product is tiny, clean, and useful, and it's a nice contrast from the huge page bloat you see on so many sites. It definitely profits from using built-in HTML elements over JS. Even scrolling through your README was fun. If this were combined with a static site generator or CMS it could be a real powerhouse. Great work!

uuddlrlrba 5y ago
Thanks! It is intimidating to build from the ground-up, but it has been worth it. I'm not exactly sure how I want to integrate this into a more all-in-one solution. Once I check off some more immediate items on my to-do list I will try to figure out the best way to do that.
- ngcc_hk 5y ago
  That will be great. Awaiting your result.
cxr 5y ago
> If this were combined with a static site generator or CMS it could be a real powerhouse What do you find lacking about existing offerings? (Serious question; not a statement masquerading as rhetorical snark.)

1vuio0pswjnm7 5y ago

Perhaps the next step is to create a Javascript-free editor that can be used to create Javascript-free documentation and articles. The nice thing about Javascript-free documentation and articles is that one does not need a massive, complicated, corporate-controlled web browser with a Javascript engine in order to read them. It would also be nice to not have to use a massive, complicated, corporate-controlled web browser with a Javascript engine in order to create them.