Optcli Generator (generator-optcli)
Yeoman generator
Generator for local optcli Projects, Experiments, and Variations for use with optcli
What is optcli?
Optcli is a command line tool that's used for creating and previewing optcli experiments locallly.
Installation
If you don't already have you, a scaffolding too installed, install it with:
npm install -g yo
Install the optcli generator with:
npm install -g generator-optcli
Usage
yo optcli:<name of sub generator>
This generator does not a have a default action, so you'll have to use it with one of the below sub generators
###Sub-Generator
Project
Create an optcli Project from within any directory.
Yo can crate a project in any directory on your system.
yo optcli:project
Experiment
Create an optcli Experiment within a project directory
Ensure that you are within an project directory before using.
yo optcli:experiment
Variation
Create an optcli Variation within an experiment directory
Ensure that you are within an experiment directory before using
yo optcli:vatiation
###Advanced Sub-Generator
Advanced sub-generators will create a gulpfile that will enabled advanced features including:
- Templating
- Style Pre-Processing (less, scss)
- And more...
Experiment (Advanced)
Create an optcli Experiment within a project directory
Ensure that you are within an project directory before using
yo optcli:experiment-advanced
Variation (Advanced)
Create an optcli Variation within an experiment (advanced) directory
Ensure that you are within an experiment directory before using.
yo optcli:variation-advanced
####Advanced Scaffolding
It's important to note that the advanced feature will create two additional directories within your experiment directory; an 'input' directory with the files to edit and an 'output' directory with files to be served or pushed via optcli. Running the default gulp task (by typing either 'gulp' or 'gulp default')
#####Style Pre-processing
You can choose to use scss or less instead of plain css
#####Templating with strings.json
If you choose this option, a special a 'strings' object will be available in for ejs templating. The strings object is populated from a 'input/strings.json' file.
######strings.json
{
"greeting":"hello"
}
######experiment.js
console.log("<%- strings['greeting'] %>");
#####Templating with templates/
If you choose this option, a special a 'templates' object will be available in for ejs templating. The strings object is populated from files in the 'input/templates'. Note, that when importing strings from the templates object, you'll have to use the 'decodeURIComponent'
######templates/sample.html
<div>Sample</div>
######experiment.js
console.log(decodeURIComponent("<%- templates['sample.html'] %>"));
#####EJS Processing
If you choose this option, you can take advantage of many of the features coming in the next version of javascript. See babel.js.
######experiment.js
class Experiment{
constructor(){
}
}
window.Experiment = Experiment
######variation.js
new window.Experinemt();
####Gulp Tasks
Other than the default tasks, we've included a few other tasks for your convinience
gulp / gulp default
Running this tasks will compile you experiment's input folder and place the contents into your output folder.
gulp
OR
gulp default
gulp watch
Running this task is exactly like running the default task, except it will recompile your input folder into your output folder automatically whenever there is a change.
gulp watch
gulp push
Gulp push requires exactly one of three flags to work.
flag: --experiment
The experiment flag will push an experiment from a given directory
Example:
gulp push --experiment output
flag: --variation
The variation flag will push a variation from a given directory
gulp push --variation output/Default\ Variation
flag: --all
The all flag will push an experiment from a given directory AND variations created in subdirectories
gulp push --all output
gulp host
Running this task will host your local variations
Gulp host runs localghost externally
flag: --variation
Use the variation flag to specify the directory of the variation being hosted. This is mandatory. You probably want to point this to your output folder.
gulp host --variation output/<path to variation>
flag: --live
Using this flag will cause the hosted variation to refresh whenever files are changed.
gulp host --live --variation output/<path to variation>
webinterface
(NOTE: this section could use some improvement)
Once you've started hosting, you can visit http://localhost:8080 or (https://localhost:8080 if your experiment's edit url is uses https).
This page will help you to install the userscript associated with optcli
secure hosting
(NOTE: this section could use some improvement)
When hosting a secure site, things may, at first, appear not to work. If this happens, visit https://localhost:8080 and tell your browser to allow you to visit the site. This warning is generally for sites
When hosting a secure site for the first time, if you don't have a certificate file (server.cert) and a key file (server.key) file in your directory, new ones will be created for you. You can uses these files to host other variations in the future. Furthermore, if you associate the certificate with your browser, when you use this pair of files for hosting in the future, you won't have to worry about the aforementioned issues of your browser not working.
License
MIT