[data-carpentry-discuss] gh-pages / html pages for DC materials

[Ethan White]

On 03/31/2015 02:39 PM, Leah Wasser wrote:
> I began to build a gh-pages branch for the python materials and found some background on syncing master and gh-pages. I then realized other repo's are not currently doing this and don't want to break the mold or do things that aren't useful to the greater mission.
>
> Does anyone have thoughts on adding gh-page branches to the DC repos using a format similar to SWC:
>
> http://lwasser.github.io/python-ecology/

Thanks for raising this question Leah. The issue of how to make the 
lesson material easy to view and distribute has come up a few times, 
mainly in Steering Committee meetings I think, and it's an important one 
to figure out. Up until now we have basically decided to wait on making 
decisions about the details of the technological side of things to focus 
on developing content. However, with double digit workshops being run 
this year, and huge additional demand, this is probably something we be 
thinking about.

As you note, Software Carpentry has grappled with this and been through 
a few different versions. The current version is a gh-pages only model. 
This is nice in that that's no branch management, which is another layer 
of overhead for contributors who aren't git experts. However, it results 
in a bunch of extra stuff in the main branch. I will say that I've found 
it very easy to work with the new SWC system, but if there was a behind 
the scenes way to sync master to gh-pages that could be really nice to.

The other option is a purely external build system. Content gets 
developed separate from presentation, and then a regularly run external 
system builds web pages for all of the content periodically. But then 
someone has to build and maintain this.

I don't personally have strong feelings about what route to go, and if 
you or someone else was willing to put some effort into it I'd be +1 for 
having you go for it.

Ethan