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Blake Project Plan & Architecture (Updated)

🧠 Project Overview

Blake is a Blazor-based static site generator (SSG) that combines Markdown content, Razor templates, and Blazor interactive components. It supports a convention-over-configuration approach and integrates deeply with .NET workflows.

✅ Current Status

  • Working CLI (blake) for generating new sites, building, and serving content.
  • Supports content folders (e.g., /Posts, /Pages) with per-folder template.razor files.
  • Generates .razor pages with correct routing (@page) and pre-rendered Markdown.
  • Generates a strongly-typed GeneratedContentIndex class containing page metadata for dynamic navigation and lists.
  • Builds successfully via Blazor (dotnet run) after running CLI.
  • Correct csproj configuration to include .generated files and exclude templates.

🟢 New Features & Architecture Decisions

Site-wide config support

  • YAML-based global config.yaml file (like Hugo/Jekyll).
  • Generates a strongly-typed SiteConfig class inside .generated folder.
  • Example properties: Title, Description, Social, Analytics.
  • Used directly in templates via @using Generated.

Template registry

  • TemplateRegistry.json in the root of the project.
  • Template metadata: name, short-name, description, author, repo URL, last updated, primary category, tags, optional preview URL (not done - considering arbitrary metadata, but I think it's too much just for here; can be in the template's README).
  • Community contributes templates via PRs.
  • GitHub Actions workflow validates templates: clones, injects test content, runs blake build, dotnet build, Playwright checks.
  • CLI supports --template (registry) and --templateUrl (custom direct URL).

MSBuild integration

  • Templates include a preconfigured MSBuild Target that runs blake build before build.
  • Allows dotnet run or dotnet watch run to work as if it's a normal Blazor app.
  • CLI remains useful for explicit build, live serve, or CI.

Dynamic navigation

  • Navigation can be generated using GeneratedContentIndex data.
  • Future support for filtering (tags, folders).

⚡ Next Steps

  • Implement blake serve with Markdown watch support.
    • Implement file watcher to rebuild on Markdown changes.
    • Integrate with Blazor dev server for live reload.
    • Add blake serve command to CLI.
  • Implement final template registry CLI integration (blake new --list, blake new --template, etc.).
  • Add incremental build support.
    • TODO: Need to work out the actual strategy here
  • Improve error handling and CLI UX.
    • TODO: Add verbosity flags, better error messages.
    • TODO: What else?
  • Create starter templates (blog, docs, portfolio).
    • Starter Tailwind blog template.
    • BlakeDocs template for documentation sites.
    • BlakePlugin.DocsRenderer
    • TODO: What additional templates would be useful? Just as a starter.
  • Add contributor documentation and starter guides.

✅ Concept Proved

  • Dynamic Markdown page generation with correct routing works.
  • Blazor build and runtime integration fully confirmed.
  • Dynamic nav and metadata proven.
  • Plugin architecture validated.

💬 Notes

  • .generated/ folder used for all generated .razor and .cs files.
  • Templates use YAML frontmatter per file for metadata and global YAML for site config.
  • No separate NuGet package needed for MSBuild tasks — logic lives in template .csproj.
  • CLI required but designed to feel invisible for most dev workflows.

📄 ASCII Diagram (build flow)

Markdown + Templates → blake build → .generated/*.razor + .generated/*.cs → dotnet run → Blazor app

✅ This updated plan captures all recent decisions and architecture changes.