mkdocs-techdocs-core

This is the base Mkdocs plugin used when using Mkdocs with Spotify's TechDocs. It is written in Python and packages all of our Mkdocs defaults, such as theming, plugins, etc in a single plugin.

Usage

Requires Python version >= 3.7

$ pip install mkdocs-techdocs-core

Once you have installed the mkdocs-techdocs-core plugin, you'll need to add it to your mkdocs.yml.

site_name: Backstage Docs

nav:
  - Home: index.md
  - Developing a Plugin: developing-a-plugin.md

plugins:
  - techdocs-core

Development

Running Locally

You can install this package locally using pip and the --editable flag used for making developing Python packages.

pip install --editable .

You'll then have the techdocs-core package available to use in Mkdocs and pip will point the dependency to this folder.

Linting

We use black as our linter. Please run it against your code before submitting a pull request.

pip install black
black .

Note: This will write to all Python files in src/ with the formatted code. If you would like to only check to see if it passes, simply append the --check flag.

Release flow

Update the version in setup.py to trigger a new release workflow on GitHub Actions. Make sure to update the Changelog in the README as well.

MkDocs plugins and extensions

The TechDocs Core MkDocs plugin comes with a set of extensions and plugins that mkdocs supports. Below you can find a list of all extensions and plugins that are included in the TechDocs Core plugin:

Plugins:

• search: A search plugin is provided by default with MkDocs which uses lunr.js as a search engine.
• mkdocs-monorepo-plugin: This plugin enables you to build multiple sets of documentation in a single MkDocs project. It is designed to address writing documentation in Spotify's largest and most business-critical codebases (typically monoliths or monorepos).

Extensions:

• admonition: Admonitions, also known as call-outs, are an excellent choice for including side content without significantly interrupting the document flow. Material for MkDocs provides several different types of admonitions and allows for the inclusion and nesting of arbitrary content.

• toc: The Table of Contents extension generates a Table of Contents from a Markdown document and adds it into the resulting HTML document. This extension is included in the standard Markdown library.

• pymdown: PyMdown Extensions is a collection of extensions for Python Markdown. All extensions are found under the module namespace of pymdownx.

  • caret: Caret is an extension that is syntactically built around the ^ character. It adds support for inserting superscripts and adds an easy way to place text in an <ins> tag.
  • critic: Critic adds handling and support of Critic Markup.
  • details: Details creates collapsible elements with <details> and <summary> tags.
  • emoji: Emoji makes adding emoji via Markdown easy 😄.
  • superfences: SuperFences is like Python Markdown's fences, but better. Nest fences under lists, admonitions, and other syntaxes. You can even create special custom fences for content like UML.
  • inlinehilite: InlineHilite highlights inline code: from module import function as func.
  • magiclink: MagicLink linkafies URL and email links without having to wrap them in Markdown syntax. Also, shortens repository issue, pull request, and commit links automatically for popular code hosting providers. You can even use special shorthand syntax to link to issues, diffs, and even mention people
  • mark: Mark allows you to mark words easily.
  • smartsymbols: SmartSymbols inserts commonly used Unicode characters via simple ASCII representations: =/= → ≠.
  • highlight: Highlight allows you to configure the syntax highlighting of SuperFences and InlineHilite. Also passes standard Markdown indented code blocks through the syntax highlighter.
  • extra: Extra is just like Python Markdown's Extra package except it uses PyMdown Extensions to substitute similar extensions.
  • tabbed: Tabbed allows for tabbed Markdown content.
  • tasklist: Tasklist allows inserting lists with check boxes.
  • tilde: Tilde is syntactically built around the ~ character. It adds support for inserting subscripts and adds an easy way to place text in a <del> tag.

• markdown_inline_graphviz: A Python Markdown extension replaces inline Graphviz definitions with inline SVGs or PNGs. Activate the inline_graphviz extension using the usage instructions.

• plantuml_markdown: This plugin implements a block extension which can be used to specify a PlantUML diagram which will be converted into an image and inserted in the document.

Changelog

0.0.16

• Reused data from requirements.txt file in install_requires of setup.py. #24

0.0.15

• Upgrade monorepo to track latest patch, includes various bug fixes. #22

0.0.14

• Upgrade plantuml-markdown to 3.4.2 with support for external file sources. #18

0.0.13

• Fixed issue where the whole temp directory could be included in the built site output. #7

0.0.12

• Updated home repository to be the new https://github.com/backstage/mkdocs-techdocs-core

0.0.11

• Any MkDocs plugin configurations from mkdocs.yml will now work and override the default configuration. See backstage/backstage#3017

0.0.10

• Pin Markdown version to fix issue with Graphviz

0.0.9

• Change development status to 3 - Alpha

0.0.8

• Superfences and Codehilite doesn't work very well together (squidfunk/mkdocs-material#1604) so therefore the codehilite extension is replaced by pymdownx.highlight

• Uses pymdownx extensions v.7.1 instead of 8.0.0 to allow legacy_tab_classes config. This makes the techdocs core plugin compatible with the usage of tabs for grouping markdown with the following syntax:

    ```java tab="java 2"
        public void function() {
            ....
        }
    ```

as well as the new

    === "Java"

    ```java
    public void function() {
        ....
    }
    ```

The pymdownx extension will be bumped too 8.0.0 in the near future.

• pymdownx.tabbed is added to support tabs to group markdown content, such as codeblocks.

• "PyMdown Extensions includes three extensions that are meant to replace their counterpart in the default Python Markdown extensions." Therefore some extensions has been taken away in this version that comes by default from pymdownx.extra which is added now (https://facelessuser.github.io/pymdown-extensions/usage_notes/#incompatible-extensions)

0.0.7

• Fix an issue with configuration of emoji support

0.0.6

• Further adjustments to versions to find ones that are compatible

0.0.5

• Downgrade some versions of markdown extensions to versions that are more stable

0.0.4

• Added support for more mkdocs extensions
  • mkdocs-material
  • mkdocs-monorepo-plugin
  • plantuml-markdown
  • markdown_inline_graphviz_extension
  • pygments
  • pymdown-extensions