This repository contains the code for a github action workflow that automatically generates a Hackmd hackpad for our training workshops using the hackmd-cli and jinja2 templates.

Create a new branch in this repo
containing a metadata file
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Github action detects the new branch and starts the action
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Github action reads metadata file and uses variables to fill a jinja template
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This markdown file is then passed to hackmd-cli which imports the .md file as a new hackpad

You can use this repository to automatically create a new Hackmd.io hackpad for Research Computing training sessions using templates included within this repo.

To create a new hackpad you need to create a branch with the format <training-course-code>-yyyy-mm for example for HPC0 running in November 2021 you would create a branch hpc0-2021-11. You should then create a config.yaml file at the root of your repository containing values to be autofilled for the template.

JinJa is picky over the file ending of the config file. Ensure it .yaml rather than .yml!

# example git command for creating a new branch
$ git checkout -b hpc0-2021-11

# create a config.yaml in the repo root
$ cat <<EOF > config.yaml
date: 2021-11-22
morning: true
EOF

# add stage config file for commit
$ git add config.yaml

# commit changes
$ git commit -m 'adding config file for workshop'

# push branch back to github to trigger action
$ git push -u origin hpc0-2021-11

After the hackpad is created you will still need to configure the hackpads sharing settings and edit the url slug of the hackpad which can be done via the hackmd.io interface.

Each template expects a config.yaml file to be committed within the branch to generate the hackpad. These just have to be simple yaml documents that specify the variables that jinja2 will fill in.

Expected yaml file:

date: "2021-11" # specify the date to be included in the hackmd heading
morning: True # specify if the session is morning or not to control generated agenda timings

Expected yaml file:

date: "2021-11" # specify the date to be included in the hackmd heading