markbind-getting-started

name	markbind-getting-started
description	Use when initializing a new MarkBind site, choosing templates, installing MarkBind, serving locally, or when a user asks how to get started with MarkBind, create a new documentation site, or scaffold a project
paths	*.md,*.html,*.json

MarkBind Getting Started

Overview

MarkBind is a static site generator optimized for content-heavy instructional websites (courses, tutorials, documentation). It converts Markdown-like syntax into rich, interactive HTML websites.

Essential Rules

• Pick one installation mode and use it consistently in the project (global, local devDependency, or npx).
• Keep site.json at project root; it is required for build/serve/deploy workflows.
• Use markbind serve during authoring; use markbind build for publish output.
• Set baseUrl correctly before deployment to avoid broken deployed links.

Quick Start

1. Serve Locally

markbind serve                         # Live preview (port 8080)
markbind serve -p 3000                 # Custom port
markbind serve -o guide/index.md       # Single-page mode
markbind serve -b                      # Background build (beta)

2. Build & Deploy

markbind build                         # Generate to _site/
markbind build ./src ./output          # Custom dirs
markbind deploy                        # Deploy to GitHub Pages

Project Structure

my-site/
├── index.md              # Landing page
├── site.json             # Site configuration
├── _markbind/
│   ├── layouts/
│   │   └── default.md    # Page layout
│   ├── variables.md      # Global variables
│   └── variables.json    # Global variables (JSON)
└── contents/             # Content pages (optional)

Reference Files

Installation & Setup

• reference/templates.md - template keys (default, minimal, project, portfolio) and how to choose a starter.

Commands

• reference/cli.md - command overview for init, serve, build, deploy, and shared options.
• reference/serve.md - detailed serve workflow (--one-page, --background-build, host/port/site-config options).

User Guide Entries

• https://markbind.org/userGuide/gettingStarted.html
• https://markbind.org/userGuide/templates.html
• https://markbind.org/userGuide/cliCommands.html

Next Steps

• Authoring: Use markbind-authoring skill
• Components: Use markbind-components skill
• Configuration: Use markbind-site-config skill
• Content Reuse: Use markbind-reuse skill
• Deployment: Use markbind-deploy skill