Overall design

Layout

  • The standard layout is the multi-layer narrative as described in Paper xCoAx.

  • As an alternative, we provide an slide-based layout, similar to the concept for the m·stats homepage.

Syntax and file structure

  • We distinguish two types of content

  • Markdown (for text) and

  • Objects (which can be stored in individual files or as part of a markdown file) and are described in YAML.

  • There is always a main.md file.

  • Sub-files can either be markdown files or objects

Objects

  • Objects have a class and know class-inheritance – e.g., there could be an object visualization with children like barplot or histogram.

  • Objects are defined in YAML. The parameters available are defined by the class.

Three levels

Frame: This is the outer frame of the HTML report, including the heading. The frame provides an overall structure with tabs and contains a placeholder for the actual article.

Article: One of the tabs in the frame contains the article, which is basically a definition of sub-elements – either plugins (YAML) or text (Markdown).

Plugin / module: Each module has a input definition and returns at least a content object, most modules return an additional aside object. Further details for the layout might also be part of the return values.