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Generating Your Documentation Website

Once you have defined your products in products.js and configured Prodcat in prodcat.config.js, the next step is to generate your documentation website.

The prodcat generate Command​

The core command for building your documentation is prodcat generate. This command reads your configuration and product data, then uses your templates to create the necessary Markdown files for Docusaurus.

prodcat generate

How it Works​

  1. Reads prodcat.config.js: Prodcat first loads your configuration settings.
  2. Reads products.js: It then fetches your product definitions.
  3. Generates Markdown Files: For each product defined, Prodcat creates a dedicated Markdown file in your productsOutputPath (e.g., website/docs/products/my-product.md) using the productPage template. It also creates a main directory page (e.g., website/docs/products/index.md) using the products-directory template.
  4. Updates Docusaurus Navigation: Prodcat intelligently updates your docusaurus.config.js and sidebars.js files to include the newly generated product pages in your website's navigation.

Optional Flags​

  • --config <path>: Specify a custom path to your prodcat.config.js file.
  • --output <path>: Override the productsOutputPath defined in your config.
  • --navbar-label <label>: Override the defaultNavbarLabel for the product directory link.
  • --navbar-position <position>: Override the defaultNavbarPosition.

What to do next?​

After running prodcat generate, navigate into your Docusaurus website directory and run npm start to preview your site locally:

cd website
npm start

Your browser will open to your new, updated documentation website!