This site is built using Foundation 5 for the front end framework, Ruby on Rails as the templating language (.erb), YML (.yml) for easier data entry, SASS (.scss) for the css compiler, and Middleman as the static website generator. Cornell disallows us (we didn't pay ;P ) from using "live" websites where the website is connected to a database, so instead we use a static website. Basically, this means that whatever is uploaded via FTP (file transfer protocol) to the server is everything you see on the website, it is all known at compilation(build) time. This is what Middleman does for us. This is a Ruby tool so Windows may get some errors.
The build folder is never touched during development. This purely holds the compiled code and is updated on each run of middleman build.
The main working folders are data or source.
data is setup to take the repeated elements of the website (contact info, projects) and to make it simple. YML is designed to be simple, so that you don't really need a coder to update it. You'll notice that the names in the YML files are referenced in the .erb files. Think of it like a key value store.
source is where the main coding is done. This is where images, javascript, css, and the templates are stored. This is pretty common in big projects (follows more of the MVC style) where the data itself is separated in the data (Model) and templates are representative of how the data will be loaded for every template (View). The Controller is defined in the config.rb (don't really worry about that, just follow the pattern).
To run this directory, install Middleman onto your local device
From this directory, run
bundle exec middleman server
from root directory.
This should spin up the live reload on port localhost:4567
From here, you should be able to make changes and the Live Reload will be able to detect your changes.
The team lead needs to have access to Cornell's FTP server. This can be requested by emailing acadtech@cornell.edu (you should also CC Dave at dr.drschneider@gmail.com ) saying that you need FTP access to both
https://codi.engineering.cornell.edu
Once you have access, and you are on RedRover or have a VPN setup, build the current site with middleman build. From here, using your fav FTP client (I prefer Filezilla). Connect to the site at host: sftp://cusd.cornell.edu and I think the username and pass are your netID logins. You should see the website under the htdocs. Drag and drop the updated content from your local device to the server and you should see the live site updated instantaneously.
On macOS High Sierra, there is a json issue with Middleman Has something to do with the build version of the json. This command has fixed it in the past but who knows how Apple could change their configs.
gem 'json', github: 'flori/json', branch: 'v1.8'