npm package: @nera-static/plugin-simple-page-list
Description: A plugin for the Nera static site generator that creates configurable, sorted, and grouped page lists based on one or more directory paths. Ideal for blogs, news sections, and categorized content listings.
Author: Michael Becker
Latest version: 2.1.2

# @nera-static/plugin-simple-page-list

A plugin for the [Nera](https://github.com/seebaermichi/nera) static site generator that creates filtered page lists based on directory paths. Ideal for blog post listings, news sections, or content categories grouped and sorted chronologically.

## ✨ Features

-   Filter pages by one or more directory paths
-   Supports flat or grouped page lists (`app.pageList` or `app.pageList.<key>`)
-   Automatic chronological sorting (configurable)
-   Custom sorting by `date`, `title`, or any frontmatter field
-   Access filtered lists globally in templates
-   Includes ready-to-use Pug templates using BEM CSS methodology
-   Configurable "read more" link text
-   Lightweight and zero-runtime overhead
-   Full compatibility with Nera v4.1.0+

## 🚀 Installation

Install the plugin in your Nera project:

```bash
npm install @nera-static/plugin-simple-page-list
```

Nera will automatically detect the plugin and apply the page filtering during the build.

## ⚙️ Configuration

Define the filter settings in `config/simple-page-list.yaml`.

### 🔹 Option 1: Single path (legacy)

```yaml
page_path: /posts
more_link_text: Read more
```

-   `page_path`: Directory to include pages from
-   `more_link_text`: Label for the "read more" link (optional)

### 🔹 Option 2: Multiple paths (grouped output)

```yaml
page_paths:
    - /recipes/lunch
    - /recipes/breakfast
    - path: /blog
      key: blogPosts
      sortBy: title
      sortOrder: ascending
sortBy: date
sortOrder: descending
more_link_text: Read more
exclude_pages:
    - /recipes/lunch/index.html
```

-   `page_paths`: Array of paths (either strings or objects)
    -   If a string, the last folder segment becomes the key (e.g. `/recipes/lunch` → `lunch`)
    -   If an object, you can override the `key`, `sortBy`, or `sortOrder`
-   `sortBy`: Field to sort by (`date`, `title`, etc.)
-   `sortOrder`: `ascending` or `descending`
-   Top-level `sortBy`/`sortOrder` apply to all unless overridden per entry
-   `exclude_pages`: Array of rendered pages which should not be included in the page list (e.g. `/recipes/lunch/index.html`)

## 🧩 Usage

### Content Frontmatter

Ensure your pages are located in the configured directories and include required metadata:

```yaml
---
title: Delicious Pasta
description: A quick and easy pasta recipe.
date: 2025-01-15
---
```

Supported `date` formats:

-   `2025-01-15` (ISO)
-   `15.01.2025` (German-style)
-   Any JS-valid date string

If `date` is missing, Nera’s `createdAt` will be used as a fallback.

### Access in templates

#### Legacy usage (single path config):

```pug
if app.pageList && app.pageList.length > 0
  section.page-list
    h2 Recent Posts
    each page in app.pageList
      article.page-list__item
        h3: a(href=page.href) #{page.title}
        if page.description
          p #{page.description}
        a.page-list__more-link(href=page.href) #{page.moreLinkText}
```

#### Grouped usage (multiple paths):

```pug
if app.pageList.blogPosts
  h2 Blog
  each post in app.pageList.blogPosts
    article
      h3: a(href=post.href) #{post.title}
```

```pug
if app.pageList.lunch
  h2 Lunch Recipes
  each recipe in app.pageList.lunch
    h3: a(href=recipe.href) #{recipe.title}
```

## 📊 Output Structure

Depending on configuration, the plugin injects one of the following:

#### 1. Flat array (legacy):

```js
app.pageList = [
  {
    ...meta
    date: 1705276800000,
    moreLinkText: "Read more"
  },
  ...
]
```

#### 2. Grouped object:

```js
app.pageList = {
    lunch: [{ moreLinkText, date, ...meta }],
    blogPosts: [{ moreLinkText, date, ...meta }],
}
```

## 🛠️ Template Publishing

Use the default template provided by the plugin:

```bash
npx @nera-static/plugin-simple-page-list run publish-template
```

This will copy:

```
views/vendor/plugin-simple-page-list/
└── simple-page-list.pug
```

You can then include it in your layout:

```pug
include /views/vendor/plugin-simple-page-list/simple-page-list
```

## 🎨 Styling

The default template uses BEM-style class names:

```css
.page-list {
}
.page-list__title {
}
.page-list__item {
}
.page-list__header {
}
.page-list__item-title {
}
.page-list__link {
}
.page-list__description {
}
.page-list__footer {
}
.page-list__more-link {
}
```

## 🧪 Testing & Development

```bash
npm install
npm test
npm run lint
```

Tests use [Vitest](https://vitest.dev) and cover:

-   Filtering by directory path
-   Sorting by `date`, `title`, etc.
-   Grouped and flat output modes
-   Correct fallback behavior and robustness
-   Template publishing logic

## 🧑‍💻 Author

Michael Becker  
[https://github.com/seebaermichi](https://github.com/seebaermichi)

## 🔗 Links

-   [Plugin Repository](https://github.com/seebaermichi/nera-plugin-simple-page-list)
-   [NPM Package](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@nera-static/plugin-simple-page-list)
-   [Nera Static Site Generator](https://github.com/seebaermichi/nera)

## 🧩 Compatibility

-   **Nera**: v4.1.0+
-   **Node.js**: >= 18
-   **Plugin API**: Uses `getAppData()` for injecting filtered page lists

## 📦 License

MIT