Last Commit	2bc9563 (October 15, 2025 12:00 am)
Repository	https://github.com/magicoli/php-site-generator
License	AGPL-3.0-or-later

A lightweight PHP static site generator for GitHub projects that creates a professional documentation website with minimal configuration.

Overview

This tool automatically generates a static website based on your GitHub repository content. It pulls README.md and other Markdown files from your repo, converts them to HTML, and creates a fully functioning website with navigation, download page, and support functionality.

Features

[x] Home page generated from README.md
[x] Additional Markdown pages (e.g., INSTALLATION.md, TROUBLESHOOTING.md)
[x] Download page with GitHub Releases information
[x] Support page with:
- List of open GitHub issues
- Contact form with email notifications
[x] Code syntax highlighting with highlight.js
[x] Sponsor page with donation links from GitHub FUNDING.yml

Future Plans

Local caching for faster generation
Favicon customization
Theme customization options

See in action

https://opensim-helpers.dev/

Installation

Clone this repository:

git clone https://github.com/magicoli/php-site-generator.git
cd php-site-generator

Install dependencies:
```
composer install
```

Create configuration file:
```
cp config.json.example config.json
```

Edit config.json with your project details

Generate the site:
```
php generate.php
```

Set up a cron task to automatically update your site:
```
# Edit crontab
crontab -e
```

Add a line to run the generator hourly (adjust the path as needed)

0 cd /home/path/to/php-site-generator && php generate.php >> /var/log/site-generator.log 2>&1

The cron task will automatically rebuild your site on a regular schedule, keeping the content in sync with your GitHub repository.

Configuration

Edit config.json to configure your site:

{
  "title": "My GitHub Project",
  "github_user": "user",
  "repo": "my-repo",
  "github_branch": "master",
  "github_token": "your_token_here", 
  "support_email": "support@example.com",
  "sender_email": "noreply@example.com",
  "output_folder": "output",
  "menu": [
    { "title": "About", "file": "/" },
    { "title": "Download", "file": "download" },
    { "title": "Installation", "file": "INSTALLATION.md" },
    { "title": "Troubleshooting", "file": "TROUBLESHOOTING.md" },
    { "title": "Support", "file": "support" }
  ]
}

Important configuration options:

github_token: Optional, helps avoid API rate limitations
support_email: Required for the support form to function
sender_email: Optional, defaults to support_email if not set
output_folder: your website root directory (e.g. /var/www/html)

Project Structure


/php-site-generator/
├── config.json            // Configuration for the site and pages
├── generate.php           // Main script to generate the static site
├── template.php           // HTML template for the pages
├── vendor/                // Composer dependencies (Parsedown)
├── assets/                // CSS, images
│   └── style.css          // Custom styling
└── pages/                 // Local Markdown files and templates
    ├── download.md        // Template for download page
    ├── support.md         // Template for support page
    └── partials/          // Reusable page components
        └── support_form.php // Support form template

../www/ // Generated static site (output folder defined in config.json) ├── assets │ └── style.css ├── download.html ├── index.html ├── installation.html ├── support.php // PHP for dynamic support form ├── support_form.php // Included in support.php └── troubleshooting.html

How It Works

The generate.php script:

Loads your configuration
Fetches content from your GitHub repository
Processes Markdown files into HTML
Creates special pages like download and support
Assembles a complete website with navigation
Outputs everything to your specified folder

License

AGPL-3.0

Credits

Parsedown for Markdown parsing
Bootstrap for responsive layout
highlight.js for code syntax highlighting

PHP GitHub Site Generator