fddl Features and Capabilities

fddl packs a surprising amount of functionality into a Swift-based static site generator; these features include shortcodes, plugins, the dev server, and the template system. A custom markdown processor (SwiftMark) is also included.

Shortcodes: Dynamic Content in Static Sites

Shortcodes let you embed rich content without writing HTML. fddl supports both modern and retro shortcodes. Think geocities, gopher, & gemini (not the AI)

Modern Shortcodes

Modern shortcodes are written in markdown and should be processed by SwiftMark. Sometimes they are simply going to be parsed as markdown, other times they are going to be processed as HTML, depending on the situation.

YouTube Embeds

Embed videos with a simple shortcode:

Alert Boxes

Create styled alert boxes for different message types:


fddl has a complete plugin system!



Your site was generated successfully! 🎉



Always backup your content before major changes.

Images with Captions

Retro GeoCities Shortcodes

For those who miss the 90s web, fddl includes nostalgic effects:

🌟 UNDER CONSTRUCTION 🌟


Welcome to my homepage!


Rainbow Text is BACK!

These aren’t just for fun—they demonstrate fddl’s flexible shortcode system that you can extend with your own custom shortcodes.

Plugin System

fddl’s plugin architecture allows you to extend functionality without modifying core code.

Built-in Plugins

Sitemap Generation

Automatically creates sitemap.xml for SEO:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
  <url>
    <loc>https://yoursite.com/</loc>
    <lastmod>2024-12-30</lastmod>
  </url>
</urlset>

RSS Feed

Generates an RSS 2.0 feed at /feed.xml for blog posts:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0">
  <channel>
    <title>Your Blog</title>
    <item>
      <title>Latest Post</title>
      <link>https://yoursite.com/blog/latest-post.html</link>
    </item>
  </channel>
</rss>

Search Index

Builds a searchable JSON index of all content:

{
  "pages": [
    {
      "title": "Page Title",
      "url": "/page.html",
      "content": "Searchable content...",
      "tags": ["example"]
    }
  ]
}

Reading Time Estimator

Automatically calculates reading time for each page based on word count.

Creating Custom Plugins

The plugin system is designed to be extensible. Future versions will include a documented API for creating your own plugins.

Template System

fddl uses a flexible YAML-based template system with multiple layouts.

Template Configuration

# template.yml
name: "default"
version: "1.0"
defaultLayout: "page"
outputs:
  - html

Multiple Layouts

Different content types can use different layouts:

# html.yml
layouts:
  page: "views/page.html"
  post: "views/post.html"
  index-list: "views/index-list.html"

Template Variables

Access page and site metadata in your templates:

<h1>fddl Features: Shortcodes, Plugins, and More</h1>
<div class="content">
fddl Features and Capabilities


fddl packs a surprising amount of functionality into a Swift-based static site generator; these features include shortcodes, plugins, the dev server, and the template system. A custom markdown processor (SwiftMark) is also included.


Shortcodes: Dynamic Content in Static Sites


Shortcodes let you embed rich content without writing HTML. fddl supports both modern and retro shortcodes. Think geocities, gopher, & gemini (not the AI)


Modern Shortcodes


Modern shortcodes are written in markdown and should be processed by SwiftMark. Sometimes they are simply going to be parsed as markdown, other times they are going to be processed as HTML, depending on the situation.


YouTube Embeds


Embed videos with a simple shortcode:


{{\< youtube id="dQw4w9QgXcW" width="560" height="315" \>}}



Alert Boxes


Create styled alert boxes for different message types:


{{\< alert type="info" title="Did you know?" \>}}
fddl has a complete plugin system!
{{\< /alert \>}}

{{\< alert type="success" title="Build Status" \>}}
Your site was generated successfully! 🎉
{{\< /alert \>}}

{{\< alert type="warning" title="Remember" \>}}
Always backup your content before major changes.
{{\< /alert \>}}



Images with Captions


{{\< image src="/assets/images/photo.jpg" alt="Description" caption="A beautiful sunset" width="600" \>}}



Retro GeoCities Shortcodes


For those who miss the 90s web, fddl includes nostalgic effects:


{{\< blink \>}}🌟 UNDER CONSTRUCTION 🌟{{\< /blink \>}}

{{\< marquee direction="left" speed="normal" \>}}
Welcome to my homepage!
{{\< /marquee \>}}

{{\< rainbow \>}}Rainbow Text is BACK!{{\< /rainbow \>}}

{{\< counter style="digital" \>}}



These aren’t just for fun—they demonstrate fddl’s flexible shortcode system that you can extend with your own custom shortcodes.


Plugin System


fddl’s plugin architecture allows you to extend functionality without modifying core code.


Built-in Plugins


Sitemap Generation


Automatically creates sitemap.xml for SEO:


<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
  <url>
    <loc>https://yoursite.com/</loc>
    <lastmod>2024-12-30</lastmod>
  </url>
</urlset>



RSS Feed


Generates an RSS 2.0 feed at /feed.xml for blog posts:


<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0">
  <channel>
    <title>Your Blog</title>
    <item>
      <title>Latest Post</title>
      <link>https://yoursite.com/blog/latest-post.html</link>
    </item>
  </channel>
</rss>



Search Index


Builds a searchable JSON index of all content:


{
  "pages": [
    {
      "title": "Page Title",
      "url": "/page.html",
      "content": "Searchable content...",
      "tags": ["example"]
    }
  ]
}



Reading Time Estimator


Automatically calculates reading time for each page based on word count.


Creating Custom Plugins


The plugin system is designed to be extensible. Future versions will include a documented API for creating your own plugins.


Template System


fddl uses a flexible YAML-based template system with multiple layouts.


Template Configuration


# template.yml
name: "default"
version: "1.0"
defaultLayout: "page"
outputs:
  - html



Multiple Layouts


Different content types can use different layouts:


# html.yml
layouts:
  page: "views/page.html"
  post: "views/post.html"
  index-list: "views/index-list.html"



Template Variables


Access page and site metadata in your templates:


<h1>{{page.title}}</h1>
<div class="content">{{page.content}}</div>
<p>Generated on {{site.generatedDate}}</p>
<p>Build #{{site.buildID}}</p>



Available variables include:


    

  • {{page.title}} - Page title from frontmatter
    

    • 

  • {{page.content}} - Rendered HTML content
    

    • 

  • {{page.description}} - Page description
    

    • 

  • {{page.date}} - Publication date
    

    • 

  • {{site.name}} - Site name
    

    • 

  • {{site.buildID}} - Incremental build number
    

    • 

  • {{site.generatedDate}} - Generation timestamp
    

    • 



Development Server


fddl includes a development server with hot reload capabilities (powered by SwiftNIO):


fddl serve --port 8080 --open



Features:


    

  • 🔥 Hot Reload: Changes appear instantly via WebSocket
    

    • 

  • 👀 File Watching: Automatically detects content changes
    

    • 

  • 🚀 Instant Rebuilds: Fast regeneration on save
    

    • 

  • 🌐 Local Preview: Test before deploying
    

    • 



Syntax Highlighting


Code blocks are automatically highlighted using Splash:


struct Person {
    let name: String
    var age: Int

    func greet() {
        print("Hello, my name is \(name)!")
    }
}



Supports multiple languages including Swift, JavaScript, Python, Bash, and more.


Asset Management


fddl automatically handles static assets:


templates/default/assets/
├── css/
│   └── theme.css
├── javascript/
│   └── theme.js
└── images/
    └── logo.png



All assets are copied to the output directory, maintaining the folder structure.


Build Tracking


Every site generation increments a build number, stored in .fddl-build:


Build #42



This helps track versions and can be displayed in your site footer.


Flexible Navigation


Navigation is simple HTML in your templates—no complex configuration:


<nav>
  <a href="/">Home</a>
  <a href="/blog/">Blog</a>
  <a href="/about.html">About</a>
  <a href="/projects/">Projects</a>
</nav>



Different layouts can have different navigation menus.


What’s Coming Next?


Future features on the roadmap:


    

  • API JSON output for headless CMS usage
    

    • 

  • Custom 404 error pages
    

    • 

  • macOS Services menu integration
    

    • 

  • Watch mode improvements
    

    • 

  • Theme marketplace
    

    • 

  • Plugin documentation and API
    

    • 



Try It Yourself


The best way to understand fddl’s capabilities is to use it. Check out the features demo page to see these features in action, or dive into the source code to see how they’re implemented.




“Features are only as good as their implementation.” — fddl’s guiding principle




Built with fddl - Where modern meets retro, and Swift meets markdown.

</div>
<p>Generated on Jan 17, 2026 at 10:42 PM</p>
<p>Build #09A486B3-9D5B-4E8E-8C24-61507010C9C9</p>

Available variables include:

  • fddl Features: Shortcodes, Plugins, and More - Page title from frontmatter

  • fddl Features and Capabilities

    fddl packs a surprising amount of functionality into a Swift-based static site generator; these features include shortcodes, plugins, the dev server, and the template system. A custom markdown processor (SwiftMark) is also included.

    Shortcodes: Dynamic Content in Static Sites

    Shortcodes let you embed rich content without writing HTML. fddl supports both modern and retro shortcodes. Think geocities, gopher, & gemini (not the AI)

    Modern Shortcodes

    Modern shortcodes are written in markdown and should be processed by SwiftMark. Sometimes they are simply going to be parsed as markdown, other times they are going to be processed as HTML, depending on the situation.

    YouTube Embeds

    Embed videos with a simple shortcode:

    {{\< youtube id="dQw4w9QgXcW" width="560" height="315" \>}}

    Alert Boxes

    Create styled alert boxes for different message types:

    {{\< alert type="info" title="Did you know?" \>}}
fddl has a complete plugin system!
{{\< /alert \>}}

{{\< alert type="success" title="Build Status" \>}}
Your site was generated successfully! 🎉
{{\< /alert \>}}

{{\< alert type="warning" title="Remember" \>}}
Always backup your content before major changes.
{{\< /alert \>}}

    Images with Captions

    {{\< image src="/assets/images/photo.jpg" alt="Description" caption="A beautiful sunset" width="600" \>}}

    Retro GeoCities Shortcodes

    For those who miss the 90s web, fddl includes nostalgic effects:

    {{\< blink \>}}🌟 UNDER CONSTRUCTION 🌟{{\< /blink \>}}

{{\< marquee direction="left" speed="normal" \>}}
Welcome to my homepage!
{{\< /marquee \>}}

{{\< rainbow \>}}Rainbow Text is BACK!{{\< /rainbow \>}}

{{\< counter style="digital" \>}}

    These aren’t just for fun—they demonstrate fddl’s flexible shortcode system that you can extend with your own custom shortcodes.

    Plugin System

    fddl’s plugin architecture allows you to extend functionality without modifying core code.

    Built-in Plugins

    Sitemap Generation

    Automatically creates sitemap.xml for SEO:

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
  <url>
    <loc>https://yoursite.com/</loc>
    <lastmod>2024-12-30</lastmod>
  </url>
</urlset>

    RSS Feed

    Generates an RSS 2.0 feed at /feed.xml for blog posts:

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0">
  <channel>
    <title>Your Blog</title>
    <item>
      <title>Latest Post</title>
      <link>https://yoursite.com/blog/latest-post.html</link>
    </item>
  </channel>
</rss>

    Search Index

    Builds a searchable JSON index of all content:

    {
  "pages": [
    {
      "title": "Page Title",
      "url": "/page.html",
      "content": "Searchable content...",
      "tags": ["example"]
    }
  ]
}

    Reading Time Estimator

    Automatically calculates reading time for each page based on word count.

    Creating Custom Plugins

    The plugin system is designed to be extensible. Future versions will include a documented API for creating your own plugins.

    Template System

    fddl uses a flexible YAML-based template system with multiple layouts.

    Template Configuration

    # template.yml
name: "default"
version: "1.0"
defaultLayout: "page"
outputs:
  - html

    Multiple Layouts

    Different content types can use different layouts:

    # html.yml
layouts:
  page: "views/page.html"
  post: "views/post.html"
  index-list: "views/index-list.html"

    Template Variables

    Access page and site metadata in your templates:

    <h1>{{page.title}}</h1>
<div class="content">{{page.content}}</div>
<p>Generated on {{site.generatedDate}}</p>
<p>Build #{{site.buildID}}</p>

    Available variables include:

    • {{page.title}} - Page title from frontmatter

    • {{page.content}} - Rendered HTML content

    • {{page.description}} - Page description

    • {{page.date}} - Publication date

    • {{site.name}} - Site name

    • {{site.buildID}} - Incremental build number

    • {{site.generatedDate}} - Generation timestamp

    Development Server

    fddl includes a development server with hot reload capabilities (powered by SwiftNIO):

    fddl serve --port 8080 --open

    Features:

    • 🔥 Hot Reload: Changes appear instantly via WebSocket

    • 👀 File Watching: Automatically detects content changes

    • 🚀 Instant Rebuilds: Fast regeneration on save

    • 🌐 Local Preview: Test before deploying

    Syntax Highlighting

    Code blocks are automatically highlighted using Splash:

    struct Person {
    let name: String
    var age: Int

    func greet() {
        print("Hello, my name is \(name)!")
    }
}

    Supports multiple languages including Swift, JavaScript, Python, Bash, and more.

    Asset Management

    fddl automatically handles static assets:

    templates/default/assets/
├── css/
│   └── theme.css
├── javascript/
│   └── theme.js
└── images/
    └── logo.png

    All assets are copied to the output directory, maintaining the folder structure.

    Build Tracking

    Every site generation increments a build number, stored in .fddl-build:

    Build #42

    This helps track versions and can be displayed in your site footer.

    Flexible Navigation

    Navigation is simple HTML in your templates—no complex configuration:

    <nav>
  <a href="/">Home</a>
  <a href="/blog/">Blog</a>
  <a href="/about.html">About</a>
  <a href="/projects/">Projects</a>
</nav>

    Different layouts can have different navigation menus.

    What’s Coming Next?

    Future features on the roadmap:

    • API JSON output for headless CMS usage

    • Custom 404 error pages

    • macOS Services menu integration

    • Watch mode improvements

    • Theme marketplace

    • Plugin documentation and API

    Try It Yourself

    The best way to understand fddl’s capabilities is to use it. Check out the features demo page to see these features in action, or dive into the source code to see how they’re implemented.

    “Features are only as good as their implementation.” — fddl’s guiding principle

    Built with fddl - Where modern meets retro, and Swift meets markdown.

     - Rendered HTML content

  • A comprehensive look at fddl's features including shortcodes, plugins, the dev server, and the template system. - Page description

  • Dec 25, 2024 - Publication date

  • fddl - Site name

  • 09A486B3-9D5B-4E8E-8C24-61507010C9C9 - Incremental build number

  • Jan 17, 2026 at 10:42 PM - Generation timestamp

Development Server

fddl includes a development server with hot reload capabilities (powered by SwiftNIO):

fddl serve --port 8080 --open

Features:

  • 🔥 Hot Reload: Changes appear instantly via WebSocket

  • 👀 File Watching: Automatically detects content changes

  • 🚀 Instant Rebuilds: Fast regeneration on save

  • 🌐 Local Preview: Test before deploying

Syntax Highlighting

Code blocks are automatically highlighted using Splash:

struct Person {
    let name: String
    var age: Int

    func greet() {
        print("Hello, my name is \(name)!")
    }
}

Supports multiple languages including Swift, JavaScript, Python, Bash, and more.

Asset Management

fddl automatically handles static assets:

templates/default/assets/
├── css/
│   └── theme.css
├── javascript/
│   └── theme.js
└── images/
    └── logo.png

All assets are copied to the output directory, maintaining the folder structure.

Build Tracking

Every site generation increments a build number, stored in .fddl-build:

Build #42

This helps track versions and can be displayed in your site footer.

Flexible Navigation

Navigation is simple HTML in your templates—no complex configuration:

<nav>
  <a href="/">Home</a>
  <a href="/blog/">Blog</a>
  <a href="/about.html">About</a>
  <a href="/projects/">Projects</a>
</nav>

Different layouts can have different navigation menus.

What’s Coming Next?

Future features on the roadmap:

  • API JSON output for headless CMS usage

  • Custom 404 error pages

  • macOS Services menu integration

  • Watch mode improvements

  • Theme marketplace

  • Plugin documentation and API

Try It Yourself

The best way to understand fddl’s capabilities is to use it. Check out the features demo page to see these features in action, or dive into the source code to see how they’re implemented.

“Features are only as good as their implementation.” — fddl’s guiding principle

Built with fddl - Where modern meets retro, and Swift meets markdown.