Add on_post_build() function to macros' code

  - Added documentation, under "Advanced usage"

mkdocs_macros/plugin.py

@@ -14,8 +14,10 @@
 import yaml
 from jinja2 import Environment, FileSystemLoader
 from mkdocs.plugins import BasePlugin
+from mkdocs.config import config_options
 from mkdocs.config.config_options import Type as PluginType
 
+
 from .util import trace, debug, update, SuperDict, import_local_module, format_chatter, LOG
 from .context import define_env
 
@@ -64,6 +66,35 @@ class MacrosPlugin(BasePlugin):
     )
 
 
+    def start_chatting(self, prefix:str, color:str='yellow'):
+        "Generate a chatter function (trace for macros)"
+        def chatter(*args):
+            """
+            Defines a tracer for the Verbose mode, to be used in macros.
+            If `verbose: true` in the YAML config file (under macros plugin), 
+            it will start "chattering"  
+            (talking a lot and in a friendly way,
+            about mostly unimportant things).
+            Otherwise, it will remain silent.
+
+            If you change the `verbose` while the local server is activated,
+            (`mkdocs server`) this should be instantly reflected.
+
+            Usage:
+            -----
+            chatter = env.make_chatter('MY_MODULE_NAME')
+            chatter("This is a dull debug message.")
+
+            Will result in:
+
+            INFO    -  [macros - Simple module] - This is a dull info message.
+            """ 
+            if self.config['verbose']:         
+                LOG.info(format_chatter(*args, prefix=prefix, color=color))
+
+        return chatter
+
+
     # ------------------------------------------------
     # These properties are available in the env object
     # ------------------------------------------------
@@ -168,6 +199,19 @@ def reverse(x):
         return v
 
 
+    @property
+    def post_build_functions(self):
+        """
+        List of post build functions contained in modules.
+        These are deferred to the on_post_build() event.
+        """
+        try:
+            return self._post_build_functions
+        except AttributeError:
+            raise AttributeError("You have called post_build_functions property "
+                                 "too early. Does not exist yet !")
+
+
     # ----------------------------------
     # load elements
     # ----------------------------------
@@ -216,6 +260,8 @@ def foobar(x):
                 ...
 
         """
+        self._post_build_functions = []
+
         # installed modules (as in pip list)
         modules = self.config['modules']
         if modules:
@@ -252,6 +298,12 @@ def foobar(x):
                         "module '%s'. Prefer the define_env() function "
                         "(see documentation)!" % local_module_name)
                 function_found = True
+            if hasattr(module, 'on_post_build'):
+                # append the module to the list of functions
+                # `on_post_build_functions`
+                # NOTE: each of these functions requires 
+                # self (the environment).
+                self._post_build_functions.append(module.on_post_build)
             if not function_found:
                 raise NameError("No valid function found in module '%s'" %
                                 local_module_name)
@@ -457,30 +509,10 @@ def on_page_markdown(self, markdown, page, config,
             self.variables["page"] = page
             return self.render(markdown)
 
-    def start_chatting(self, prefix:str, color:str='yellow'):
-        "Generate a chatter function"
-        def chatter(*args):
-            """
-            Defines a tracer for the Verbose mode, to be used in macros.
-            If `verbose: true` in the YAML config file (under macros plugin), 
-            it will start "chattering"  
-            (talking a lot and in a friendly way, about mostly unimportant things).
-            Otherwise, it will remain silent.
-
-            If you change the `verbose` while the local server is activated,
-            (`mkdocs server`) this should be instantly reflected.
-
-            Usage:
-            -----
-            chatter = env.make_chatter('MY_MODULE_NAME')
-            chatter("This is a dull debug message.")
-
-            Will result in:
-
-            INFO    -  [macros - Simple module] - This is a dull info message.
-            """ 
-            if self.config['verbose']:         
-                LOG.info(format_chatter(*args, prefix=prefix, color=color))
-
-        return chatter
-
+    def on_post_build(self, config: config_options.Config):
+        """
+        Hook for post build actions, typically adding
+        raw files to the setup.
+        """
+        for func in self.post_build_functions:
+            func(self)

test/module/main.py

@@ -49,4 +49,12 @@ def button(label, url):
         return HTML % (url, label)
 
 
-    env.variables.special_docs_dir = env.variables.config['docs_dir']
+    env.variables.special_docs_dir = env.variables.config['docs_dir']
+
+
+
+def on_post_build(env):
+    "Post build action"
+    # activate trace
+    chatter = env.start_chatting("Simple module (post-build)")
+    chatter("This means `on_post_build(env)` works")

webdoc/docs/advanced.md

@@ -305,3 +305,94 @@ You may, of course, chose the combination that best suits your needs.
     of trouble, please do not expect help from the maintainers of this
     plugin.
 
+## Adding post-build files to the HTML website
+
+_From version 0.5_
+
+### Use case
+
+Sometimes, you want your Python code to add some files to the HTML website that
+MkDocs is producing.
+
+These could be:
+
+- an extra HTML page
+- an additional or updated image
+- a RSS feed
+- a form processor (written for example in the php language)
+- ....
+
+!!! Tip
+    The logical idea is to add files to the site (HTML) directory,
+    which is given by `env.conf['site_dir']`.
+
+!!! Note "Beware the of the 'disappeared file' trap"
+
+    One problem will occur if you attempt to add files to the site directory
+    from within the `define_env()` function in your macro module.
+
+    **The file will be created, but nevertheless it is going to "disappear".**
+
+    The reason is that the code of `define_env()` is executed during the 
+    `on_config` event of MkDocs; **and you can expect the site directory
+    to be wiped out later, during the build phase (which produces
+    the HTML files)**. So, of course, the files you
+    just created will be deleted.
+
+
+### Solution: Post-Build Actions
+
+
+
+The solution to do that, is to perform those additions
+as **post-build** actions (i.e. executed with `on_post_build` event).
+
+Here is an example. Suppose you want to add a special file (e.g. HTML).
+
+```Python
+import os
+MY_FILENAME = 'foo.html'
+my_HTML = None
+
+def define_env(env):
+    "Definition of the module"
+
+    # put here your HTML content
+    my_HTML = ......
+
+
+def on_post_build(env):
+    "Post-build actions"
+
+    site_dir = env.conf['site_dir']
+    file_path = os.path.join(site_dir, MY_FILENAME)
+    with open(file_path, 'w') as f:
+        f.write(my_HTML)
+```
+
+The mkdocs-macros plugin will pick up that function and execute it during
+as on `on_post_build()` action.
+
+!!! Warning "Argument of `on_post_build()`"
+    In this case, the argument is `env` (as for `define_env()`);
+    it is **not**
+    `config` as in the `on_post_build()` method in an MkDocs plugin.
+
+    If you want to get the plugin's arguments, you can find them in the
+    `env.conf` dictionary.
+
+!!! Note "Global variables"
+    To facilitate the communication between `define_env()` and 
+    `on_post_build` you may want to define **global variables** within
+    your module (in this example: `MY_FILENAME` and `my_HTML`).
+
+!!! Warning
+    Do not forget that any variable assigned for the first time
+    within a function is _by default_
+    a **local** variable: its content will be lost once the function
+    is fully executed.
+
+    In the example above, `my_HTML` **must** appear in the global definitions;
+    which is why it was assigned an empty value.
+
+