Easily customize your RebelMouse-powered property through GitHub

Introduction & Overview

The RebelMouse Roar Publishing Platform offers advanced content creation and curation workflows, user engagement tools, and comprehensive performance statistics dashboards.

While all core Roar platform features are regularly upgraded, clients and partners can make frontend changes to their site(s) by leveraging internal development resources. In an effort to provide partners and clients with maximum control of their RebelMouse-powered properties, RebelMouse allows clients to make frontend changes to their site(s) via GitHub.

The purpose of this document is to provide an overview of various on-site elements that can be modified through your site's GitHub integration, programming languages required to make frontend changes, GitHub limitations, and a roadmap of what's soon to come with the RebelMouse Developer Program.

A Collaborative Environment

RebelMouse is proud to serve as partner, not just a vendor. Thus, developers working on a Roar-powered site are never lead astray, forced to search forums and archaic documentation for help. Outside developers are invited to attend the RebelMouse Developer Training Program, which offers platform training, and tips for navigating the GitHub integration. Further, new developers are paired with a RebelMouse lead developer, to help answer any technical questions that may arise.

CSS/HTML Modifications

The most simple changes that can be made to an existing property are CSS/HTML-based, and include elements such as fonts, colors, styles, etc. These stylistic elements do not require a high level of technical expertise, and most tech-savvy people can learn how to modify these frontend elements with basic CSS/HTML knowledge.

Third-Party Integrations

Through GitHub's interface, clients can integrate ad networks and third-party web applications, including (but not limited to) web analytics, e-commerce platforms, email marketing tools, video players, CRM platforms, surveys, etc. Additionally, certain Roar platform components, such as the Call-To-Action (CTAs) widgets can be modified by an external developer, to align with target conversion events and KPIs. Please note that all third-party integrations will range in terms of complexity, and required development hours.

Frontend & JavaScript Layers

The Roar platform is built on advanced layers of JavaScript (JS) logic, which pave the way for highly customized user experiences. We recommend that third-party developers who seek to modify JS layers within a Roar property are proficient in JQuery, Require.JS, and Backbone.

Customization and Template Creation

Jinja Templates

The Jinja template engine is used as the base template system for all pages. Each Roar project has its own set of templates that can be modified by third-party developers.

Mustache Templates

Mustache templates are used when frontend and server side rendering is required. All articles/posts are rendered using Mustache templates, eliminating the need for additional server requests. Similar to other open templates, third-party developers can fully customize templates.

Skeleton Templates

Skeleton is an XML subset. The main goal of Skeleton is to define page layouts, and fill each placeholder with data rendered by Jinja, Mustache, or even Skeleton templates. Skeleton supports the full set of HTML5 tags, along with custom RebelMouse tags, which allow you to call and present any information sets stored in our database. The presentation is easy to change, simply by rendering various templates (Jinja, Mustache or even Skeleton again), without having to access the Python codebase.

API Infrastructure, Built to Scale

Data layers for entries, sections, users and all key data elements are provided through an internal and private API. Nearly all backend customization requests are satisfied through API calls.

Post-Launch Access and Support

Please note that GitHub repository access is enabled post-launch of the site. A paid GitHub account is required to access the private repository. Any client that makes code commits through GitHub is ultimately responsible for QA of their code. We recommend pushing all new code versions to a staging site, rather than directly to the live site. Developers can always revert back to previous code, as GitHub logs previous site code versions.

For any questions, please reach out to your dedicated account executive or contact us here.

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