Jekyll Site Modernization Summary

Jekyll Site Modernization Summary

This document outlines the comprehensive updates made to modernize the OpenElections Jekyll site to current standards and best practices.

🚀 Major Updates

Ruby & Jekyll Version Updates

  • Ruby: Updated from 2.4.6 → 3.2.8 (latest stable)
  • Jekyll: Updated from 3.6.x → latest supported by GitHub Pages
  • Gems: Modernized all dependencies and removed deprecated packages

Frontend Framework Updates

  • Bootstrap: Updated from 3.1.1 → 5.3.2 (latest stable)
  • jQuery: Updated from 1.11.0 → 3.7.1 (latest stable)
  • Font Awesome: Updated from 4.0.3 → 6.4.0 (latest stable)
  • D3.js: Updated from 4.4.0 → 7.0 (latest major version)

Modern Web Standards

  • HTML5: Updated all layouts to use semantic HTML5 structure
  • CSS3: Implemented modern CSS custom properties and responsive design
  • JavaScript: Updated to modern ES6+ practices with better accessibility
  • SEO: Added Jekyll SEO Tag plugin for better search engine optimization

📁 File Changes

Configuration Files

  • Gemfile - Completely rewritten for modern dependencies
  • _config.yml - Enhanced with modern Jekyll settings and SEO configuration
  • .ruby-version - Updated to Ruby 3.2.8
  • .gitignore - Expanded with modern patterns
  • package.json - Added for frontend tooling and npm scripts

Layout Updates

  • _layouts/default.html - Updated to Bootstrap 5 and semantic HTML
  • _layouts/page.html - Modernized with responsive design
  • _layouts/post.html - Enhanced with better post metadata and structure
  • _layouts/sidebar.html - Updated responsive grid system

Include Updates

  • _includes/head.html - Modern CDN links, SEO tags, and meta tags
  • _includes/header.html - Bootstrap 5 navbar with accessibility improvements
  • _includes/footer.html - Updated styling and social media integration
  • _includes/scripts.html - Modern JavaScript loading and error handling

Styling Updates

  • _sass/_base.scss - Modern typography, CSS custom properties, accessibility
  • _sass/_header.scss - Bootstrap 5 compatible navbar styling
  • _sass/_footer.scss - Modern footer design with transitions
  • _sass/_modern.scss - New utility classes and responsive components
  • css/style.scss - Updated import order for proper cascading

CI/CD & Automation

  • .github/workflows/jekyll.yml - Modern GitHub Actions workflow for automated deployment

🎯 Key Improvements

Performance

  • CDN Resources: All external libraries loaded from modern CDNs
  • Compressed Assets: SASS compilation with compression enabled
  • Optimized Images: Responsive image classes for better performance

Accessibility

  • ARIA Labels: Proper semantic markup and ARIA attributes
  • Focus Management: Keyboard navigation and focus indicators
  • Screen Readers: Skip links and screen reader friendly content
  • Color Contrast: Improved color contrast ratios

SEO & Social

  • Meta Tags: Comprehensive meta tags for social sharing
  • Structured Data: Jekyll SEO plugin for rich snippets
  • Open Graph: Facebook and Twitter card support
  • Site Feed: Updated RSS/Atom feed generation

Security

  • HTTPS: All external resources loaded over HTTPS
  • Content Security: Proper rel="noopener" for external links
  • Modern Practices: Updated security headers and practices

Developer Experience

  • Modern Build Process: Updated build pipeline with GitHub Actions
  • Live Reload: Development server with automatic reloading
  • Error Handling: Better error messages and debugging
  • Documentation: Comprehensive documentation of changes

🛠 Development Commands

Local Development

# Install dependencies
bundle install

# Serve locally with live reload
bundle exec jekyll serve --livereload

# Build for production
bundle exec jekyll build

# Clean build artifacts
bundle exec jekyll clean

NPM Scripts (if using package.json)

# Serve locally
npm run serve

# Build site
npm run build

# Clean artifacts
npm run clean

🔍 Browser Support

The modernized site now supports:

  • Modern Browsers: Chrome 90+, Firefox 88+, Safari 14+, Edge 90+
  • Mobile: iOS Safari 14+, Chrome Mobile 90+
  • Responsive Design: Mobile-first approach with Bootstrap 5 grid system

📈 Benefits of Modernization

  1. Security: Updated dependencies eliminate known vulnerabilities
  2. Performance: Faster loading times with modern frameworks
  3. Maintenance: Easier to maintain with current best practices
  4. Accessibility: Better support for users with disabilities
  5. SEO: Improved search engine optimization
  6. Mobile: Better mobile experience with responsive design
  7. Development: Modern tooling for easier development workflow

🚨 Breaking Changes

Removed Dependencies

  • bourbon - CSS library (replaced with modern CSS)
  • pygments.rb - Syntax highlighter (Jekyll now uses Rouge)
  • sass gem - Replaced with built-in SASS support

CSS Class Changes

  • Bootstrap 3 classes → Bootstrap 5 classes
  • Font Awesome 4 icons → Font Awesome 6 icons
  • Custom grid classes updated for modern flexbox/grid

JavaScript Updates

  • jQuery usage minimized where possible
  • Modern event handling (addEventListener vs jQuery)
  • Better error handling and user feedback

🔄 Migration Notes

If you need to revert or modify:

  1. The old Gemfile.lock was removed - it will regenerate automatically
  2. Old font stack variables are maintained for backward compatibility
  3. Most existing content should work without modification
  4. Custom CSS may need updates for Bootstrap 5 compatibility

📞 Support

For questions about these changes:

  1. Check the Jekyll documentation: https://jekyllrb.com/docs/
  2. Bootstrap 5 migration guide: https://getbootstrap.com/docs/5.3/migration/
  3. GitHub Pages documentation: https://docs.github.com/en/pages

Last updated: August 1, 2025 Modernization completed by GitHub Copilot