Raneto

Raneto is a lightweight, file‑based knowledge base written in Node.js that turns Markdown files into a fully functional wiki. From a developer’s standpoint, the core appeal lies in its zero‑dependency architecture: content lives in plain files under a content/pages directory, eliminating the need for a relational or NoSQL database. The server reads these files at startup, builds an in‑memory index with Lunr.js for full‑text search, and serves static HTML pages rendered by Mustache templates. This design keeps the runtime footprint minimal while still offering a rich editing experience directly in the browser via an embedded Markdown editor.

Architecture

• Runtime: Node.js (v12+), Express‑like middleware stack, built with ES6 modules.
• Templating: Mustache for layout rendering; Bootstrap CSS framework is the default theme but can be swapped.
• Search: Lunr.js indexes file names and content for instant client‑side search results.
• Editing: A browser‑based Markdown editor powered by CodeMirror, with syntax highlighting through Highlight.js.
• Storage: Pure file system; no database queries. All CRUD operations are performed on the local disk.
• Containerization: Official Docker image (raneto/raneto) is available, exposing port 8080 and mounting a host directory for content persistence.

Core Capabilities

• File‑based API: Expose CRUD endpoints (/api/pages/*) that accept Markdown payloads, enabling integration with CI/CD pipelines or custom front‑ends.
• Authentication: Basic session‑based login for edit protection; can be extended with OAuth or JWT through middleware hooks.
• Theming & Templating: Developers can drop custom CSS, Mustache partials, or even replace the entire layout without touching core code.
• Webhooks: Built‑in hooks for pageCreated, pageUpdated, and pageDeleted allow external services (e.g., CI systems, Slack notifications) to react to content changes.
• Extensibility: The plugin architecture lets you register new routes, middleware, or modify rendering pipelines via a simple plugins/ folder.

Deployment & Infrastructure

Raneto is intentionally minimalistic, making it ideal for micro‑service deployments or as a sidecar in larger applications. A single Docker container can be scaled horizontally behind a load balancer; since the content is stored on a shared volume, any node can serve requests. For truly distributed deployments, one might mount the content directory on a network file system (NFS) or use a cloud storage bucket with an S3‑compatible API, coupled with a shared cache layer for the Lunr index.

Integration & Extensibility

The API surface is small but expressive. Developers can integrate Raneto into existing Git workflows by having CI scripts commit Markdown files to the content directory, triggering a rebuild. The webhook system allows integration with issue trackers (e.g., GitHub Actions) to automatically create wiki pages from pull‑request descriptions. Moreover, the plugin system exposes hooks for modifying the Markdown rendering pipeline (e.g., adding custom shortcodes or embedding diagrams).

Developer Experience

Documentation is concise and organized under /docs, with a live demo that mirrors the production configuration. The project follows standard Node.js conventions, uses ESLint for linting, and is released under the permissive MIT license, encouraging commercial use. The community is active on GitHub and a mailing list for security alerts, ensuring timely updates. Configuration is driven by environment variables (PORT, BASE_URL, AUTH_SECRET) and a simple JSON config file, allowing quick customization without code changes.

Use Cases

• Internal Documentation: Teams can host a private wiki that syncs with Git repositories, keeping documentation versioned alongside code.
• API Reference Sites: Generate static API docs from Markdown files, with live search and editor for quick updates.
• Product Guides: Deploy a lightweight help center that can be embedded in applications, leveraging the built‑in editor for content authors.
• Educational Resources: Build course material sites where instructors can edit Markdown on the fly without a database backend.

Advantages

• Performance: Serving static files with an in‑memory Lunr index results in sub‑100 ms response times, even for large document sets.
• Simplicity: No database migrations or schema management; developers focus on content and logic.
• Flexibility: Node.js foundation allows integration with any JavaScript ecosystem, including GraphQL adapters or serverless functions.
• Licensing: MIT license removes barriers for commercial deployment, while the open‑source code base invites contributions and custom forks.

Raneto offers a compelling blend of speed, simplicity, and extensibility for developers who need a self‑hosted wiki that can grow with their project without the overhead of database administration.