CLAUDE.md

This file provides guidance to Claude Code (claude.ai/code) when working with code in this repository.

Project Overview

This is a Jekyll-based academic portfolio website using the Minimal Mistakes theme, hosted on GitHub Pages. It serves as a professional showcase for academic work, research, publications, and projects.

Technology Stack

• Static Site Generator: Jekyll 4.3+
• Theme: Minimal Mistakes 4.27.1 (remote theme)
• Hosting: GitHub Pages
• Ruby Dependencies: Managed via Gemfile and Bundler
• Content Format: Markdown with YAML front matter

Development Commands

Local Development

# Install Ruby dependencies
bundle install

# Serve site locally with auto-reload
bundle exec jekyll serve

# Build site for production
bundle exec jekyll build

# View at http://localhost:4000

Deployment

• Automatic: Push to main branch triggers GitHub Pages deployment
• Manual: No manual deployment commands needed

Architecture

Site Structure

├── _config.yml              # Main Jekyll configuration
├── _data/
│   └── navigation.yml       # Site navigation menu
├── _pages/                  # Content pages (About, Research, etc.)
├── assets/images/           # Profile photos and media
├── index.md                 # Homepage with feature rows
├── Gemfile                  # Ruby dependencies
└── Resume_*.pdf            # CV/Resume files

Content Organization

• Homepage: index.md with feature rows and quick links
• Static Pages: All content pages in _pages/ directory
• Navigation: Configured in _data/navigation.yml
• Author Profile: Defined in _config.yml under author: section

Page Types

• about.md: Background, education, skills
• research.md: Current and past research projects
• projects.md: Technical projects and repositories
• publications.md: Academic papers and presentations
• contact.md: Contact information and office hours
• test.md: Debug/testing page

Configuration

Site Settings (_config.yml)

• Title/Author: Bryce Wang, Stanford PhD student
• Theme: Minimal Mistakes default skin
• Plugins: Pagination, sitemap, feed, include-cache
• Social Links: Twitter, GitHub, Email configured in author section

Content Management

• Format: Markdown files with YAML front matter
• Layout: All pages use single layout with author profile
• URLs: Clean permalinks (/:categories/:title/)

Key Files to Modify

For Content Updates:

• _pages/*.md - All main content pages
• index.md - Homepage feature rows and quick links
• _config.yml - Site metadata and author information
• _data/navigation.yml - Menu structure

For Theme/Style Changes:

• _config.yml - Theme skin and configuration
• assets/ - Custom CSS/JS (if needed)
• Theme overrides via _layouts/, _includes/, _sass/ (if created)

Development Notes

• No build tools (webpack, npm, etc.) - pure Jekyll
• No testing framework configured
• No linting tools configured
• Content is version controlled; site builds automatically on push
• Mobile-responsive via Minimal Mistakes theme
• SEO optimized with automatic sitemap generation

Common Tasks

Adding Content:

1. Create/edit Markdown files in _pages/
2. Update navigation in _data/navigation.yml if needed
3. Commit and push - site rebuilds automatically

Theme Customization:

1. Override theme files by creating local copies
2. Modify _config.yml for theme settings
3. Add custom CSS in assets/css/main.scss

Profile Updates:

1. Replace assets/images/bio-photo.jpg
2. Update author: section in _config.yml
3. Replace resume PDF files