# Sitemap Generator

A Python-based utility that automatically generates an XML sitemap for the blog website. The sitemap helps search engines discover and index the blog's content more efficiently.

## Features

- Automatically generates a sitemap.xml file following the [Sitemap Protocol](https://www.sitemaps.org/protocol.html)
- Includes both static pages and dynamic blog post entries
- Regularly updates the sitemap on a scheduled basis using cron jobs
- Containerized for easy deployment

## Requirements

- Python 3.x
- Docker (for containerized deployment)
- Dependencies:
  - pydantic
  - requests

## Configuration

The sitemap generator uses the following environment variables:

| Variable       | Description                                         | Default    |
| -------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | ---------- |
| `API_BASE_URL` | Base URL of the blog's API                          | (required) |
| `FRONTEND_URL` | Base URL of the frontend website                    | (required) |
| `STORAGE_PATH` | Path where the generated sitemap.xml will be stored | `./static` |

## Usage

### Local Execution

1. Install the required dependencies:

   ```bash
   pip install -r requirements.txt
   ```

2. Set the environment variables:

   ```bash
   export API_BASE_URL=http://api.example.com
   export FRONTEND_URL=http://www.example.com
   ```

3. Run the generator:

   ```bash
   python gen_sitemap.py
   ```

### Docker Deployment

1. Build the Docker image:

   ```bash
   docker build -t blog-sitemap-generator .
   ```

2. Create a directory on the host to store the generated sitemap:

   ```bash
   mkdir -p /path/to/host/dir
   touch /path/to/host/dir/sitemap.xml
   ```

3. Run the container:

   ```bash
   docker run -d \
     -e API_BASE_URL=http://api.example.com \
     -e FRONTEND_URL=http://www.example.com \
     -v /path/to/host/dir/sitemap.xml:/app/static/sitemap.xml \
     blog-sitemap-generator
   ```

## Scheduled Execution

The sitemap is automatically generated according to the schedule defined in the `crontab` file:

- Every day at 00:00, 08:00, and 16:00 (UTC)

## File Structure

- `gen_sitemap.py`: Main script that generates the sitemap
- `requirements.txt`: Python dependencies
- `crontab`: Cron job schedule configuration
- `Dockerfile`: Container configuration for deployment
- `README.md`: Documentation (this file)

## Output

The generator produces a standard XML sitemap at the specified `STORAGE_PATH` containing:

- The homepage URL
- The posts listing page URL
- Individual post URLs with their last modification dates