It is January 9, 2026, early morning.
Currently thinking about CZON's custom theme feature. It was previously decided to implement this using JSX.
If using JSX, the interface becomes URL -> State -> HTML.
URLs are still important because ultimately we need to render static HTML files. For SEO considerations, URLs are still necessary. Moreover, the main part of a URL is the Path, not the Query/Hash, as these cannot be translated into static files due to their dynamic nature.
Therefore, URLs, especially Paths, will remain a core concept of CZON.
React believes UI = f(State), and JSX is the manifestation of this function f.
So, the problems CZON needs to address are:
Which URLs are accessible?
- All Markdown files. For displaying article content.
- List index pages, primarily for displaying other URLs under certain criteria, such as categories, tags, archives, etc.
- Other special pages.
What is the State corresponding to each URL? Regardless of the type of URL, the State can always be designed to be global. Even for article pages, the list of all articles can be passed in, though only the current article is rendered.
How to render HTML based on State? This is the responsibility of JSX. JSX components receive State as Props, return React Elements, and finally, ReactDOMServer renders them into HTML. If necessary, hydration can be performed on the client side.
Therefore, CZON's theme system is essentially a set of JSX components that receive the State provided by CZON and render it into HTML... This feels no different from a modern React static site generator. 🤔 Can I really outperform already mature solutions?
There are many mature solutions for SSG (Static Site Generator) combined with React + Markdown, such as Next.js, Gatsby, Astro, Docusaurus, Nextra, VitePress, etc. These solutions are already very mature and feature-rich. Why reinvent the wheel?
However, CZON also has its unique aspects, primarily focused on AI integration:
Native Language Writing, Automatic Translation
One of CZON's core selling points is supporting content creation in the native language, with AI automatically translating it into multiple languages. This is not common in existing SSGs. Although some plugins can achieve similar functionality, CZON can integrate this more seamlessly.
Automatic Extraction of Document Metadata
CZON can automatically extract metadata from documents, such as titles, summaries, keywords, etc., which is very helpful for SEO and content management. Users can act as writers while having a professional AI assistant tirelessly handle these trivial tasks.
Intelligent Content Generation and Optimization (TODO)
Although CZON does not have this feature yet, it could integrate AI in the future to help generate content, optimize SEO, or even dynamically adjust content based on user behavior. For example, AI could review the readability of articles, provide improvement suggestions, or generate related multimedia content (such as images, videos, etc.).
Intelligent Distribution and Recommendations (TODO)
Content that can better embed itself in readers' minds is more valuable. All content creators understand this deeply. While creating beautiful frameworks and themes is important, producing content that attracts readers is the key. CZON needs to consider how to bridge the gap between content creation and distribution, allowing AI to help authors better reach their audience. For example, generating promotional copy tailored to specific social media styles with one click or recommending related articles based on reader interests.
In summary, although CZON overlaps with existing SSGs in some aspects, it has unique advantages in AI integration and content management. Therefore, continuing to develop CZON as an independent tool makes sense. However, it is important to note that CZON should focus on its unique selling points rather than trying to reinvent already mature wheels. For now, functionality is the priority, not perfection.
Thus, I have decided to temporarily pause the development of CZON's custom theme feature and instead focus on improving its core functionalities, especially the unique features related to AI integration and content management. This will save some effort. Once CZON's core functionalities are more stable, I can reconsider whether to introduce custom theme features or directly integrate with existing SSGs.
In the future, I will write a dedicated article to define CZON's positioning and target audience, clarifying its differences and advantages compared to existing SSGs.
