Timeline builder

Timeline Builder

Generate beautiful interactive timeline HTML pages from JSON configuration data, with three layout modes:

1. Vertical layout (vertical) — A classic top-to-bottom timeline with event cards alternating on either side of the axis
2. Horizontal layout (horizontal) — A horizontally scrollable timeline, best for displaying fewer events
3. Dual-side layout (dual-side) — Events are placed on the left or right based on the side field, great for side-by-side comparisons

All layouts support:

• Click to expand/collapse event details
• Mobile-friendly responsive design
• Custom theme colors, icons, and category labels
• Pure static HTML with zero dependencies — opens directly in any browser

Usage

Basic: Generate from a JSON config file

python3 scripts/generate_timeline.py --config timeline_data.json --output timeline.html

Read JSON from stdin

cat timeline_data.json | python3 scripts/generate_timeline.py --stdin --output timeline.html

Override layout mode (takes precedence over config file)

python3 scripts/generate_timeline.py --config data.json --layout horizontal --output timeline.html

JSON Configuration Format

{
  "title": "Project Milestones",
  "layout": "vertical",
  "theme": {
    "primaryColor": "#2563eb",
    "secondaryColor": "#7c3aed",
    "backgroundColor": "#ffffff",
    "textColor": "#1f2937",
    "lineColor": "#d1d5db",
    "fontFamily": "system-ui, -apple-system, sans-serif"
  },
  "events": [
    {
      "date": "2024-01-15",
      "title": "Project Kickoff",
      "summary": "Approval completed, core team assembled",
      "details": "Detailed description text, shown when the card is expanded...",
      "icon": "🚀",
      "category": "Milestone",
      "color": "#10b981",
      "side": "left"
    }
  ]
}

CLI Arguments

Argument	Description
--config, -c	Path to the JSON config file (mutually exclusive with --stdin)
--stdin	Read JSON from standard input
--output, -o	Output HTML file path (defaults to stdout)
--layout, -l	Override layout mode: vertical, horizontal, dual-side
--title, -t	Override the timeline title

Event Fields

Field	Required	Description
date	Yes	Date label — any format works (e.g. 2024-01, Q1 2024, Phase One)
title	Yes	Event title
summary	No	Short description, always visible on the card
details	No	Detailed content, revealed on click
icon	No	Emoji or single-character icon (defaults to ●)
category	No	Category tag displayed on the card
color	No	Event node color (overrides the theme color)
side	No	Only for dual-side layout: left or right

Use Cases

• Project milestone displays
• Product release histories
• Company growth timelines
• Personal resume timelines
• Course syllabus outlines
• Any scenario requiring chronological information display

Dependencies

• Python 3.6+ (standard library only — no extra packages required)