An experimental content management system with a Windows 98 aesthetic, built with Python and HTMX. Arca stores content in Markdown files with YAML front matter — no database required.
Status: This is an experimental/learning project. It works, but it's rough around the edges. The codebase is a playground for exploring ideas like file-based CMS, retro UI design, and running Python entirely in the browser via WebAssembly.
Try it in your browser — no installation needed.
The demo runs the entire CMS (Python + Flask + HTMX) inside your browser via Pyodide (Python compiled to WebAssembly). There's no server — everything happens client-side. Changes persist during your browser session.
Arca manages content organized by type (articles, projects, tasks, pages, users). Each content item is a Markdown file with YAML metadata. The interface is styled after Windows 98 because why not.
Browse content by type with sortable tables, view/edit/delete actions, and right-click context menus.
View rendered Markdown content with tabbed panels for Content, Properties, and History. Includes keyboard shortcuts.
Edit content with a simple form. Supports title, status, tags, and Markdown content. Ctrl+S to save, Esc to cancel.
Two modes of operation:
The "real" version uses FastHTML as the web framework, with HTMX for frontend interactivity. Content lives on disk as Markdown files, indexed in an ephemeral SQLite database for fast querying.
Markdown files → DataManager (SQLite index) → FastHTML routes → HTMX swaps
The demo compiles Python to WebAssembly and runs Flask in the browser. A Service Worker intercepts HTTP requests and routes them to the in-browser Flask app via MessageChannel. Content lives in an in-memory Python dict, persisted to sessionStorage.
Browser loads index.html
→ Registers Service Worker
→ Loads Pyodide (Python in WebAssembly)
→ Installs Flask + Markdown via micropip
→ Runs Flask app with in-memory content store
→ SW intercepts all HTTP requests
→ Routes to Flask via MessageChannel
→ Flask returns HTML → HTMX swaps into DOM
- Python — core language
- FastHTML — web framework (local mode)
- Flask — web framework (browser demo, runs in Pyodide)
- HTMX — frontend interactivity without writing JavaScript
- Pyodide — Python compiled to WebAssembly
- Service Worker — acts as an HTTP server in the browser
- Markdown + YAML — content format
- SQLite FTS5 — full-text search (local mode)
- Windows 98 CSS — because nostalgia
python demo/serve.py
# Open http://localhost:8090/demo/index.html# Install dependencies
pip install -e .
# Start the server
arca serve --content-dir arca/content
# Open http://localhost:8000content/
├── articles/
│ ├── introduction.md
│ └── getting_started.md
├── projects/
│ ├── project_alpha.md
│ └── project_beta.md
├── tasks/
│ └── implement_search.md
└── pages/
├── about.md
└── contact.md
Each file has YAML front matter:
---
title: Introduction to Arca
status: published
author: Arca Team
tags:
- documentation
- getting-started
---
# Introduction to Arca
Your content here in Markdown...This is experimental software:
- The FastHTML integration is basic and may break with newer versions
- The browser demo requires ~30 seconds to load (Pyodide is large)
- Full page navigations in the demo cause Pyodide to reinitialize (mitigated with Service Worker pre-rendering and sessionStorage persistence, but not instant)
- No authentication or authorization
- No image upload or media management
- The Windows 98 CSS is entirely hand-written and incomplete in places
- Error handling is minimal
MIT