A Concordia University profile, and PDF/A for any thesis

.github/scripts/check_output.py

@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+"""CI check of what `pixi run word` (and `pixi run pdf`) made.
+
+    python .github/scripts/check_output.py [concordia]
+"""
+import glob
+import re
+import sys
+import zipfile
+
+docx = glob.glob("_book/*.docx")
+assert docx, "no Word file in _book/"
+xml = zipfile.ZipFile(docx[0]).read("word/document.xml").decode()
+print("Word file:", docx[0])
+
+if "concordia" in sys.argv[1:]:
+    sections = re.findall(r"<w:sectPr.*?</w:sectPr>", xml, re.S)
+    found = []
+    for s in sections:
+        fmt = re.search(r'w:fmt="(\w+)"', s)
+        start = re.search(r'w:start="(\d+)"', s)
+        found.append((fmt.group(1) if fmt else "decimal", start.group(1) if start else None, "footerReference" in s))
+    expected = [("lowerRoman", "1", False), ("lowerRoman", "3", True), ("decimal", "1", True)]
+    assert found == expected, f"sections {found}, expected {expected}"
+    for text in ["SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES", "Abstract", "Table of Contents"]:
+        assert text in xml, f"front pages lack {text!r}"
+    print("Concordia sections: title/signature unnumbered, front pages from iii, chapters from 1")
+
+pdfs = glob.glob("_book/*.pdf")
+if pdfs:
+    data = open(pdfs[0], "rb").read()
+    assert re.search(rb"pdfaid:part(>|=\")2", data), "PDF isn't marked PDF/A-2"
+    print("PDF:", pdfs[0], "PDF/A-2")

.github/workflows/check.yml

@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 name: Check
 
-# Builds the example thesis on Windows, macOS and Linux: pixi install, import
-# the Word chapters, render the Word file. Runs only in the template itself,
-# not in theses made from it.
+# Builds the example thesis on Windows, macOS and Linux, plain and with the
+# Concordia profile (doctoral everywhere, master's on Linux), and the PDF/A
+# on Linux and Windows. Runs only in the template itself, not in theses made
+# from it.
 on:
   push:
     branches: [main]
@@ -16,6 +17,11 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         os: [windows-latest, macos-latest, ubuntu-latest]
+        thesis: [plain, concordia-doctoral, concordia-masters]
+        exclude:
+          - { os: windows-latest, thesis: concordia-masters }
+          - { os: macos-latest, thesis: concordia-masters }
+    name: ${{ matrix.thesis }} on ${{ matrix.os }}
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -28,14 +34,40 @@ jobs:
     - name: Import the Word chapters
       run: pixi run import
 
-    - name: Render the thesis in the template
+    - name: Concordia profile
+      if: startsWith(matrix.thesis, 'concordia')
+      shell: bash
+      run: |
+        pixi run concordia
+        echo "QUARTO_PROFILE=concordia" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+
+    - name: Master's
+      if: matrix.thesis == 'concordia-masters'
+      shell: bash
+      run: |
+        sed -i.bak 's/^  degree-level: doctoral.*/  degree-level: masters/' _quarto-concordia.yml
+        grep -n 'degree-level' _quarto-concordia.yml
+
+    - name: Render the thesis
       run: pixi run word
 
-    - name: The Word file was made
+    - name: LibreOffice (Linux)
+      if: runner.os == 'Linux'
+      run: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends libreoffice-writer
+
+    - name: LibreOffice (Windows)
+      if: runner.os == 'Windows'
+      run: choco install libreoffice-fresh -y --no-progress
+
+    - name: PDF/A
+      if: runner.os != 'macOS'
+      run: pixi run pdf
+
+    - name: Check what was made
       shell: bash
-      run: ls -l _book/*.docx
+      run: pixi run python .github/scripts/check_output.py ${{ startsWith(matrix.thesis, 'concordia') && 'concordia' || '' }}
 
     - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
       with:
-        name: thesis-${{ matrix.os }}
-        path: _book/*.docx
+        name: ${{ matrix.thesis }}-${{ matrix.os }}
+        path: _book/*.*

.gitignore

@@ -6,3 +6,7 @@ _book/
 
 /.quarto/
 **/*.quarto_ipynb
+
+# Built on your computer from Concordia's official template by `pixi run concordia`.
+universities/concordia/reference.docx
+universities/concordia/footer.txt

AGENTS.md

@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ template.
 | `pixi run import` | Converts each `word/*.docx` to a chapter, gathers citations into `references.json`, updates the chapter list in `_quarto.yml` |
 | `pixi run word` | The whole thesis as one Word file in `template.docx`, in `_book/` |
 | `pixi run preview` | A live preview in the browser |
+| `pixi run pdf` | The Word file as PDF/A, contents and lists filled in (needs LibreOffice) |
+| `pixi run concordia` | Once, for a Concordia thesis: builds `universities/concordia/reference.docx` from Concordia's official template |
 
 ## Moving their chapters in
 
@@ -43,6 +45,16 @@ template.
    (Persian, Arabic, Hebrew), uncomment `lang` and `dir` there.
 5. Run `pixi run word` and tell them where the file is.
 
+## A Concordia University thesis
+
+1. `pixi run concordia` (downloads Concordia's template; never commit what it builds).
+2. Uncomment `profile: default: concordia` in `_quarto.yml`.
+3. Fill in `_quarto-concordia.yml` with the author: degree level (`doctoral` or
+   `masters`), title, department, degree, date, committee, abstract, optional
+   pages. Ask them for each value; don't invent names or dates.
+4. `pixi run word`, then `pixi run pdf`. Check the page numbers with them:
+   title and signature pages unnumbered, abstract iii, first chapter 1.
+
 ## Known limits, to say plainly
 
 - The template gives the Word file its styles, margins, headers and page

README.md

@@ -46,6 +46,31 @@ own), then run `pixi run word` again.
 Or ask an AI assistant (Claude Code, Codex) to do it: `AGENTS.md` tells it the
 rules, starting with *never change your wording*.
 
+## A Concordia University thesis
+
+The Concordia profile makes the thesis the way the School of Graduate
+Studies' templates do, doctoral or master's: the title page and signature
+page (counted i and ii, not numbered), the abstract and other front pages in
+roman numerals from iii, a table of contents and lists of figures and tables,
+and the chapters from 1.
+
+1. `pixi run concordia`, once. It downloads Concordia's official template from
+   concordia.ca and builds the styles from it on your computer.
+2. In `_quarto.yml`, uncomment `profile:` and `default: concordia`.
+3. In `_quarto-concordia.yml`, fill in your degree (`doctoral` or `masters`),
+   title, department, committee, abstract and the optional pages.
+4. `pixi run word`, then `pixi run pdf` for the PDF/A you submit.
+
+Check the result against the [Thesis Preparation Guide](https://www.concordia.ca/content/dam/sgs/docs/handbooks/thesispreparationguide.pdf):
+this starter follows Concordia's templates but isn't made or checked by
+Concordia.
+
+## The PDF you submit
+
+`pixi run pdf` turns the Word file into PDF/A, the archival PDF most
+universities ask for, with the table of contents and lists filled in. It
+needs [LibreOffice](https://www.libreoffice.org) (free), installed once.
+
 ## فارسی
 
 پایان‌نامه‌تان در Word است و دانشگاه یک الگوی Word داده. این پوشه فصل‌ها را به

_quarto-concordia.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+# Concordia University thesis: the School of Graduate Studies' formatting
+# (title and signature pages, roman front pages from iii, chapters from 1).
+# Switch it on in _quarto.yml (profile: default: concordia). Fill in yours.
+format:
+  docx:
+    reference-doc: universities/concordia/reference.docx
+    toc: false          # the front pages carry Concordia's own table of contents
+
+filters:
+  - universities/concordia/front-pages.lua
+
+concordia:
+  degree-level: doctoral          # or: masters
+  title: "Archives and Their Silences"
+  author: "A. Researcher"
+  department: "History"
+  degree: "Doctor of Philosophy (History)"   # master's: e.g. "Master of Arts (History)"
+  degree-short: "Ph.D."           # doctoral abstract line only
+  date: "April 2027"              # month and year of initial submission
+  year: "2027"
+  committee:
+    - { role: "Chair", name: "Dr. Chair Name" }
+    - { role: "External Examiner", name: "Dr. External Examiner" }
+    - { role: "Examiner", name: "Dr. Examiner One" }
+    - { role: "Examiner", name: "Dr. Examiner Two" }
+    - { role: "Thesis Supervisor", name: "Dr. Supervisor Name" }
+  program-director: "Dr. Program Director, Graduate Program Director"
+  dean: "Dr. Dean Name"
+  faculty: "Faculty of Arts and Science"
+  abstract: |
+    Colonial archives were not neutral collections. This thesis reads two of
+    them along and against their grain, and asks what their silences can tell.
+  acknowledgments: |
+    To my supervisor, and to the archivists who found the boxes.
+  list-of-figures: true
+  list-of-tables: true

_quarto.yml

@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 project:
   type: book
 
+# A Concordia University thesis: run `pixi run concordia` once, uncomment the
+# two lines below, and fill in _quarto-concordia.yml.
+# profile:
+#   default: concordia
+
 book:
   title: "Archives and Their Silences"
   author: "A. Researcher"