update

Author: adam

edit

@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# this script edits a note, it inserts the file name into the first line
+# after editing the file, it reads the first line and renames the file accordingly
+# It takes two arguments: 1. the editor command and 2. the note to be edited
+
+set -eu
+
+EDITOR=$1
+initial_path=$2
+filename="$(basename "$initial_path")"
+basename="${filename%.*}"
+
+
+while true; do
+  # insert the filename if it isn't already there
+  #first_line="$(head --lines=1 -- "$initial_path")"
+  #if [[ "$first_line" != "$basename" ]]; then
+  #fi
+
+  if [[ -f "$initial_path" ]]; then
+    ed -s +1 "$initial_path" <<< $'i\n'"$basename"$'\n.\nw'
+  fi
+
+  # edit the file and read the first line
+  $EDITOR "$initial_path"
+  edited_line="$(head --lines=1 -- "$initial_path")"
+  [[ -z "$edited_line" ]] && exit 1;
+  ed -s +1 "$initial_path" <<< $'d\nw'
+
+  if [[ "$basename" == "$edited_line" ]]; then
+    break
+  fi
+
+  if [[ "$filename" == *.* ]]; then
+    extension=".${filename##*.}"
+  else
+    extension=""
+  fi
+  chosen_path="$(dirname "$initial_path")/$edited_line${extension}"
+  if [[ -e "$chosen_path" ]]; then
+    { echo "i"
+      echo "=== Error Message starts here ==="
+      echo "The name '$edited_line' is already taken"
+      echo "Please delete this error message then:"
+      echo "- Save and quit to accept the original name"
+      echo "- or, choose another name"
+      echo "=== Error Message ends here ==="
+      echo
+      echo "."
+      echo "w"
+    } | ed -s +1 "$initial_path";
+    continue
+  fi
+  if mv "$initial_path" "$chosen_path"; then
+    break;
+  else
+    { echo "i"
+      echo "Error: rename operation failed"
+      echo "File name is reset to the initial name"
+      echo "Choose another name or keep the original"
+      echo "Make sure to remove this message once done"
+      echo "."
+      echo "w"
+    } | ed -s +1 "$initial_path";
+    continue
+  fi
+done

grep.sh

@@ -1,15 +1,27 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-# This script uses ripgrep, fzf and bat to interactively find, select, and preview notes
-# the script returns a string of the format "FILE\tLINE_NUMBER", where FILE is the path
-# to the selected note, and LINE_NUMBER is the line number of the match
+# This script uses ripgrep, fzf and bat to interactively find, select, and
+# preview notes.
+# The script returns a string of the format "FILE\tLINE_NUMBER".
+# FILE is the path of the selected file (the note)
+# LINE_NUMBER is the line number for the matched string
 
 # This script takes takes the notes directory as a first argument
 # and an initial search query as a second argument
 
 set -eu
 
+print_usage_help() {
+  cat <<EOF
+Usage: grep <notes_directory> [search_pattern]
+Where: <notes_directory> is the directory where the notes are stored
+       and [search_pattern] is the optional initial search pattern
+EOF
+}
+
 if (($# < 1)); then
+  echo insuffictient number of arguments !
+  print_usage_help
   exit
 fi
 

new.sh

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ NOTES_DIRECTORY=$2
 EDITOR=$1
 
 # choose a random name for the note
-editing_file="$NOTES_DIRECTORY/newnote${RANDOM}"
+editing_file="$NOTES_DIRECTORY/newnote${RANDOM}.md"
 
 # choose a new note name
 while true; do

readme.md

@@ -1,4 +1,38 @@
 A set of simple bash scripts for finding, opening and creating notes.
 
-This is my a very simple and naive solution for note taking, it doesn't assume
-much so it can easily be integrated into an editor or a window manager for convinience.
+The scripts are simple and doesn't assume much, so they can easily be integrated
+into an editor or a window manager.
+
+- `resolve` takes two arguments, 1. a search query and 2. the location of the notes. it outputs the first note it finds that matches query.
+- `edit` takes two arguments, 1. a editor command and 2. a path to a file. it inserts the file name at the top of the file before opening it. afterwards it changes the name of the file if the first line changes. this allow the name of the note (playing the role of it's title) to be as easily cnageable as the rest of the text of the note
+- `select_with_*` are scripts that start with `select_with_`. they allow selecting a note using different menu programs, runners, launchers, etc.. they output a path to the selected note
+- `select_random` outputs a random note given a notes directory
+
+# Usage Examples
+
+You can bind these to your preferred window manager
+
+```sh
+# select a note with bemenu and open it with neovide
+# use your preferred editor and and menu program
+note_select_with_bemenu ~/notes | xargs -d'\n' note_edit neovide
+
+# open a new note with the name stored at clipboard
+# (use `xclip -sel clip` intead of `wl-paste` if you are on X11)
+note_edit neovide ~/notes/"$(wl-paste)"
+
+# if your editor doesn't support jumping to the file at the cursor
+# you can copy the filename then hit a keybind to call this command
+# which would open the note that matches the name you copied
+note_resolve "$(wl-paste)" ~/notes | xargs -d"\n" note_edit neovide
+```
+
+Note: Piping the result to `xargs` seems like a raoundabout way to pass command
+results as an argument. the reason for the choice is that a failing command
+fails the while pipeline preventing passing invalid output to the commands
+consuming it. whilst a command substitution passes the result regardless.
+
+# QA
+
+- Q: Why are the names so long and ugly
+- A: They are meant to be bound to keys rather than typed

resolve

@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# This script resolves a link from one note to another.
+# Finding the target of a link is no more than finding the match of an exact
+# search by file name. If no matches are found, the script fails
+# The script takes a search query, a location to search within
+
+set -eu
+
+if (($# != 2)); then
+  echo "Usage: $0 <search query> <notes directory>"
+  echo "Example: $0 'Foundations of Mathematics' ~/notes"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+SEARCH_QUERY="$1"
+NOTES_PATH="$(realpath "$2")"
+
+FIND_COMMAND=(
+  fd
+  --search-path "$NOTES_PATH"
+  --type file
+  --and "$SEARCH_QUERY.md"
+)
+
+search_result="$("${FIND_COMMAND[@]}" | head -1)"
+
+if [[ -z "$search_result" ]]; then
+  exit 1
+else
+  printf '%s' "$search_result"
+fi

random.sh renamed to select_random.sh

@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@
 # this script selects a random note
 # this secript takes an argument for the notes directory
 
-# fail if no arguments are given
+set -eu
+
+# fail if no or too many arguments are given
 if (($# != 1)); then
   exit 1
 fi
@@ -17,8 +19,9 @@ FIND_COMMAND_ZERO_TERMINATED=(fd
   --glob '*.md'
   --print0)
 
+echo "$NOTES_DIRECTORY"
 declare -a search_results
 readarray -d '' search_results < <("${FIND_COMMAND_ZERO_TERMINATED[@]}")
 
-# is this really how one is supposed to index a random element in bash
+# is this really how one is supposed to index a random array element in bash
 printf "%s" "${search_results[$((RANDOM % "${#search_results[@]}"))]}"

select_with_bemenu

@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -eu
+
+declare NOTES_DIRECTORY
+if (($# != 1)); then
+  echo "expected exactly one argument, namely the notes directory"
+  echo "usage: $0 <notes_direcoty>"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+FIND_COMMAND=(
+  fd
+  --type file
+  --and '.md$'
+  #--print0 # outputs a NUL separated list
+)
+
+BEMENU_FLAGS=(
+  --list 7
+  --ignorecase
+  --fixed-height
+  --no-exec
+)
+
+NOTES_DIRECTORY="$(realpath $1)" # to normalize the path
+cd "$NOTES_DIRECTORY" || exit 1
+
+result=$("${FIND_COMMAND[@]}" | sed 's|^'$NOTES_DIRECTORY/'||' | sed 's|.md$||' | bemenu "${BEMENU_FLAGS[@]}")
+[[ -z "$result" ]] && exit 1;
+printf '%s' "$NOTES_DIRECTORY/$result.md"

open.sh renamed to select_with_fzf.sh

@@ -1,37 +1,42 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-# This script uses fd and fzf to interactively find a note
+# This script uses fd, fzf and bat to find, select and preview notes
 # This script requires two arguments, the first being the directory under which
 # notes are located, and the second is an optional initial search query
 
-# expect at least 1 argument (the second is optional)
+# expect at least 1 argument
 if (($# < 1)); then
-  exit
+  echo "refusig to run without arguments"
+  echo "usage: $0 <notes_directory> [search_query]"
+  echo "examples:"
+  echo "$0 /path/to/notes"
+  echo "$0 /path/to/notes metaphysics"
+  exit 1
 fi
 
 NOTES_DIRECTORY=$1
 
 FZF_PREVIEW_COMMAND=(
-  bat
+  command bat
   --color=always
   --style="numbers"
-  '{}'
+  '{}' # place holder for the currently selected file in fzf
 )
 
 FIND_COMMAND=(
-  fd
+  command fd
   --search-path "$NOTES_DIRECTORY"
   --type file
   --and '.md$'
-  --print0 # outputs a NUL separated list
+  --print0 # NUL separated output
 )
 
 FZF_COMMAND=(
-  fzf
+  command fzf
   --prompt 'Open note> '
   --delimiter / --with-nth -1
   --preview "${FZF_PREVIEW_COMMAND[*]}"
-  --read0 # read a NUL separated list
+  --read0 # read a NUL separated input
 )
 
 # if a 2nd argument is receieved, pass it as a query to fzf
@@ -43,5 +48,5 @@ chosen_note="$("${FIND_COMMAND[@]}" | "${FZF_COMMAND[@]}")"
 if [[ -f "$chosen_note" ]]; then
   printf '%s' "$chosen_note"
 else
-  exit 1
+  exit 2
 fi