= jot

A simple command-line tool for taking notes stored in plain text files.

== Install

1. Build from source.

2. Create jot.conf, see Configuration below

   • default_path is only required config

== Usage

See jot --help for help.

=== Creating notes

1. Use jot opens new note in EDITOR (default: vim)

2. Add note inline as a command-line argument

[source,shell] $ jot "Here is my note"

3. Use STDIN by piping or slurping in data

[source,shell] $ git log -1 | jot $ jot < file-to-import.txt

=== Types of Notes

There are five types of notes: default, monthly, weekly, daily, new. This is a means for filing notes for different uses. I use the weekly notes for my weekly status updates. My monthly notes are for on-going projects through the month. I use daily or new note types for one-offs.

The note type is specified by using the command-line flag, the default note is when no flag is present.

[%header,cols=4] |=== | Flag | Config Name | Format String | Example

| --monthly | monthly_format | %Y-%m-%b.md | 2021-02-Feb.md

| --weekly | weekly_format | %Y-week-%U.md | 2021-week-08.md

| --daily | daily_format | %Y-%m-%d.md | 2021-02-25.md

| --new | new_format | %Y%m%d%H%M%S.md | 20210225153423.md

|
| default_format | %Y%m%d%H%M.md | 202102251534.md |===

See https://docs.rs/chrono-wasi/0.4.10/chrono/format/strftime/[Chrono strftime documentation] for format parameters.

Each note type can also have its own path, see config below. If the file does not exist, it will be created, otherwise opened or appended to.

== Configuration

You need to set the default_path in the jot.conf config file.

The config file location can be specified various ways, jot will look in the following order to determine where the config file is:

1. Command-line argument. Use jot --config /path/to/jot.conf

2. Environment variable: JOT_CONFIG_FILE

3. Look for platform config directory

a. Linux: ${XDG_CONFIG_HOME}/jot.conf b. Windows: ${APPDATA}/jot.conf

4. Look for ${HOME}/.config/jot.conf

If not specified or found in any of the above locations, jot will error out with a message to set the configuration file.

The config file is in TOML format, example:

[source,toml]

jot config file

base directory that all notes are stored

default_path = '~/Documents/jot'

What format to use for notes

See: https://docs.rs/chrono/0.4.0/chrono/format/strftime/index.html

default_format = '%Y%m%d%H%M.md'

2021-02-Feb.md

monthly_format = "%Y-%m-%b.md"

monthly_path = '/full/path/to/monthly/notes'

2021-week-08.md

weekly_format = "%Y-week-%U.md"

weekly_path = '/full/path/to/weekly/notes'

2021-02-25.md

daily_format = "%Y-%m-%d.md"

daily_path = '/full/path/to/daily/notes'

20210225153423.md

new_format = "%Y%m%d%H%M%S.md"

new_path = '/full/path/to/new/notes'

--

== Errata

Syncing data - You can use a cloud or sync provider to keep your notes in-sync across computers. I'm happy with the open-source https://syncthing.net/[Syncthing] to keep my Documents folder in sync across computers. I hear Google Drive, Dropbox, and others might be able to do the same.

== History

A bit of a toy project, a place to apply programming languages I'm learning, so it has gone through a couple iterations. It was first created in Python (https://github.com/mkaz/jot/tree/python[branch]) and then rewritten in Go (https://github.com/mkaz/jot/tree/golang[branch]). Now, it is Rust's turn.

== License

Jot is open-source and free to use, it is licensed under a https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT"[MIT License,rel=license].

I welcome contributions, but as a side project I may not always respond promptly. Please feel free to open an issues to report a bug, submit a feature, or even a pull request.

An https://mkaz.blog/[mkaz] contrivance.