README ====== **Journal-tools** is a simple set of applications to quickly keep notes for the activities of each day or week. The journal entries are automatically named so they are consistent and predictable. If `dailyjournal` or `weeklyjournal` are executed and no entry for the relevant time period exists, one is created from the journal template file; if an entry does already exist, it is reopened for editing. Setup ----- To get set up, you will need to create a journal directory for the tool you wish to use. The default paths are (see `Environment Variables` for overrides): * `dailyjournal`: `~/Documents/Journal` * `weeklyjournal`: `~/Documents/Journal/Weekly` These commands will however error out if the environment is not set up correctly, offering helpful errors to get you started. Templates --------- The `dailyjournal` and `weeklyjournal` commands support template files for each new note. **By default**, the template file is `.template.md` within the relevant command's journal directory. At runtime, the template file will be copied into place if a matching note for the time window does not already exist. The template copy process will not overwrite existing data. Environment Variables --------------------- There are several environment variables that can be used to override default functionality if desired. Not everyone loves capital letters in their paths. * **DAILYJOURNAL_DIR**: Path to the directory for daily journal entries. _Default: ~/Documents/Journal_ * **DAILYJOURNAL_EXT**: Extension of daily journal entries. _Default: md_ * **WEEKLYJOURNAL_DIR**: Path to the directory for weekly journal entries. _Default: ~/Documents/Journal/Weekly_ * **WEEKLYJOURNAL_EXT**: Extension of weekly journal entries. _Default: md_ **NOTE**: The above variables impact where template files are read from. If the extension is changed, for example to `adoc`, the template filename will become `.template.adoc`. Usage ----- ``` dailyjournal [+/-] weeklyjournal [+/-] ``` For the most simple usage, type `dailyjournal` to open today's journal (or `weeklyjournal` to open this weeek's journal). To open yesterday's entry, type `dailyjournal -1`, and to open two days ago type `dailyjournal -2`, etc. The same applies for `weeklyjournal`, but the argument is by week rather than by day. **NOTE**: When using negative numbers, daily does not calculate days, rather entries. In other words, `-1` is not one day ago, but one entry ago. This is to make it easier to open previous entries without needing to know how many days back they are. For example, if it is Monday and you want to open Friday's entry, and no entries were made over the weekend, type `dailyjournal -1` and Friday's entry will be opened (1 entry back). Continuing in this scenario, if an entry exists on Thursday, typing `dailyjournal -2` on Monday will open Thursday's entry (again, assuming no weekend entries are present). Friday is one back, Thursday is two back, Wednesday is three back, etc.