issues/completed/6-026a-modernize-script-path-handling.md

Issue 026a: Modernize Script Path Handling

Current Behavior

Legacy scripts in /scripts/ directory use hard-coded absolute paths
run-fediverse uses /home/ritz/backups/fediverse
update uses /home/ritz/backups/words, /home/ritz/words
compile uses hard-coded paths to various directories
Scripts cannot be run from different directories or by different users
No integration with project's ${DIR} variable system

Intended Behavior

All scripts use project ${DIR} variable for path resolution
Scripts work when run from any directory
Paths are relative to project root where possible
Maintain backward compatibility through configuration
Follow project conventions established in run.sh and other scripts
Scripts can be easily relocated or used by different users

Suggested Implementation Steps

Audit Current Path Usage: Document all hard-coded paths in legacy scripts
Implement DIR Variable: Add DIR variable setup to each script
Convert Path References: Replace absolute paths with DIR-relative paths
Add Configuration Layer: Create config file for any necessary absolute paths
Test Integration: Verify scripts work with project directory structure
Update Documentation: Document new path conventions

Technical Requirements

Script Path Standardization

All scripts should follow this pattern:

#!/bin/bash
# Script description and general functionality overview

# {{{ setup_dir_path
setup_dir_path() {
    if [ -n "$1" ]; then
        echo "$1"
    else
        echo "/mnt/mtwo/programming/ai-stuff/neocities-modernization"
    fi
}
# }}}

# Parse command line arguments
DIR=""
while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
    case $1 in
        -*)
            echo "Unknown option: $1" >&2
            exit 1
            ;;
        *)
            DIR="$1"
            shift
            ;;
    esac
done

# Set up directory
DIR=$(setup_dir_path "$DIR")

Path Conversion Strategy

Legacy Paths → Project Paths

/home/ritz/backups/fediverse → ${DIR}/input/fediverse-backup
/home/ritz/backups/messages-to-myself → ${DIR}/input/messages-backup
/home/ritz/words → ${DIR}/input/words
/home/ritz/notes → ${DIR}/input/notes

Configuration File Structure

{
  "input_sources": {
    "fediverse_backup_path": "/home/ritz/backups/fediverse",
    "messages_backup_path": "/home/ritz/backups/messages-to-myself", 
    "words_source_path": "/home/ritz/words",
    "notes_source_path": "/home/ritz/notes"
  },
  "project_structure": {
    "input_dir": "input",
    "scripts_dir": "scripts",
    "output_dir": "output"
  }
}

Priority Script Updates

1. update script - High Priority

Current hard-coded paths:

TARGET_DIR="/home/ritz/words"
NOTES_DIR="/home/ritz/notes"
FEDI_DIR="/home/ritz/backups/fediverse"
MSG_DIR="/home/ritz/backups/messages-to-myself"

Updated approach:

# Load configuration
CONFIG_FILE="${DIR}/config/input-sources.json"
TARGET_DIR="${DIR}/input/words"
# Source paths from config or environment variables

2. extract-fediverse.lua - High Priority

Current hard-coded paths:

local file = "/home/ritz/backups/fediverse/extract/outbox.json"
local save_location = "/home/ritz/backups/fediverse/files"

Updated approach:

-- {{{ setup_dir_path
local function setup_dir_path(provided_dir)
    if provided_dir then
        return provided_dir
    end
    return "/mnt/mtwo/programming/ai-stuff/neocities-modernization"
end
-- }}}

local DIR = setup_dir_path(arg and arg[1])
local file = DIR .. "/input/fediverse-backup/extract/outbox.json"
local save_location = DIR .. "/input/fediverse-backup/files"

3. run-fediverse and run-messages - Medium Priority

Convert to use project directory structure and config-based source paths.

Quality Assurance Criteria

Path Portability: All scripts work when project is moved to different directory
User Independence: Scripts work for different users without modification
Configuration Driven: External paths configurable without script modification
Backward Compatible: Existing functionality preserved during transition
Error Handling: Clear error messages when paths don't exist
Documentation: Updated path conventions documented

Success Metrics

100% Hard-coded Path Removal: No absolute paths remain in script files
Cross-User Compatibility: Scripts work for any user with project access
Directory Independence: Scripts work when run from any directory
Configuration Integration: External paths managed through config files
Preservation of Functionality: All existing script capabilities maintained

Dependencies

Project Configuration System: May require extending config/input-sources.json
Directory Structure: May need to create input/ subdirectories
Testing Framework: Need way to test scripts in different environments

Related Issues

Parent: Issue 6-026 (Scripts Directory Integration)
Blocks: Issues 6-017 (Image Integration), 6-025 (Chronological Sorting)
Follows: Project path standardization conventions from run.sh

Testing Strategy

Path Verification: Test scripts with different DIR values
Cross-User Testing: Test scripts as different users
Missing Path Handling: Verify error handling when paths don't exist
Functionality Preservation: Ensure all existing capabilities work
Integration Testing: Verify scripts work within main project workflow

ISSUE STATUS: COMPLETED ✅🔧

Completed: December 13, 2025 - Path modernization successfully implemented

🎉 IMPLEMENTATION RESULTS

All Requirements Successfully Implemented:

✅ Project DIR Variable: All scripts now use ${DIR} variable with setup_dir_path() function
✅ Configuration System: Created /config/input-sources.json with project-relative paths
✅ Script Modernization: All bash and Lua scripts accept project directory parameter
✅ Library Consolidation: Moved dkjson.lua to /libs/ for shared project use
✅ Path Conversion: Converted all hard-coded paths to project-relative structure

✅ Scripts Updated:

Bash scripts: update, run-fediverse, run-messages - all use project DIR
Lua scripts: extract-fediverse.lua, extract-messages.lua - project directory aware
Configuration: JSON-based path mapping with fallback defaults

✅ Path Mapping:

/home/ritz/backups/fediverse → ${DIR}/input/fediverse
/home/ritz/backups/messages-to-myself → ${DIR}/input/messages
All paths now relative to project root with configuration override capability

Foundation Complete: Ready for Issues 6-026b, 6-026c, and 6-026d. All scripts are portable and project-directory independent.