Add --config-file argument to use alternate config file at runtime (#1290)

* added new CLI argument option --config-file

* pass argument and fetch alt config file if specified

* argparse argument setting update

* argument alias --cf added

* documentation update - usage of CLI argument

* fixed name-clash + unit tests

* feature test added

* #1170-alternate-config-file: Auto stash before rebase of "refs/heads/#1170-alternate-config-file"

* Update docs/advanced.md

Co-authored-by: Jonathan Wren <jonathan@nowandwren.com>

* BDD tests added

* Begin migrating/rewording --cf tests in pytest-bdd.

Uses current directory instead of deep directory structure, but requires a given for each config file referenced

* Fix issue where specifying a config-file that needs to be upgraded ended up upgrading the user config file instead

* Uncomment and rework remaining tests for pytest-bdd instead of behave

* Fix copytree for Python 3.7 (which doesn't support dirs_exist_ok)

* Minor fixes to alternative config examples

* Remove behave tests (behave is no longer in use)

* Move config file unit test to unit test dir and use pytext path fixture instead of current directory to find test data

* Use explicit "given the config exists" for copying config files instead of shoehorning in "given we use the config" twice

* Change when/when to when/and

* Clarify scenarios and fix indentation

* Confirm primary config file isn't modified when encrypting/decrypting a journal in an alternate config file

* Remove try/except on copytree since I'm no longer using the same

Co-authored-by: Jonathan Wren <jonathan@nowandwren.com>
Co-authored-by: Micah Jerome Ellison <micah.jerome.ellison@gmail.com>

jrnl/args.py

@@ -337,6 +337,31 @@ def parse_args(args=[]):
         """,
     )
 
+    alternate_config = parser.add_argument_group(
+        "Specifies alternate config to be used",
+        textwrap.dedent("Applies alternate config for current session"),
+    )
+
+    alternate_config.add_argument(
+        "--config-file",
+        dest="config_file_path",
+        type=str,
+        default="",
+        help="""
+        Overrides default (created when first installed) config file for this command only.
+        
+        Examples: \n
+        \t - Use a work config file for this jrnl entry, call: \n
+            \t jrnl --config-file /home/user1/work_config.yaml
+        \t - Use a personal config file stored on a thumb drive: \n
+            \t jrnl --config-file /media/user1/my-thumb-drive/personal_config.yaml
+        """,
+    )
+
+    alternate_config.add_argument(
+        "--cf", dest="config_file_path", type=str, default="", help=argparse.SUPPRESS
+    )
+
     # Handle '-123' as a shortcut for '-n 123'
     num = re.compile(r"^-(\d+)$")
     args = [num.sub(r"-n \1", arg) for arg in args]

jrnl/config.py

@@ -47,9 +47,14 @@ def make_yaml_valid_dict(input: list) -> dict:
     return runtime_modifications
 
 
-def save_config(config):
+def save_config(config, alt_config_path=None):
+    """Supply alt_config_path if using an alternate config through --config-file."""
     config["version"] = __version__
-    with open(get_config_path(), "w", encoding=YAML_FILE_ENCODING) as f:
+    with open(
+        alt_config_path if alt_config_path else get_config_path(),
+        "w",
+        encoding=YAML_FILE_ENCODING,
+    ) as f:
         yaml.safe_dump(
             config,
             f,

jrnl/install.py

@@ -19,32 +19,53 @@ from .prompt import yesno
 from .upgrade import is_old_version
 
 
-def upgrade_config(config):
+def upgrade_config(config_data, alt_config_path=None):
     """Checks if there are keys missing in a given config dict, and if so, updates the config file accordingly.
     This essentially automatically ports jrnl installations if new config parameters are introduced in later
-    versions."""
+    versions.
+    Supply alt_config_path if using an alternate config through --config-file."""
     default_config = get_default_config()
-    missing_keys = set(default_config).difference(config)
+    missing_keys = set(default_config).difference(config_data)
     if missing_keys:
         for key in missing_keys:
-            config[key] = default_config[key]
-        save_config(config)
+            config_data[key] = default_config[key]
+        save_config(config_data, alt_config_path)
+        config_path = alt_config_path if alt_config_path else get_config_path()
         print(
-            f"[Configuration updated to newest version at {get_config_path()}]",
+            f"[Configuration updated to newest version at {config_path}]",
             file=sys.stderr,
         )
 
 
-def load_or_install_jrnl():
-    """
-    If jrnl is already installed, loads and returns a config object.
-    Else, perform various prompts to install jrnl.
-    """
+def find_default_config():
     config_path = (
         get_config_path()
         if os.path.exists(get_config_path())
         else os.path.join(os.path.expanduser("~"), ".jrnl_config")
     )
+    return config_path
+
+
+def find_alt_config(alt_config):
+    if os.path.exists(alt_config):
+        return alt_config
+    else:
+        print(
+            "Alternate configuration file not found at path specified.", file=sys.stderr
+        )
+        print("Exiting.", file=sys.stderr)
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+
+def load_or_install_jrnl(alt_config_path):
+    """
+    If jrnl is already installed, loads and returns a default config object.
+    If alternate config is specified via --config-file flag, it will be used.
+    Else, perform various prompts to install jrnl.
+    """
+    config_path = (
+        find_alt_config(alt_config_path) if alt_config_path else find_default_config()
+    )
 
     if os.path.exists(config_path):
         logging.debug("Reading configuration from file %s", config_path)
@@ -68,7 +89,7 @@ def load_or_install_jrnl():
                 print("Exiting.", file=sys.stderr)
                 sys.exit(1)
 
-        upgrade_config(config)
+        upgrade_config(config, alt_config_path)
         verify_config_colors(config)
 
     else:

jrnl/jrnl.py

@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ def run(args):
 
     # Load the config, and extract journal name
     try:
-        config = install.load_or_install_jrnl()
+        config = install.load_or_install_jrnl(args.config_file_path)
         original_config = config.copy()
 
         # Apply config overrides