path: root/docs/recipes.md

<!-- Copyright (C) 2012-2021 jrnl contributors
     License: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html -->
# FAQ

## Recipes

### Co-occurrence of tags

If I want to find out how often I mentioned my flatmates Alberto and
Melo in the same entry, I run

```sh
jrnl @alberto --tags | grep @melo
```

And will get something like `@melo: 9`, meaning there are 9 entries
where both `@alberto` and `@melo` are tagged. How does this work? First,
`jrnl @alberto` will filter the journal to only entries containing the
tag `@alberto`, and then the `--tags` option will print out how often
each tag occurred in this filtered journal. Finally, we pipe this to
`grep` which will only display the line containing `@melo`.

### Combining filters

You can do things like

```sh
jrnl @fixed -starred -n 10 -to "jan 2013" --short
```

To get a short summary of the 10 most recent, favourited entries before
January 1, 2013 that are tagged with `@fixed`.

### Statistics

How much did I write last year?

```sh
jrnl -from "jan 1 2013" -to "dec 31 2013" | wc -w
```

Will give you the number of words you wrote in 2013. How long is my
average entry?

```sh
expr $(jrnl --export text | wc -w) / $(jrnl --short | wc -l)
```

This will first get the total number of words in the journal and divide
it by the number of entries (this works because `jrnl --short` will
print exactly one line per entry).

### Importing older files

If you want to import a file as an entry to jrnl, you can just do `jrnl < entry.ext`. But what if you want the modification date of the file to
be the date of the entry in jrnl? Try this

```sh
echo `stat -f %Sm -t '%d %b %Y at %H:%M: ' entry.txt` `cat entry.txt` | jrnl
```

The first part will format the modification date of `entry.txt`, and
then combine it with the contents of the file before piping it to jrnl.
If you do that often, consider creating a function in your `.bashrc` or
`.bash_profile`

```sh
jrnlimport () {
  echo `stat -f %Sm -t '%d %b %Y at %H:%M: ' $1` `cat $1` | jrnl
}
```

### Using templates

!!! note
    Templates require an [external editor](./advanced.md) be configured. 

A template is a code snippet that makes it easier to use repeated text 
each time a new journal entry is started. There are two ways you can utilize
templates in your entries.  

#### 1. Command line arguments

If you had a `template.txt` file with the following contents:

```sh
My Personal Journal
Title: 

Body:
```

The `template.txt` file could be used to create a new entry with these 
command line arguements:

```sh
jrnl < template.txt     # Imports template.txt as the most recent entry
jrnl -1 --edit          # Opens the most recent entry in the editor 
```

#### 2. Include the template file in `jrnl.yaml`

A more efficient way to work with a template file is to declare the file
in your config file by changing the `template` setting from `false` to the
template file's path in double quotes:

```sh
...
template: "/path/to/template.txt"
...
```

Changes can be saved as you continue writing the journal entry and will be
logged as a new entry in the journal you specified in the original argument.

!!! tip 
    To read your journal entry or to verify the entry saved, you can use this 
    command: `jrnl -n 1` (Check out [Formats](./formats.md) for more options).

```sh
jrnl -n 1
```

### Prompts on shell reload

If you'd like to be prompted each time you refresh your shell, you can include
this in your `.bash_profile`:

```sh
function log_question()
{
   echo $1
   read
   jrnl today: ${1}. $REPLY
}
log_question 'What did I achieve today?'
log_question 'What did I make progress with?'
```

Whenever your shell is reloaded, you will be prompted to answer each of the 
questions in the example above. Each answer will be logged as a separate 
journal entry at the `default_hour` and `default_minute` listed in your 
`jrnl.yaml` [config file](../advanced/#configuration-file).

### Display random entry

You can use this to select one title at random and then display the whole
entry. The invocation of `cut` needs to match the format of the timestamp.
For timestamps that have a space between data and time components, select
fields 1 and 2 as shown. For timestamps that have no whitespace, select
only field 1.

```sh
jrnl -on "$(jrnl --short | shuf -n 1 | cut -d' ' -f1,2)"
```


### Launch a terminal for rapid logging 
You can use this to launch a terminal that is the `jrnl` stdin prompt so you can start typing away immediately. 

```bash
jrnl now --config-override editor:""
```

Bind this to a keyboard shortcut. 

Map `Super+Alt+J` to launch the terminal with jrnl prompt

- **xbindkeys**
In your `.xbindkeysrc`

```ini
Mod4+Mod1+j
 alacritty -t floating-jrnl -e jrnl now --config-override editor:"",
```

- **I3 WM** Launch a floating terminal with the `jrnl` prompt

```ini
bindsym Mod4+Mod1+j exec --no-startup-id alacritty -t floating-jrnl -e jrnl --config-override editor:""
for_window[title="floating *"] floating enable
```

## External editors

Configure your preferred external editor by updating the `editor` option 
in your `jrnl.yaml` file. (See [advanced usage](./advanced.md) for details). 

!!! note
    To save and log any entry edits, save and close the file.

If your editor is not in your operating system's `PATH` environment variable,
then you will have to enter in the full path of your editor.

### Sublime Text

To use [Sublime Text](https://www.sublimetext.com/), install the command line
tools for Sublime Text and configure your `jrnl.yaml` like this:

```yaml
editor: "subl -w"
```

Note the `-w` flag to make sure jrnl waits for Sublime Text to close the
file before writing into the journal.

### Visual Studio Code

[Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com) also requires a flag
that tells the process to wait until the file is closed before exiting:

```yaml
editor: "code --wait"
```

On Windows, `code` is not added to the path by default, so you'll need to
enter the full path to your `code.exe` file, or add it to the `PATH` variable.

### MacVim

Also similar to Sublime Text, MacVim must be started with a flag that tells
the the process to wait until the file is closed before passing control
back to journal. In the case of MacVim, this is `-f`:

```yaml
editor: "mvim -f"
```

### iA Writer

On OS X, you can use the fabulous [iA
Writer](http://www.iawriter.com/mac) to write entries. Configure your
`jrnl.yaml` like this:

```yaml
editor: "open -b pro.writer.mac -Wn"
```

What does this do? `open -b ...` opens a file using the application
identified by the bundle identifier (a unique string for every app out
there). `-Wn` tells the application to wait until it's closed before
passing back control, and to use a new instance of the application.

If the `pro.writer.mac` bundle identifier is not found on your system,
you can find the right string to use by inspecting iA Writer's
`Info.plist` file in your shell:

```sh
grep -A 1 CFBundleIdentifier /Applications/iA\ Writer.app/Contents/Info.plist
```

### Notepad++ on Windows

To set [Notepad++](http://notepad-plus-plus.org/) as your editor, edit
the jrnl config file (`jrnl.yaml`) like this:

```yaml
editor: "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Notepad++\\notepad++.exe -multiInst -nosession"
```

The double backslashes are needed so jrnl can read the file path
correctly. The `-multiInst -nosession` options will cause jrnl to open
its own Notepad++ window.