License Picker

Multi-purpose utility tool for managing data entries from the command line. Add, list, search, remove, and export entries with a simple file-based backend. Includes configuration, initialization, and health-check commands.

Commands

Command	Description
`license-picker run <args>`	Execute main function — logs the run action
`license-picker config <args>`	Show or manage configuration (points to `config.json` in data dir)
`license-picker status <args>`	Show current status (reports "ready")
`license-picker init <args>`	Initialize the data directory
`license-picker list <args>`	List all entries from the data log
`license-picker add <item>`	Add a new timestamped entry to the data log
`license-picker remove <item>`	Remove an entry (logs the removal)
`license-picker search <term>`	Search the data log for a keyword (case-insensitive)
`license-picker export <args>`	Export/dump the full data log to stdout
`license-picker info <args>`	Show version and data directory path
`license-picker help`	Show help message with all commands
`license-picker version`	Show version (v2.0.0)

Command Details

run — executes and logs the action. Useful as a generic "do something" entry point.
config — displays the path to the configuration file ($DATA_DIR/config.json). Extend by editing config.json manually.
status — quick health check. Always reports "ready" and logs the check.
init — ensures the data directory exists at ~/.local/share/license-picker/ (created automatically on first use).
list — prints the full contents of data.log. If empty, shows (empty).
add <item> — appends a line with today's date plus your input to data.log. Example: 2025-03-18 MIT license for project X.
remove <item> — logs a removal event (note: does not physically delete from data.log — intended for audit trails).
search <term> — runs grep -i against data.log and returns matching lines, or "Not found".
export — dumps data.log contents to stdout. Pipe to a file for backups: license-picker export > backup.txt.
info — prints the current version and data directory path.

Every command logs its invocation to history.log with a timestamp for audit purposes.

Data Storage

All data is stored in ~/.local/share/license-picker/ (override with LICENSE_PICKER_DIR or XDG_DATA_HOME):

data.log — main data file, one entry per line with date prefix
history.log — audit log of all command invocations with timestamps
config.json — configuration file (referenced by config command)

Requirements

Bash (with set -euo pipefail)
Standard Unix utilities: date, cat, grep, wc, echo
No external dependencies or API keys required

When to Use

Quick data entry from the terminal — use license-picker add to log timestamped notes, decisions, or records without leaving the command line
Searching through past entries — use license-picker search to find specific items across your data log
Exporting data for external tools — pipe license-picker export to files or other commands for processing
Checking tool health — run license-picker status or license-picker info to verify the tool is set up correctly
Initializing on a new machine — run license-picker init to set up the data directory, then start adding entries immediately

Examples

# Initialize the data directory
license-picker init

# Add a new entry
license-picker add "MIT license selected for web-app project"

# Add another entry
license-picker add "Apache-2.0 for backend API — patent clause needed"

# List all entries
license-picker list

# Search for entries containing "MIT"
license-picker search MIT

# Check current status
license-picker status

# Show version and data path
license-picker info

# Export all data to a backup file
license-picker export > ~/license-decisions-backup.txt

Tips

Run license-picker help to see all available commands
The data directory is auto-created on first use — no manual setup needed
Set LICENSE_PICKER_DIR environment variable to use a custom data location
All commands are logged to history.log for a full audit trail
Pipe license-picker export into grep, jq, or other tools for advanced filtering