mulch 0.2.8

Workspace Factory CLI for initializing standard workspace folders in /workspaces/ and generating an introspective WorkspaceManager class in /src/.

mulch — Workspace Factory CLI

mulch is a lightweight CLI and right-click context menu tool. Use mulch to empower your file system. There with multiple use cases for enhanced directory scaffolding, both as an individual and in a shared drive with a team. Developers will enjoy quickly standing up Python projects, and end-users will enjoy right-clicking in the file browser to set up file organization the same way every time, customizable to each directory.

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Features

• Benefit from introspective directory getters and file getters in the WorkspaceManager class, dictated by mulch-scaffold.json and protected by manager.lock.
• The hidden .mulch folder is leveraged for configuration.
• In --stealth mode, code can be stashed in .mulch, so that workplace directories shared with non-technical co-workers can be crisp while providing space to write localized analysis scripts.
• Easily installable and runnable via pipx
• Enforces a separation of source code and workspace files.
• The --here flag enables basic scaffolding for directory-only generation, no code included.
• The default workspace folder name is the date, if the --name flag is not provided.

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Installation

pipx (recommended)

pipx install mulch

Install Mulch as a right-click item in the context menu:

• Windows Context Menu Registry
• Thunar Custom Actions on Linux

git clone

git clone https://github.com/city-of-memphis/mulch.git
cd mulch
poetry install
poetry build
pipx install dist/mulch-*-py3-none-any.whl

The git source code includes .reg files which can be leveraged to register right-click commands with your context menu, to enjoy the full power of mulch in your file browser as a user-facing power tool.

Usage

# Set up a new directory, where you anticipate to organizing multiple projects
mkdir equipment-monitoring 
cd equipment-monitoring

# Generated a fresh .mulch\mulch-scaffold.json file, and edit the directory scaffold before running 'mulch init'.
mulch seed --edit

# Stealth mode, best for shared directories (`--stealth`)
mulch init --name bioreactor-1-team-analysis --stealth 

# Standard mode, best for Python developers
mulch init --name API01toAPI05  

# User mode, for everyone (`--here`)
mulch init --name SummerPhotos2025 --here 

Folder Stucture Options, using mulch init

Flag	Workspace Location	Source Location	Goal
(none)	workspaces/<name>/	src/<proj>/	Normal development use
--here	./<name>/	(none)	Clean, user-facing
--bare	workspaces/<name>/	(none)	New workspace, no src impact
--stealth	./<name>/	.mulch/src/<proj>/	Play nice with shared dirs

I am really excited about mulch init --stealth for mixed use directories. Business and engineering users can organize projects in a shared drive like SharePoint, while a dev can run custom analysis scripts catered to each type of project.