rplc 0.4.0

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rplc

rplc (Replace Locally) is a CLI tool for managing file and directory mirroring in development workflows. It enables developers to swap between original and custom versions of files without polluting the main repository.

Perfect for:

• Managing personal configuration overrides during development
• Testing with different configuration files without git changes
• Maintaining custom versions of files across development sessions
• Creating isolated development environments

All operations are atomic and idempotent.

Features

• File/Directory Mirroring: Swap between original and mirror versions of files and directories
• Configuration-Driven: Define mirror mappings in Markdown configuration files
• Environment Variable Support: Use environment variables in path configurations for flexible setups
• Environment Configuration: Configure CLI options via environment variables
• Environment Integration: Automatic .envrc management with swap state tracking
• Atomic Operations: Safe file operations with backup and restore capabilities
• Selective Operations: Target specific files or operate on entire configurations

Installation

From PyPI

pip install rplc

From Source

git clone https://github.com/sysid/rplc.git
cd rplc
uv sync --dev  # Install with development dependencies
uv tool install -e .  # Install CLI globally

Quick Start

1. Create a Configuration File

Create a configuration file (e.g., rplc-config.md):

# Development

## rplc-config
main/resources/application.yml
main/src/class.java
scratchdir/
$HOME/.config/app/local-settings.yml
${PROJECT_ROOT}/temp/
# Lines starting with # are ignored as comments

2. Set up Mirror Directory Structure

project/
├── main/resources/application.yml    # Original files
├── main/src/class.java
└── scratchdir/
    └── file.txt

mirror_proj/
├── main/resources/application.yml    # Mirror versions
├── main/src/class.java
└── scratchdir/
    └── file.txt

3. Swap in Mirror Versions

# Swap all configured files
rplc swapin --config rplc-config.md

# Or swap specific files only
rplc swapin main/resources/application.yml main/src/class.java --config rplc-config.md

4. Swap Back to Originals

# Swap out all files
rplc swapout --config rplc-config.md

# Or swap out specific files only
rplc swapout main/resources/application.yml --config rplc-config.md

Environment Variables

RPLC can be configured using environment variables, which serve as defaults when command-line options are not provided:

Environment Variable	Description	Default
RPLC_CONFIG	Path to configuration file	sample.md
RPLC_PROJ_DIR	Project directory path	Current directory
RPLC_MIRROR_DIR	Mirror directory path	../mirror_proj
RPLC_NO_ENV	Disable .envrc management	false

Example Environment Setup

# In your .bashrc, .zshrc, or project .envrc
export RPLC_CONFIG="$HOME/.config/rplc/config.md"
export RPLC_PROJ_DIR="/workspace/myproject"
export RPLC_MIRROR_DIR="/workspace/mirror_myproject"
export RPLC_NO_ENV="false"

# Now you can use rplc without specifying options
rplc swapin
rplc info

Usage

Commands

info

Display configuration information and current swap status.

rplc info [OPTIONS]

Shows:

• Configuration paths and their sources (CLI option vs environment variable)
• Configured files/directories with their current status
• Overall swap state (SWAPPED IN / NORMAL STATE)
• Environment variable status

swapin

Replace original files with mirror versions.

rplc swapin [FILES...] [OPTIONS]

Arguments:

• FILES...: Specific files or directories to swap in (space-separated)

Options:

• --pattern, -g: Glob pattern for file selection (e.g., ".yml", "main/**/")
• --exclude, -x: Exclude patterns (can be used multiple times)
• --proj-dir, -p: Project directory (env: RPLC_PROJ_DIR)
• --mirror-dir, -m: Mirror directory (env: RPLC_MIRROR_DIR)
• --config, -c: Configuration file (env: RPLC_CONFIG)
• --no-env: Disable .envrc management (env: RPLC_NO_ENV)

Examples:

# Swap all configured files (using environment variables)
rplc swapin

# Swap specific files only
rplc swapin main/resources/application.yml main/src/class.java

# Swap using glob patterns
rplc swapin --pattern "*.yml"
rplc swapin --pattern "main/**/*"

# Swap all except certain files
rplc swapin --exclude "*.log" --exclude "temp/*"

# Combine specific files with exclusions
rplc swapin config/ src/ --exclude "*.backup"

# Swap with custom directories (overrides environment)
rplc swapin --proj-dir /path/to/project --mirror-dir /path/to/mirror

# Real-world examples
rplc swapin config/database.yml         # Override database config
rplc swapin --pattern "config/*.yml"    # All YAML configs
rplc swapin src/ --exclude "*/test/*"   # Source code except tests

swapout

Restore original files and move modified versions to mirror.

rplc swapout [FILES...] [OPTIONS]

Uses same arguments and options as swapin.

Examples:

# Swap out all configured files
rplc swapout

# Swap out specific files only
rplc swapout main/resources/application.yml

# Swap out using patterns
rplc swapout --pattern "*.yml"

# Swap out all except certain files
rplc swapout --exclude "*.log"

Configuration Format

Configuration files use Markdown format with a specific structure. Only content under the # Development → ## rplc-config section is processed:

# Development

## rplc-config
path/to/file.txt
path/to/directory/
another/file.yml
$HOME/.config/app/settings.yml
${PROJECT_ROOT}/temp/cache/
# This is a comment and will be ignored

Rules:

• Paths ending with / are treated as directories
• Paths are relative to project root (unless using environment variables)
• Code blocks are ignored
• Only content under # Development → ## rplc-config is processed
• Environment variables are resolved using $VAR or ${VAR} syntax
  • Undefined environment variables are left as-is (no error thrown)
  • Tilde (~) expands to user's home directory
  • Variables can be combined: ~/${PROJECT}/config
  • Trailing / still indicates directories after expansion

Environment Integration

RPLC automatically manages the RPLC_SWAPPED environment variable in .envrc files:

• swapin: Sets export RPLC_SWAPPED=1
• swapout: Removes the variable

Disable with --no-env flag or RPLC_NO_ENV=true environment variable.

How It Works

Swap-In Process

1. Backup Original: Moves original file to mirror_dir/path.rplc.original
2. Create Sentinel: Copies mirror content to mirror_dir/path.rplc_active
3. Replace Original: Moves mirror file to original location
4. Update Environment: Sets RPLC_SWAPPED=1 in .envrc

Swap-Out Process

1. Store Changes: Moves modified file from original location to mirror
2. Restore Original: Moves backup from mirror_dir/path.rplc.original to original location
3. Cleanup: Removes sentinel files
4. Update Environment: Removes RPLC_SWAPPED from .envrc

File Structure During Operation

project/
├── file.txt                          # Active file (mirror content during swap-in)
└── .envrc                            # Contains RPLC_SWAPPED=1 during swap-in

mirror_proj/
├── file.txt                          # Modified content after swap-out
├── file.txt.rplc.original             # Backup of original content
└── file.txt.rplc_active               # Sentinel marking active swap

Swap State Tracking

rplc tracks swap state through two mechanisms:

1. Sentinel Files (.rplc_active)

• Purpose: Track which files are currently swapped in
• Location: Mirror directory with .rplc_active suffix
• Content: Copy of the original mirror content
• Check: sentinel.exists() determines swap state
• Cleanup: Removed during swap_out

2. Environment Variable (RPLC_SWAPPED)

• Purpose: Global state indicator in .envrc
• Value: export RPLC_SWAPPED=1 when any files are swapped
• Management: Automatically added/removed during operations
• Usage: External tools can check this variable

State Flow:

Normal State:     No sentinel files, no RPLC_SWAPPED
Swapped State:    Sentinel files exist, RPLC_SWAPPED=1

Troubleshooting

# Show detailed help for any command
rplc --help
rplc swapin --help

# Show current configuration and status
rplc info

# Enable verbose output (if available)
rplc -v swapin

Development

Setup

# Install dependencies
uv sync --dev

# Install pre-commit hooks
pre-commit install

# Run tests
make test

# Lint and format
make lint
make format

Project Structure

src/rplc/
├── bin/
│   ├── __init__.py
│   └── cli.py              # CLI interface
└── lib/
    ├── __init__.py
    ├── config.py           # Configuration parsing
    └── mirror.py           # Core mirroring logic

tests/
├── bin/
│   └── test_cli.py         # CLI tests
├── lib/
│   ├── test_config.py      # Configuration tests
│   └── test_mirror.py      # Core logic tests
└── conftest.py             # Test fixtures

Testing

# Run all tests with coverage
make test

Building

# Build package
make build

# Create release
make bump-patch  # or bump-minor, bump-major

Requirements

• Python 3.12 or higher
• typer>=0.15.1
• uv for faster dependency management
• direnv for automatic environment variable loading

License

BSD 3-Clause License. See LICENSE for details.

Copyright © 2024, sysid. All rights reserved.

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make changes with tests
4. Run make lint and make test
5. Submit a pull request