Create a ZK-note and return the file path

zk

#!/usr/bin/env python

# zk - create a new zettelkast entry and return the path

import sys
import os
import pwd
import argparse
from datetime import datetime

def create_zk(path, author=''):
    template = "Date: %s\nAuthor: %s\nID: %s\nTags: \n\n"
    time = datetime.now()
    date = time.strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")
    zkid = time.strftime("%y%m%d%H%M%S")

    filename = "zk" + zkid + ".md"
    path = os.path.join(path, filename)
    with open(path, 'w') as f:
        f.write(template % (date, author, zkid))

    return path

def txmt_URI(path):
    uri = "txmt://open?url=file://%s&line=6&column=0" % path
    return uri

if __name__ == '__main__':

    # Defaults
    author = os.getenv('ZK_AUTHOR', pwd.getpwuid(os.getuid())[4])
    path = os.getenv('ZK_DIR', '~/Desktop')
    path = os.path.expanduser(path)
    path = os.path.expandvars(path)
    path = os.path.abspath(path)

    long_desc = """
    Create a zk-note file with some defaults filled in.
    The name of the created file matches the ID of the note, i.e.: "zk<ID>.md"

    Returns the full path to the newly created file on success.
    """

    epilog = """
    The default author is read from environment variable 'ZK_AUTHOR' if it exists,
    otherwise it is set to full name of the current user.
    The default directory to create the not in is read from environment variable 'ZK_DIR' if it exists,
    otherwise it is set to $HOME/Desktop.
    """

    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=long_desc, epilog=epilog)
    parser.add_argument('-a', '--author', dest='author', metavar='<name>',
                        type=str, default=author,
                        help='Override default author name (%s)' % author)

    parser.add_argument('-d', '--dir', dest='path', metavar='<dir>',
                        type=str, default=path,
                        help='Override default Zettelkasten directory (%s)' % path)

    parser.add_argument('--txmt', action="store_true",
                        help='format output as a URI for use with TextMate 2')

    args = parser.parse_args()

    try:
        retval = create_zk(args.path, args.author)
    except:
        sys.stderr.write('Error: Could not create zk-note\n')
        sys.exit(1)

    if args.txmt:
        retval = txmt_URI(retval)
    print retval