Jotbook Init

Initialize a jotbook

You're setting up a new jotbook in this project. The procedure writes a starter settings file, offers to handle .gitignore, and tells the user about the restart caveat for hook-affecting fields.

Starter settings

Write the following YAML frontmatter at the top of .claude/jotbook.local.md, followed by a short commented body that the user can replace with their own house-style guidance:

---
jots_dir:           docs/jotbook/_jots/
entries_dir:        docs/jotbook/
pencils_dir:        docs/jotbook/_pencils/
output_format:      markdown            # markdown | obsidian | html
template_path:                          # required only when output_format is html, or when penciling with --html
backlog_threshold:  8                   # session-start jot nudge fires at this count
pencils_threshold:  3                   # session-start pencil nudge fires at this count
---

<!--
House style (optional). Whatever you write below the closing --- above
is treated by jotbook-ink and jotbook-pencil as authoritative guidance
on voice, tone, terminology, and formatting conventions.

Example:

  Field-manual voice — restrained, precise, deadpan. No exclamation points.
  Cross-link liberally; prefer wikilinks over relative paths.
  Code excerpts capped at ~20 lines; longer extracts go in a sibling block.
-->

Leave the template_path field empty by default. The user fills it in only when they want HTML output.

Procedure

1. Check existing settings. If .claude/jotbook.local.md already exists, ask the user before overwriting:

   "A .claude/jotbook.local.md already exists. Overwrite with fresh defaults (your existing settings will be lost), or leave it alone?"

   Default to leaving it alone. If they pick leave-alone, skip to step 4 (gitignore check is still worth doing in case they need it).

2. Create .claude/ if it doesn't already exist.

3. Write the starter settings file at .claude/jotbook.local.md using the template above.

4. Scaffold the jotbook directory structure. Create the three default directories so that later auto-staging or manual /jot invocations don't have to surface a surprise mkdir prompt days later:

   mkdir -p docs/jotbook/_jots docs/jotbook/_pencils docs/jotbook
   

   Use the resolved values from the settings file you just wrote (in case the user customizes paths before re-running, though by default they'll be the three above). Skip this step if the user chose "leave alone" in step 1 — their existing settings might point elsewhere and we shouldn't scaffold defaults that don't match.

5. Handle the gitignore — only if this is a git repo. The settings file should be project-local and not committed.

   Before any gitignore work, run a quiet git-repo probe that doesn't emit scary stderr when the directory isn't a repo:

   git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree >/dev/null 2>&1 && echo yes || echo no
   

   Then branch:

   • Probe returns no (not a git repo) → skip the entire gitignore step. In one short line, tell the user something like: "This isn't a git repo, so no .gitignore step. If you later put this directory under git, add .claude/*.local.md to your .gitignore so settings don't get committed." Move on to step 5.

   • Probe returns yes (is a git repo) → check .gitignore existence with [ -f .gitignore ] (do NOT cat it blindly — cat on a missing file produces noisy stderr). Then:

     • .gitignore exists → read it and check whether the settings file is already covered (look for .claude/*.local.md, .claude/*, or an explicit .claude/jotbook.local.md line). If not covered, ask once: "Add .claude/*.local.md to your .gitignore?" and append if they confirm.
     • .gitignore does not exist → ask: "Create a .gitignore with .claude/*.local.md?" and create if they confirm.

   If the user declines either prompt, mention in one line that the settings file should not be committed and move on.

6. Mention the restart caveat. Hook-affecting fields (backlog_threshold, pencils_threshold) take effect on the next Claude Code restart. Other fields (jots_dir, entries_dir, pencils_dir, output_format, template_path) are picked up immediately.

7. Report next steps in two or three lines:

   • Confirm what was written and which directories were scaffolded.
   • Point at /jot for staging an explainer after a relevant turn.
   • Point at /jotbook-ink for the curation flow once the backlog has grown.
   • Mention that inking builds a navigable index.md landing page in entries_dir and a back-to-index link on each entry, and that /jotbook-link (or /jot link) re-links related entries across the collection.
   • Mention .claude/jotbook.local.md is the place to edit defaults.
   • If they want HTML output later: /jotbook-template runs a guided design workflow and, on their sign-off, wires template_path for them.

Hard rules

• Never overwrite an existing settings file without explicit confirmation.
• Never amend .gitignore without explicit confirmation.
• Probe quietly. Never cat .gitignore or run git commands without first checking that the file/repo exists. Both can produce big red stderr output that looks like a real error to a user who isn't paying close attention. Use [ -f .gitignore ] for file existence and git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree >/dev/null 2>&1 for repo existence. Combine multiple discovery probes into a single bash call only if every command in the chain is silent on its failure path.
• Don't proceed if writing the settings file fails — surface the error path and stop, so the user can fix permissions or path issues.
• Don't auto-chain into other flows after init. The user should explicitly choose /jot or /jotbook-ink after setup completes.