Add --home CLI flag and TOML backslash error hints for Windows#87
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Windows users writing native backslash paths in config.toml get cryptic "invalid escape" errors from the TOML parser. This adds a helpful hint pointing to forward slashes, single quotes, or the new --home flag. The --home flag sets the home directory directly from the CLI, bypassing TOML config entirely — the most common need for Windows users who just want a custom data location. Closes #86 Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Previously --home was applied after config loading, so a config.toml placed in the --home directory was silently ignored. Now --home is passed into Load() so it behaves like MSGVAULT_HOME: config.toml is loaded from that directory, and HomeDir/DataDir default to it. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Paths like C:\Users\... trigger a different TOML error ("expected eight
hexadecimal digits after '\U'") than C:\Games\... ("invalid escape").
Match both patterns so the hint always appears for backslash paths.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Since --home now loads config.toml from that directory, it doesn't help avoid TOML parsing errors. Keep the hint focused on the fix: use forward slashes or single quotes. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
wesm
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Summary
Closes #86
Windows users writing native backslash paths in
config.toml(e.g.data_dir = "C:\Users\wesmc\msgvault") get cryptic TOML parse errors because backslashes are escape characters in TOML double-quoted strings. This PR addresses the problem from two angles:1.
--homeCLI flag — Sets the home directory directly from the command line, equivalent toMSGVAULT_HOME. Config, database, tokens, attachments, and analytics all live under this directory. If aconfig.tomlexists there, it's loaded.2. Improved TOML error messages — When
config.tomlcontains backslash paths that fail to parse, the error now includes a hint:This catches both
\G-style "invalid escape" errors and\U-style "expected hexadecimal digits" errors.Changes
cmd/msgvault/cmd/root.go— Add--homepersistent flag, pass it intoconfig.Load()internal/config/config.go—Load()accepts ahomeDirparameter that overridesDefaultHome()before determining config path; detect backslash-related TOML errors and wrap with hintinternal/config/config_test.go— Tests for--home(sets HomeDir/DataDir, reads config.toml from home dir, expands tilde), tests for backslash hints (\Gand\Uvariants)CLAUDE.md— Add General Workflow, Go Development, and Git Workflow guidelinesTest plan
make testpassesmake lintpassesmsgvault.exe --home "C:\Users\wesmc\testing" init-dbuses the override directorydata_dir = "C:\Games\msgvault"shows the hintdata_dir = "C:\Users\wesmc\data"shows the hint (\Uvariant)--homedirectory is loaded (e.g.rate_limit_qpsapplies)🤖 Generated with Claude Code