just use the file instead of symlink, better for distribution of code

README.md

@@ -7,9 +7,6 @@ Note: This is incredibly specific! If you want to use this for your own sites, I
 your own! 😅
 
 ## Usage
-### Requirements
-* Odin
-* A site, I guess?
 
 ### Build
 ```bash
@@ -18,10 +15,18 @@ odin build .
 
 ### Usage
 ```bash
-./cm 
-Usage:
-        cm [working dir] [output dir]
-Note:USE FULL PATH!
+> ./cm -h
+
+        Usage:
+
+        Flag format for this program:
+        -<flag>=<value>
+
+        -dir:
+                input directory of .MD files (default: ) (required)
+
+        -out:
+                output directory (html files) (default: ) (required)
 ```
 
 ### Todo

flag/flag.odin

@@ -0,0 +1,297 @@
+/*
+zlib License
+
+(C) 2026 Simon Kellet
+
+This software is provided 'as-is', without any express or implied
+warranty. In no event will the authors be held liable for any damages
+arising from the use of this software.
+
+Permission is granted to anyone to use this software for any purpose,
+including commercial applications, and to alter it and redistribute it
+freely, subject to the following restrictions:
+
+1. The origin of this software must not be misrepresented; you must not
+   claim that you wrote the original software. If you use this software
+   in a product, an acknowledgment in the product documentation would be
+   appreciated but is not required.
+2. Altered source versions must be plainly marked as such, and must not be
+   misrepresented as being the original software.
+3. This notice may not be removed or altered from any source distribution.
+*/
+
+#+vet explicit-allocators
+package fleg
+
+import "base:runtime"
+import "core:fmt"
+import "core:os"
+import "core:strconv"
+import "core:strings"
+
+FORCE_HELP_ON_EMPTY_ARGS := false
+FLAG_START_CHAR := "-"
+FLAG_SEP_CHAR := "="
+
+@(private)
+Flag_Value_Ptr :: union {
+	^bool,
+	^int,
+	^i32,
+	^i64,
+	^string,
+	^f32,
+	^f64,
+}
+
+@(private)
+Flag :: struct {
+	name:   string,
+	value:  Flag_Value_Ptr,
+	usage:  string,
+	parsed: bool,   // sck: flag to check if it has been parsed
+	required: bool, // sck: required flag
+}
+
+// Global dynamic array of Flags
+@(private)
+all_flags: [dynamic]Flag
+
+// runtime allocator for the flags
+@(private)
+flag_allocator: runtime.Allocator
+
+// sck: Used to create a customer allocator
+init_custom_allocator :: proc(allocator: runtime.Allocator) {
+	destroy() // sck: make sure to destory the old allocations
+
+	flag_allocator = allocator
+	all_flags = make([dynamic]Flag, flag_allocator)
+}
+
+destroy :: proc() {
+	delete(all_flags)
+	all_flags = {}
+}
+
+@(private)
+print_flags :: proc() {
+	for f in all_flags {
+		fmt.printfln("%s: %s (required=%v)", f.name, f.usage, f.required)
+	}
+}
+
+@(private)
+print_flag_format :: proc(){
+	fmt.printfln("Want %s<flag>%s<value>\n", FLAG_START_CHAR, FLAG_SEP_CHAR)
+}
+
+@(private)
+print_usage :: proc() {
+	fmt.println("\tUsage: ")
+	fmt.println("\n\tFlag format for this program:")
+	fmt.printfln("\t%s<flag>%s<value>\n", FLAG_START_CHAR, FLAG_SEP_CHAR)
+
+	for f in all_flags {
+		req_msg: string
+		if f.required { req_msg = " (required)"}
+		switch v in f.value {
+		case ^bool:
+			fmt.printfln("\t%s%s:\n\t\t%s (default: %v)%s\n", FLAG_START_CHAR, f.name, f.usage, v^, req_msg)
+		case ^int:
+			fmt.printfln("\t%s%s:\n\t\t%s (default: %d)%s\n", FLAG_START_CHAR, f.name, f.usage, v^, req_msg)
+		case ^i32:
+			fmt.printfln("\t%s%s:\n\t\t%s (default: %d)%s\n", FLAG_START_CHAR, f.name, f.usage, v^, req_msg)
+		case ^i64:
+			fmt.printfln("\t%s%s:\n\t\t%s (default: %d)%s\n", FLAG_START_CHAR, f.name, f.usage, v^, req_msg)
+		case ^string:
+			fmt.printfln("\t%s%s:\n\t\t%s (default: %s)%s\n", FLAG_START_CHAR, f.name, f.usage, v^, req_msg)
+		case ^f32:
+			fmt.printfln("\t%s%s:\n\t\t%s (default: %f)%s\n", FLAG_START_CHAR, f.name, f.usage, v^, req_msg)
+		case ^f64:
+			fmt.printfln("\t%s%s:\n\t\t%s (default: %f)%s\n", FLAG_START_CHAR, f.name, f.usage, v^, req_msg)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+BoolVar :: proc(ptr: ^bool, name: string, default: bool, usage: string, required := false) {
+	if ptr == nil {
+		fmt.fprintfln(os.stderr, "[ERROR]: Invalid usage of BoolVar: got nil for 'ptr' value!")
+		os.exit(1)
+	}
+	ptr^ = default
+	append(&all_flags, Flag{name = name, value = ptr, usage = usage, required = required})
+}
+
+IntVar :: proc(ptr: ^int, name: string, default: int, usage: string, required := false) {
+	if ptr == nil {
+		fmt.fprintfln(os.stderr, "[ERROR]: Invalid usage of IntVar: got nil for 'ptr' value!")
+		os.exit(1)
+	}
+	ptr^ = default
+	append(&all_flags, Flag{name = name, value = ptr, usage = usage, required = required})
+}
+
+Int32Var :: proc(ptr: ^i32, name: string, default: i32, usage: string, required := false) {
+	if ptr == nil {
+		fmt.fprintfln(os.stderr, "[ERROR]: Invalid usage of Int32Var: got nil for 'ptr' value!")
+		os.exit(1)
+	}
+	ptr^ = default
+	append(&all_flags, Flag{name = name, value = ptr, usage = usage, required = required})
+}
+
+Int64Var :: proc(ptr: ^i64, name: string, default: i64, usage: string, required := false) {
+	if ptr == nil {
+		fmt.fprintfln(os.stderr, "[ERROR]: Invalid usage of Int64Var: got nil for 'ptr' value!")
+		os.exit(1)
+	}
+	ptr^ = default
+	append(&all_flags, Flag{name = name, value = ptr, usage = usage, required = required})
+}
+
+StringVar :: proc(ptr: ^string, name: string, default: string, usage: string, required := false) {
+	if ptr == nil {
+		fmt.fprintfln(os.stderr, "[ERROR]: Invalid usage of StringVar: got nil for 'ptr' value!")
+		os.exit(1)
+	}
+	ptr^ = default
+	append(&all_flags, Flag{name = name, value = ptr, usage = usage, required = required})
+}
+
+Float32Var :: proc(ptr: ^f32, name: string, default: f32, usage: string, required := false) {
+	if ptr == nil {
+		fmt.fprintfln(os.stderr, "[ERROR]: Invalid usage of Float32Var: got nil for 'ptr' value!")
+		os.exit(1)
+	}
+	ptr^ = default
+	append(&all_flags, Flag{name = name, value = ptr, usage = usage, required = required})
+}
+
+Float64Var :: proc(ptr: ^f64, name: string, default: f64, usage: string, required := false) {
+	if ptr == nil {
+		fmt.fprintfln(os.stderr, "[ERROR]: Invalid usage of Float64Var: got nil for 'ptr' value!")
+		os.exit(1)
+	}
+	ptr^ = default
+	append(&all_flags, Flag{name = name, value = ptr, usage = usage, required = required})
+}
+
+parse_flags :: proc() {
+	// sck: We cannot have the start and seperator formats being the same
+	if FLAG_START_CHAR == FLAG_SEP_CHAR {
+		fmt.fprintfln(os.stderr, "[ERROR]: FLAG_START_CHAR and FLAG_SEP_CHAR cannot be the same!")
+		fmt.printfln("\t FLAG_START_CHAR= \"%s\"\t FLAG_SEP_CHAR= \"%s\"", FLAG_START_CHAR, FLAG_SEP_CHAR)
+		os.exit(1)
+	}
+	if len(os.args) < 2 && FORCE_HELP_ON_EMPTY_ARGS {print_usage()}
+
+	// skip the first arg (1:)
+	for &a in os.args[1:] {
+		if a == "-h" || a == "-help" || a == "--help" {print_usage(); os.exit(0)}
+		// sck: if the user has a custom flag format, copy that to the help flag too.
+		if a == fmt.aprintf("%s%s", FLAG_START_CHAR, "help", allocator = context.temp_allocator) {print_usage(); os.exit(0)}
+		if a == fmt.aprintf("%s%s", FLAG_START_CHAR, "h", allocator = context.temp_allocator) {print_usage(); os.exit(0)}
+		defer free_all(context.temp_allocator) //clean up!
+
+		// Begin parsing flags...
+		for &f in all_flags {
+			if f.parsed {continue}
+
+			a = strings.trim_prefix(a, FLAG_START_CHAR)
+			name := a
+			value: string
+
+			split := strings.index_any(a, FLAG_SEP_CHAR)
+			if split >= 0 {
+				name = a[:split]
+				value = a[split + 1:]
+			} else {
+				name = a
+				fmt.printf("[INFO]: Could not read flag: %s. ", name)
+				print_flag_format()
+				break
+			}
+
+			// sck: We are going to parse all the flags
+			if name == f.name && !f.parsed {
+				f.parsed = true
+				switch &v in f.value {
+				case ^bool:
+					if value == "" {break}
+					parsed, ok := strconv.parse_bool(value)
+					if !ok {
+						fmt.fprintfln(os.stderr, "[ERROR] Failed to parse flag %s: got %T, wanted bool",
+							f.name, value)
+						os.exit(1)
+					}
+					v^ = parsed
+
+				case ^int:
+					if value == "" {break}
+					parsed, ok := strconv.parse_int(value)
+					if !ok {
+						fmt.fprintfln(os.stderr, "[ERROR] Failed to parse flag %s: got %T, wanted int",
+							f.name, value)
+						os.exit(1)
+					}
+					v^ = parsed
+
+				case ^i32:
+					if value == "" {break}
+					parsed, ok := strconv.parse_int(value)
+					if !ok {
+						fmt.fprintfln(os.stderr, "[ERROR] Failed to parse flag %s: got %T, wanted int",
+							f.name, value)
+						os.exit(1)
+					}
+					v^ = cast(i32)parsed
+
+				case ^i64:
+					if value == "" {break}
+					parsed, ok := strconv.parse_i64(value)
+					if !ok {
+						fmt.fprintfln(os.stderr, "[ERROR] Failed to parse flag %s: got %T, wanted int",
+							f.name, value)
+						os.exit(1)
+					}
+					v^ = parsed
+
+				case ^string:
+					if value == "" {break}
+					// TODO: validate string?
+					v^ = value
+
+				case ^f32:
+					if value == "" {break}
+					parsed, ok := strconv.parse_f32(value)
+					if !ok {
+						fmt.fprintfln(os.stderr, "[ERROR] Failed to parse flag %s: got %T, wanted f32",
+						 	f.name, value)
+						os.exit(1)
+					}
+					v^ = parsed
+
+				case ^f64:
+					if value == "" {break}
+					parsed, ok := strconv.parse_f64(value)
+					if !ok {
+						fmt.fprintfln(os.stderr, "[ERROR] Failed to parse flag %s: got %T, wanted f64",
+							f.name, value)
+						os.exit(1)
+					}
+					v^ = parsed
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	for f in all_flags {
+	   if f.required && !f.parsed {
+	   	// sck: INFO or ERROR?
+	   	fmt.fprintfln(os.stderr, "[INFO] Missing required flag: %s%s", FLAG_START_CHAR, f.name)
+	   	if !FORCE_HELP_ON_EMPTY_ARGS {fmt.fprintfln(os.stderr, "use -help or -h to view all flags")}
+	      os.exit(1)
+	    }
+	 }
+}

gen.odin

@@ -42,20 +42,30 @@ generate_blog_md_file :: proc(path: string, allocator := context.allocator) {
 	//os.write_string(file, BLOG_START)
 	blogs := walk_tree_and_get_md_names(blog_dir, allocator)
 
+	// *********** BLOG PARSING **************
 	for blog in blogs {
-		b := strings.split(blog, blog_dir, allocator)
+		b := strings.split(blog, blog_dir, allocator = context.temp_allocator)
 		trim_b := strings.trim_right(b[1], ".md")
-		if trim_b == "index" {continue} 	//Ignore Index
 
+		if trim_b == "index" {continue} 	//Ignore Index
 		if strings.starts_with(trim_b, "!") {continue} 	//Ignore WIP files!
+
+		// now add to blog list
 		append(&blog_list, blog)
+
+		free_all(context.temp_allocator)
 	}
 
-	for blog_entry in blog_list {
-		b := strings.split(blog_entry, blog_dir, allocator)
+	// sck: note we are doing this in reverse - means the blogs are ordered
+	//			from oldest at the bottom and newest at the top
+	#reverse for blog_entry in blog_list {
+		b := strings.split(blog_entry, blog_dir, allocator = context.temp_allocator)
 		trim_b := strings.trim_right(b[1], ".md")
-		strings.write_string(&blog_md_file, fmt.aprintf("* [%s](./%s.html)", trim_b, trim_b, allocator = allocator))
+
+		strings.write_string(&blog_md_file, fmt.aprintf("* [%s](./%s.html)", trim_b, trim_b, allocator = context.temp_allocator))
 		strings.write_string(&blog_md_file, "\n")
+
+		free_all(context.temp_allocator)
 	}
 
 	os.change_directory(blog_dir)
@@ -63,7 +73,12 @@ generate_blog_md_file :: proc(path: string, allocator := context.allocator) {
 	if err != nil {
 		fmt.eprintfln("ERROR in generate_blog_md_file: Could not open file %s: %s", index_file, os.error_string(err))
 	}
-	os.write_string(index_file, "```")
+
+	// sck: final step, write everything in the correct order for the index.html page
+	// note: we generate the MD file for the blog/index.md
+	// 			 this saves me time from ordering the blog and allows for automagic
+	//			 indexing of blogs/articles
+	os.write_string(index_file, "```text")
 	os.write_string(index_file, BLOG_START_MD)
 	os.write_string(index_file, "```\n")
 	os.write_string(index_file, BLOG_TITLE_MD)

main.odin

@@ -6,11 +6,7 @@ import vmem "core:mem/virtual"
 import "core:os"
 import "core:strings"
 import "core:time"
-
-print_usage :: proc() {
-	fmt.println("Usage:\n\tcm [working dir] [output dir]\nNote:USE FULL PATH!")
-	os.exit(1)
-}
+import fleg "flag"
 
 main :: proc() {
 	arena: vmem.Arena
@@ -19,13 +15,15 @@ main :: proc() {
 	arena_alloc := vmem.arena_allocator(&arena)
 	defer vmem.arena_destroy(&arena) //clean up everything!
 
-	if len(os.args) <= 2 || len(os.args) > 3 {
-		print_usage()
-		return
-	}
+	fleg.init_custom_allocator(arena_alloc)
+	defer fleg.destroy()
 
-	directory := os.args[1]
-	output_dir := os.args[2]
+	directory: string
+	output_dir: string
+
+	fleg.StringVar(&directory, "dir", "", "input directory of .MD files", required = true)
+	fleg.StringVar(&output_dir, "out", "", "output directory (html files)", required = true)
+	fleg.parse_flags()
 
 	start := time.tick_now() //start timer for footer
 
@@ -50,6 +48,8 @@ main :: proc() {
 
 		//print html file name
 		sb := strings.builder_make(arena_alloc) //sb for writing to files, resets ever iteration
+		defer strings.builder_destroy(&sb)
+
 		strings.write_string(&sb, fmt.aprintf("%v", trimmed_filename, allocator = arena_alloc))
 		strings.write_string(&sb, ".html")
 

parse.odin

@@ -12,12 +12,26 @@ UTF8_PREFIX :: "<meta http-equiv=\"content-type\" content=\"text/html; charset=u
 CSS_PREFIX :: "<head><link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"./css/style.css\">\n<title>Simon Kellet</title>"
 FAVICON_PREFIX :: "<link rel=\"icon\" type=\"image\\x-icon\" href=\"/imgs/favicon.ico\">\n"
 MASTODON_PREFIX :: "<a rel=me href=https://linuxrocks.online/@simonkellet></a>\n"
+HIGHLIGHT_JS_PREFIX :: "<script type=\"text/javascript\" src=\"https://unpkg.com/@highlightjs/cdn-assets@11.11.1/highlight.min.js\"></script>\n<script type=\"text/javascript\" src=\"https://unpkg.com/highlightjs-odinlang@1.4.0/dist/odin.min.js\"></script>\n\n<script type=\"text/javascript\">\n  hljs.highlightAll();\n</script>"
+
 
 write_prefixs_to_html_file :: proc(file: ^os.File) {
+	file_info, err := os.fstat(file, context.temp_allocator)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.eprintfln("ERROR in write_prefixs_to_html_file: Could not open file %s: %s", file, os.error_string(err))
+	}
+	defer free_all(context.temp_allocator) //clean up file_info
+
 	os.write_string(file, UTF8_PREFIX)
 	os.write_string(file, CSS_PREFIX)
 	os.write_string(file, FAVICON_PREFIX)
 	os.write_string(file, MASTODON_PREFIX)
+
+	// sck: ONLY apply hljs to blogs/articles. These files will always
+	// start with a "2" (2026-xx-xx...)
+	if strings.starts_with(file_info.name, "2") {
+		os.write_string(file, HIGHLIGHT_JS_PREFIX)
+	}
 }
 
 walk_tree_and_get_md_names :: proc(path: string, allocator := context.allocator) -> [dynamic]string {