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

flag/flag.odin

@@ -33,14 +33,18 @@ 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,
@@ -50,9 +54,11 @@ Flag :: struct {
 }
 
 // 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
@@ -64,21 +70,23 @@ init_custom_allocator :: proc(allocator: runtime.Allocator) {
 }
 
 destroy :: proc() {
-	free_all(flag_allocator)
 	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:")
@@ -88,11 +96,14 @@ print_usage :: proc() {
 		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:
@@ -104,26 +115,64 @@ print_usage :: proc() {
 }
 
 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})
 }
@@ -131,13 +180,13 @@ Float64Var :: proc(ptr: ^f64, name: string, default: f64, usage: string, require
 parse_flags :: proc() {
 	// sck: We cannot have the start and seperator formats being the same
 	if FLAG_START_CHAR == FLAG_SEP_CHAR {
-		fmt.println("[ERROR]: FLAG_START_CHAR and FLAG_SEP_CHAR cannot be the same!")
+		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()}
 
-	// sck: skip the first arg (1:)
+	// 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.
@@ -188,6 +237,26 @@ parse_flags :: proc() {
 					}
 					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?
@@ -219,8 +288,9 @@ parse_flags :: proc() {
 
 	for f in all_flags {
 	   if f.required && !f.parsed {
-	   	fmt.fprintfln(os.stderr, "[ERROR] Missing required flag: %s%s", FLAG_START_CHAR, f.name)
-	   	fmt.fprintfln(os.stderr, "use -help or -h to view all flags")
+	   	// 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

@@ -48,6 +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

@@ -16,11 +16,22 @@ HIGHLIGHT_JS_PREFIX :: "<script type=\"text/javascript\" src=\"https://unpkg.com
 
 
 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)
-	os.write_string(file, HIGHLIGHT_JS_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 {