Masonry MemoPad

Masonry MemoPad is a simple, curses-based memo pad application that organizes notes in a masonry-style grid layout. It is designed to be minimalistic and user-friendly, with a focus on functionality and simplicity.

Features

• Masonry Grid Layout: Notes are displayed in a grid layout, with each note dynamically adjusting its height based on its content.
• Interactive Commands:
  • Add a New Note: Press n to add a new note. You will be prompted to enter the note text.
  • Save Notes: Press s to save all notes to a JSON file (memopad.json).
  • Quit: Press q to exit the application.
  • Scroll: Use the arrow keys (↑ and ↓) to scroll through the notes if the content exceeds the terminal height.
  • Edit Last Note: Press e to edit the last note.
  • Clear All Notes: Press c to clear all notes.
• Persistence: Notes are saved to a JSON file and loaded automatically when the application starts. Initial notes are permanent and cannot be deleted.
• Responsive Layout: The number of columns adjusts based on the terminal width, ensuring an optimal viewing experience.
• Japanese Input Support: The application supports Japanese and other multi-byte character inputs.

Installation

1. Install Python: Ensure you have Python installed on your system.
2. Install windows-curses (Windows Only): If you are using Windows, install the windows-curses package by running:

   pip install windows-curses

Usage

1. Save the memo.py file to your desired directory.
2. Run the application using the following command:

   python memo.py

3. Interact with the memo pad using the commands described in the Features section.

File Structure

• memo.py: The main Python script containing the application logic.
• memopad.json: The JSON file used for saving and loading notes. This file is created automatically when you save notes.

How It Works

1. Adding Notes: When you press n, you are prompted to enter the text for a new note. The note is then added to the grid.
2. Saving Notes: Pressing s saves all notes to memopad.json. If the file already exists, it is overwritten.
3. Grid Layout: Notes are arranged in columns. The number of columns is determined based on the terminal width, with a maximum of 4 columns. Each note adjusts its height to fit its content.
4. Scrolling: If the content exceeds the terminal height, you can scroll up and down using the arrow keys.
5. Editing Notes: Press e to edit the last note. The application ensures the prompt fits within the terminal width.
6. Clearing Notes: Press c to clear all notes. Permanent initial notes will remain.
7. Persistence: When the application starts, it loads notes from memopad.json if the file exists. Initial notes are always loaded first and cannot be deleted.
8. Japanese Input: The application supports Japanese and other multi-byte character inputs.

Notes

• The application is designed to work in a terminal environment.
• It avoids dependencies beyond the Python standard library and curses.
• On Windows, the windows-curses package is required to enable curses functionality.

License

This project is open-source and available under the MIT License.