195 lines
12 KiB
Markdown
195 lines
12 KiB
Markdown
# YKanBan Usage
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YKanBan is a local, offline kanban board. Like Git, it keeps its data in a `.ykanban` folder inside the project folder it manages (the **workspace**). Each YKanBan window manages exactly one workspace; several windows can run at the same time on different workspaces.
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## Installing
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Each release build is self-contained; no .NET runtime is needed.
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| Platform | Package | Executable |
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|---|---|---|
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| Windows x64 | `YKanBan-<version>-win-x64-setup.exe` | `YKanBan.exe` |
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| Linux x64 | `YKanBan-<version>-linux-x64.tar.gz` | `YKanBan` |
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| macOS Apple silicon | `YKanBan-<version>-osx-arm64.dmg` | `YKanBan.app` (see [macOS](#macos)) |
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Only Apple silicon macOS is a release target; there is no Intel Mac build.
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On Windows, run the installer. On Linux, extract the archive anywhere. On macOS, open the disk image and drag `YKanBan.app` into `Applications` (or any other folder). To type `ykanban <path>` as shown below, put the executable on your `PATH` under that name, for example:
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```sh
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# Linux
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ln -s /opt/YKanBan-<version>-linux-x64/YKanBan ~/.local/bin/ykanban
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# macOS
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ln -s /Applications/YKanBan.app/Contents/MacOS/YKanBan /usr/local/bin/ykanban
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```
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On Windows, add the installed folder to `PATH` (the default is `C:\Program Files\YKanBan`); `ykanban` then finds `YKanBan.exe` because Windows ignores case.
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## Starting YKanBan
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The only way to start YKanBan is with the workspace path:
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```sh
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ykanban <path>
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```
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- Exactly one argument is accepted. A relative path is resolved against the current working directory, so `ykanban .` opens the current folder (but see [macOS](#macos) when starting through `open`).
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- YKanBan looks for `.ykanban` **only in `<path>` itself**; it does not search parent folders the way Git does.
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- There are no command-line options. An argument starting with `-` is never treated as a path; to open a folder whose name starts with `-`, write it as `./-name`.
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The path must exist and be a folder. When the board cannot be shown, the whole window shows one of these pages instead:
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| Page | When |
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|---|---|
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| Invalid arguments | No argument, more than one argument, an empty or whitespace-only argument, an argument starting with `-` (including `--help`), a path the operating system cannot represent (for example one containing a NUL character), or a path that does not exist or is not a folder. Shows the usage line. |
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| No workspace here | `<path>` exists but has no `.ykanban`. The **Initialize workspace** button creates one, with the columns To Do / In Progress / Done and the preset tags (both named in the current interface language). |
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| Workspace locked | Another YKanBan window already has this workspace open. Close that window first. Also shown when another window takes the lock while you initialize. |
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| Cannot open workspace | `.ykanban` exists but `ykanban.db` in it is missing (restore it from a backup, or delete `.ykanban` and initialize again; YKanBan never silently creates an empty board), the database was created by a newer YKanBan, is damaged or cannot be opened, or a file-system or permission error occurred (also when initializing fails for a reason other than the lock). The English error details can be selected and copied. |
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The window title is `<workspace name> - YKanBan` while a workspace is open and just `YKanBan` on these pages.
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## macOS
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The app is not notarized. After dragging it out of the disk image, remove the download quarantine once, or macOS refuses to open it:
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```sh
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xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine YKanBan.app
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```
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Double-clicking `YKanBan.app` starts it without a path, so it only shows the **Invalid arguments** page. Start it from a terminal instead, either through Launch Services or by running the executable inside the bundle:
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```sh
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open -n -a YKanBan --args /path/to/project
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/Applications/YKanBan.app/Contents/MacOS/YKanBan /path/to/project
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```
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- Keep `-n`: without it, `open` only brings an already running YKanBan to the front and drops the path, instead of starting another window.
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- Give `open` an **absolute** path. An app started by `open` runs in `/`, so `open -n -a YKanBan --args .` opens `/`, not the current folder. Running the executable inside the bundle resolves relative paths normally.
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- `open -a YKanBan` finds the app once it is in `/Applications` (or another folder Launch Services knows about).
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## Workspaces, Git and Backups
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- **Do not commit `.ykanban` to Git.** Add it to your global ignore file once, so no repository picks it up. If `git config --global core.excludesFile` prints a file, add the line `.ykanban/` to that file; otherwise create one:
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```sh
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echo ".ykanban/" >> ~/.gitignore_global
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git config --global core.excludesFile ~/.gitignore_global
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```
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- **Back up or move all three database files together**: `ykanban.db`, `ykanban.db-wal` and `ykanban.db-shm` in `.ykanban/`. Recent changes may still be in the `-wal` file; copying only `ykanban.db` can lose them. The simplest safe backup is to close YKanBan and copy the whole `.ykanban` folder.
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- **Network shares (SMB, NFS, …) are not supported.** The database and the workspace lock rely on local file-system features that do not work reliably over a network. YKanBan does not detect this; keep workspaces on a local disk.
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- `.ykanban/ykanban.lock` is held while a window has the workspace open and is released automatically when YKanBan exits or crashes. The file itself is kept empty; only the exclusive OS handle it carries has meaning.
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## Search Syntax
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Type an expression in the search box on the **Board** tab and click **Search** (or press Enter). Searching only happens then; there is no search while typing. The **×** button clears the box and shows every card again.
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- Columns are always shown, even when none of their cards match.
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- An empty or blank expression shows every card.
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- An active search keeps the result set it produced until you search again: after adding, editing, moving or deleting cards the board shows the same matching cards as before, minus any that were deleted. Adding or editing a card does not change whether it is currently shown; press **Search** again to refresh the result.
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### Examples
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| Expression | Finds cards… |
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|---|---|
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| `login` | whose title or content contains "login" |
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| `login crash` | containing both words (anywhere in title or content) |
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| `login OR signup` | containing either word |
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| `tag:bug title:login` | tagged `bug` whose title contains "login" |
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| `tag:bug OR tag:ui` | tagged `bug` or `ui` |
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| `(tag:bug OR tag:ui) column:Done` | tagged `bug` or `ui` in the column titled "Done" |
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| `"dark mode"` | whose title or content contains "dark mode" |
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| `tag:"needs review"` | tagged `needs review` |
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| `id:61` or `id:#61` | number 61 |
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| `"http://example.com"` | containing the URL (a `:` must be quoted) |
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| `"AND"` | containing the text "AND" |
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### Grammar
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```
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query := orExpr
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orExpr := andExpr ( OR andExpr )*
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andExpr := operand ( (AND)? operand )* -- neighbours are joined by AND
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operand := atom | '(' orExpr ')'
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atom := word | phrase | qualifier
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qualifier := key ':' value
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key := tag | title | content | id | column
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value := word | phrase -- tag / title / content / column
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| '#'? digit+ -- id: a positive decimal integer
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word := one or more characters, except whitespace and ( ) " : \ ;
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not equal to AND or OR
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phrase := '"' one or more characters '"' -- escapes: \" and \\
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```
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### Operators
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- `AND` and `OR` are operators **only in uppercase**. `and` and `or` are ordinary words.
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- Writing words next to each other means `AND`: `a b` is `a AND b`.
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- `AND` binds tighter than `OR`: `a OR b c` is `a OR (b AND c)`. Use parentheses to group differently: `(a OR b) c`.
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- To search for the literal text `AND` or `OR`, quote it: `"AND"`, `tag:"OR"`.
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- The search keywords (`AND`, `OR`, `tag`, `title`, `content`, `id`, `column`) are always English, whatever the interface language. Qualifier keys are lowercase only: `Tag:bug` is an unknown qualifier.
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### What Each Atom Matches
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| Atom | Matches when |
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| word or phrase | the card title **or** content contains the text |
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| `title:` value | the card title contains the text |
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| `content:` value | the card content contains the text |
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| `tag:` value | the card has a tag whose name **equals** the text |
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| `column:` value | the card is in a column whose title **equals** the text |
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| `id:` value | the card number equals the value |
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- A qualifier value can be a word (`tag:bug`) or a phrase (`tag:"needs review"`). Use a phrase for values containing spaces, `(`, `)`, `:` or `\`, and for the values `AND` / `OR`.
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- `id:` takes an unquoted positive integer, optionally prefixed with `#`: `id:61`, `id:#61`.
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### Quoting and Escapes
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- A phrase is text in double quotes. Inside it, `\"` stands for a quote and `\\` for a backslash; any other backslash is an error.
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- Outside quotes, `\` is not allowed at all, and `:` always starts a qualifier. Quote any text containing them: `"C:\\temp"`, `"a:b"`.
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- A phrase cannot be empty, and must be separated from neighbouring words and phrases by a space or a parenthesis: write `a "b"`, not `a"b"`.
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- A qualifier's phrase value follows the `:` directly: `tag:"needs review"`, not `tag: "needs review"`.
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### Case
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All matching ignores case, for letters of every language: `tag:BUG` finds `bug`, and `ÄRGER` finds `ärger`. Text is otherwise compared literally: `%`, `_` and `*` have no special meaning.
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Tag names and column titles must each be unique, but the uniqueness check is case-sensitive: `Bug` and `bug` are different names and can both exist. Because matching folds case, a query such as `tag:bug` then matches both.
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### Invalid Expressions
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An invalid expression does not search. A dialog shows "The query expression is invalid. Details: …" followed by the parser's message (always in English). After closing it, the box keeps your text for correcting and the board keeps the previous result.
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These are invalid:
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| Problem | Example |
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| Unbalanced parentheses | `(tag:bug`, `tag:bug)` |
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| An operator with a missing side | `bug AND`, `OR bug` |
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| Consecutive operators | `a AND OR b` |
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| A qualifier without a value | `tag:` |
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| `AND` / `OR` as an unquoted qualifier value | `tag:AND` (write `tag:"AND"`) |
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| An unterminated phrase | `"dark mode` |
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| An empty phrase | `""`, `tag:""` |
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| A phrase touching other text | `a"b"`, `"a"b`, `"a""b"` |
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| A space between a qualifier and its phrase value | `tag: "needs review"` |
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| An invalid escape in a phrase | `tag:"a\x"` |
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| A backslash outside a phrase | `C:\temp` |
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| An unknown qualifier key | `label:bug`, `Tag:bug`, `http://x` |
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| An unquoted value containing `:` | `title:a:b` |
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| An `id:` value that is not an unquoted positive integer | `id:abc`, `id:0`, `id:"61"` |
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## Settings File
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Settings (language, theme, card sort order, column width and the confirmation switches) are stored in `app.json`:
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| Platform | Location |
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| Windows | `%APPDATA%\YKanBan\app.json` |
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| Linux, macOS | `~/.config/YKanBan/app.json` (`$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/YKanBan/app.json` when that is set) |
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- The file is written when YKanBan exits. With several instances running, the last one to exit overwrites the file with its own settings.
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- A language change takes effect after restarting YKanBan; a theme change applies as soon as the settings dialog is accepted.
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- A missing file is normal on first run and yields the defaults. If the file exists but cannot be read (an I/O or permission error), the defaults are used.
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- If the file cannot be parsed, it is saved as `app.json.bak` and the defaults are used. This also covers an invalid enum value: an unknown theme, sort or width string, or a numeric enum value, makes the whole file fall back to defaults. A section that is simply missing falls back to its own defaults.
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