Multi-Source File Combiner

A flexible utility that combines multiple files and folders into a single output file, supporting various file types and customizable filtering options. This project provides both Python and Bash implementations for maximum flexibility.

Overview

The Multi-Source File Combiner is a powerful and versatile tool designed to streamline the process of combining multiple files and folders into a single, well-organized output file. This utility is particularly useful for developers, technical writers, and anyone working with multiple files across various projects.

Key Features:

• Multiple implementations: Choose between Python and Bash versions
• Supports multiple input sources: Combine files from various locations and folders
• Language-agnostic: Works with multiple programming languages and text formats
• Customizable: Easily ignore specific files or folders and filter by file extensions
• Intelligent output: Generates a neatly formatted output with clear file separators
• User-friendly: Simple command-line interface with intuitive options

Whether you're consolidating code for review, preparing documentation, or simply organizing your project files, the Multi-Source File Combiner offers an efficient and adaptable solution to meet your needs.

Requirements

• For Python version: Python 3.x
• For Bash version: Bash shell (available on most Unix-like operating systems, including Linux and macOS)

Installation

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/multi-source-file-combiner.git
   

2. Navigate to the project directory:

   cd multi-source-file-combiner
   

3. For the Bash version, make the script executable:

   chmod +x combine_files.sh
   

No additional dependencies are required.

Usage

Python Version

Basic Command

python combine_files.py <source1> [source2 ...] <output_file> [options]

Options

• --ignore-files [FILES ...]: List of files to ignore
• --ignore-folders [FOLDERS ...]: List of folders to ignore
• --extensions [EXTENSIONS ...]: List of file extensions to process

Example

python combine_files.py /path/to/src /path/to/docs /path/to/main.py combined_output.txt --ignore-files README.md --ignore-folders tests --extensions .py .js .md .txt

Bash Version

Basic Command

./combine_files.sh [-o output_file] [-i ignore_pattern] [-e file_extensions] source1 [source2 ...]

Options

• -o output_file: Specify the output file (default: combined_output.txt)
• -i ignore_pattern: Specify files/folders to ignore (glob pattern, can be used multiple times)
• -e file_extensions: Specify file extensions to include (comma-separated, default: all)

Example

./combine_files.sh -o combined.txt -i "*.log" -i "temp*" -e py,js,md /path/to/src /path/to/docs /path/to/main.py

Output Format

Both versions of the script combine files with clear separation:

================================================================================
File: src/main.js
================================================================================

[Content of main.js]

================================================================================
File: src/utils.py
================================================================================

[Content of utils.py]

================================================================================
File: docs/README.md
================================================================================

[Content of README.md]

Customization

Python Version

You can easily extend the Python script to support additional file types:

1. Add new file extensions to the comment_styles dictionary in the get_language_comment function.
2. If necessary, modify the write_file_header function to handle any special cases for new file types.

Bash Version

The Bash version uses a simpler header format for all file types. To customize:

1. Modify the write_file_header function in the script to change the header format.
2. Adjust the file extension filtering in the main processing loop if needed.

Limitations

• Both scripts assume UTF-8 encoding for all files. Files with different encodings may not be processed correctly.
• Very large files or a large number of files may impact performance.
• The Bash version may have limited functionality on non-Unix-like systems.

Troubleshooting

• If you encounter "Permission denied" errors, ensure you have read access to all files and folders.
• For "File not found" errors, check that the specified file or folder paths are correct.
• If a specified source doesn't exist or is inaccessible, both scripts will display a warning and skip that source.

Contributing

Contributions to the Multi-Source File Combiner are welcome! Here's how you can contribute:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a new branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Make your changes
4. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
5. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
6. Open a Pull Request

Please ensure your code adheres to the existing style to maintain consistency.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Contact

Your Name - @your_twitter - email@example.com

Project Link: https://github.com/yourusername/multi-source-file-combiner