How to Use the Command 'jrnl' (with Examples)

The ‘jrnl’ command is a simple, yet powerful, journaling application designed for use within the command line. This tool allows users to efficiently log personal or professional entries, organize them with tags, and retrieve or edit past entries. It is particularly beneficial for those who prefer the efficiency and privacy of command-line interfaces over traditional graphical journaling applications. By harnessing the power of ‘jrnl’, users can cultivate a consistent journaling practice that seamlessly integrates with their daily digital workflow.

Use case 1: Insert a New Entry with Your Editor

Code:

jrnl

Motivation: Journaling can be a therapeutic practice, helping to clear your mind and document significant thoughts, events, or feelings. Using your preferred text editor to write entries allows for greater flexibility in formatting and editing, making it a more personal and customized experience.

Explanation:

• By simply typing jrnl, you open a session in the default text editor specified by your system. This approach is ideal for users who prefer drafting their entries in a more controlled environment, allowing for thought-out reflections that might expand as inspiration strikes.
• The editor will prompt you to type your entry, which makes for an uninterrupted writing flow, freeing you to focus on getting your thoughts out.

Example Output:

Upon executing the command, you’ll see:

Opening entry in text editor...

Once you type and save your entry, it will be stored in your journal, timestamped with the current date and time.

Use case 2: Quickly Insert a New Entry

Code:

jrnl today at 3am: title. content

Motivation: Life is full of moments worth capturing, and sometimes, these moments require rapid documentation. If you’re in a hurry or want to jot down something brief without interrupting your workflow, quickly inserting a new entry can be immensely beneficial.

Explanation:

• The command jrnl today at 3am: signifies you’re adding an entry that will be timestamped for 3 AM on the current day, using a natural language format that jrnl understands.
• title. content allows the user to specify a title followed by the body of the entry. This compact format supports immediate, on-the-go entry creation without needing to enter an editor interface.

Example Output:

Executing the command directly logs the entry, showing:

New entry added: [YYYY-MM-DD 03:00] title. content

This output confirms your entry has been successfully recorded with the specified timestamp.

Use case 3: View the Last Ten Entries

Code:

jrnl -n 10

Motivation: Reviewing past entries is essential for reflecting on personal growth and understanding patterns over time. Being able to quickly pull up the last ten entries offers a snapshot of recent activities or thoughts without overwhelming detail.

Explanation:

• The option -n 10 is a common flag included in many command-line utilities, here indicating the desire to view the last ten journal entries. This provides a concise view of recent history and is ideal for periodic review sessions.

Example Output:

The command will output something like:

[1] YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM Title 1
Content of entry 1...
[2] YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM Title 2
Content of entry 2...
...
[10] YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM Title 10
Content of entry 10...

Each entry appears with its date, time, title, and a snippet or full content, depending on the length.

Use Case 4: View Everything That Happened from the Start of Last Year to the Start of Last March

Code:

jrnl -from "last year" -until march

Motivation: Journals often serve as chronicles of specific periods. Reviewing entries from a defined period, such as the start of last year to the start of last March, can be crucial for projects, personal reflection, or compiling events over time.

Explanation:

• -from "last year" sets the starting point to the beginning of the previous year, based on the current date.
• -until march sets an endpoint to the beginning of March of the current year. This parameter ensures that all relevant entries are captured up to this concluding month.

Example Output:

The command results in the retrieval of entries like:

[YYYY-MM-DD] Entry title
Entry content...
...

Fielding entries from January 1st to the end of February, these outputs guide users through memories of that specific time frame.

Use case 5: Edit All Entries Tagged with “Texas” and “History”

Code:

jrnl @texas -and @history --edit

Motivation: Tags are critical for organizing journal entries based on themes or categories. Editing all entries tagged with both “Texas” and “history” is invaluable for personal projects, research, or thematic review.

Explanation:

• @texas -and @history filters the retrieval of entries that contain both these tags, narrowing down the content to be relevant for certain thematic consistencies.
• --edit opens these selected entries in the user’s default text editor, allowing batch modifications or additions to the text in a single session.

Example Output:

The process will bring up:

Opening entries tagged with "@texas" and "@history" in text editor...

Upon saving edits, changes apply across all entries meeting the criteria, streamlined for efficient updates and management.

Conclusion:

The ‘jrnl’ command is a versatile tool that significantly enhances the process of creating, managing, and reflecting on personal journals directly from the command line. By incorporating features for entry creation, content reviewing, time-based searching, and batch editing, ‘jrnl’ addresses the diverse needs of its users, combining the comfort of traditional journaling with the functionality of a digital interface.