Request: follow XDG Base Directory specification for stored config

[jonschlinkert]

In #37, config was moved to .twilio-cli/config.json, however, this is less than idiomatic as many developers strongly prefer not to clutter up the user directory with custom confirmation files or folders.

Instead, I'd like to recommend that we follow the XDG Base Directory specification, which provides sensible defaults for the config directory to use, but also allows users to override with environment variables.

If we decide to implement this, I think it can be done in a backwards compatible way. Also, FWIW I created this library for this purpose (on other projects), but I won't be offended in the least if you wanted to use something different.

[childish-sambino]

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. oclif itself does support XDG base directories (source), but I don't think we liked that the fallback was to splitting up the dirs into separate locations (docs). So, we added an environment configuration that gets run before commands are executed and essentially nullifies any XDG base directory stuff that oclif would have done otherwise.

Perhaps not the best decision, but it's worked well thus far and I don't think we want to break things to force splitting up the directories in this point.

That said, configureEnv could be modified to honor XDG base directory env vars. Essentially don't set the TWILIO_(.+)_DIR var if the XDG_$1_HOME var is already set. I think this would then allow the XDG env vars to take precedence.

[jonschlinkert]

Got it. I think I like that approach, thanks for the explanation. Feel free to close.

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On Jul 24, 2020, at 9:50 AM, childish-sambino ***@***.***> wrote: Thanks for bringing this to our attention. oclif itself does support XDG base directories (source), but I don't think we liked that the fallback was to splitting up the dirs into separate locations (docs). So, we added an environment configuration that gets run before commands are executed and essentially nullifies any XDG base directory stuff that oclif would have done otherwise. Perhaps not the best decision, but it's worked well thus far and I don't think we want to break things to force splitting up the directories in this point. That said, configureEnv could be modified to honor XDG base directory env vars. Essentially don't set the TWILIO_(.+)_DIR var if the XDG_$1_HOME var is already set. I think this would then allow the XDG env vars to take precedence. — You are receiving this because you authored the thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or unsubscribe.

[childish-sambino]

I'm fine with leaving it open as an enhancement request:

configureEnv could be modified to honor XDG base directory env vars. Essentially don't set the TWILIO_(.+)_DIR var if the XDG_$1_HOME var is already set.

This issue has been added to our internal backlog to be prioritized. Pull requests and +1s on the issue summary will help it move up the backlog.

[austintraver]

I'd love to help with this, I'd just need someone to point me in the right direction.

If instead of ${HOME}/.twilio-cli, configuration files could be installed at ${XDG_CONFIG_HOME}/twilio as a base directory, as a suggested alternative to ${XDG_CONFIG_HOME}/twilio-cli, which I prefer less by comparison.

I mean, there's no other Twilio service that uses the XDG base directory specification, it's only fitting to make a twilio directory 😄

[jonschlinkert]

I mean, there's no other Twilio service that uses the XDG base directory specification, it's only fitting to make a twilio directory

Even if you use ${XDG_CONFIG_HOME}/twilio, you can still avoid conflict via naming conventions inside the directory.