add images to the README, clean up the imports in the python code

README.md

@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ or if terminal apps are your preference.
 The <code>**dirnotes-cli**</code> is a command line tool, 
 which may be handy for scripting. This all can also do maintenance on the database.
 
+<img src=images/gui_sample.png alt="gui sample" />
+<img src=images/tui_sample.png alt="tui sample" />
+
 ## USAGE
 
 The <code>**dirnotes**</code> program displays usage and keystoke info 
@@ -49,7 +52,7 @@ The <code>**dirnotes-cli**</code> program has a man page.
 
 In short, you navigate <code>**dirnotes**</code> and 
 <code>**dirnotes-tui**</code> by using the up/down arrow keys, 
-<enter> to enter into a directory. 
+\<enter\> to enter into a directory. 
 The **-tui** version accepts _e_ for edit, _s_ for sort, _M_ to change 
 between xattr/database priority.
 
@@ -68,10 +71,22 @@ The <code>**dirnotes**</code> app requires _Python3_ and the _Qt5_ framework.
 The <code>**dirnotes-tui**</code> and <code>**dirnotes-cli**</code> apps 
 simply require _Python3_.
 
-Simply copy the file into your path, to ~/.local/bin for example. 
+Simply mark the 3 python files as executable copy them into your 
+path, to <code>\~/.local/bin/</code> or <code>/usr/local/bin/</code>. 
+
+        chmod a+x dirnotes dirnotes-tui dirnotes-cli
+        cp dirnotes dirnotes-tui dirnotes-cli \~/.local/bin/
+ 
 For a better GUI experience, copy 
-<code>dirnotes.desktop</code> to <code>~/.local/share/applications</code> and 
-<code>dirnotes.xpm</code> to <code>~/.local/share/icons/</code> 
+<code>dirnotes.desktop</code> to <code>\~/.local/share/applications</code> and 
+<code>dirnotes.xpm</code> to <code>\~/.local/share/icons/</code> 
+
+If you are using the command-line tool <code>**dirnotes-cli**</code>, 
+you can generate a man page using
+
+        pandoc -s -t man -o dirnotes-cli.1 dirnotes-cli.md
+
+and copy that to ```~/.local/share/man/man1```
 
 ### CONFIG FILE
 
@@ -79,9 +94,9 @@ By default, the file **~/.config/dirnotes/dirnotes.conf** will be used to
 load the user's config. 
 This is a JSON file, with three attributes that are important:
 
-> * xattr_tag (default: <code>usrr.xdg.comment</code>)
-> * database (default: <code>~/.local/share/dirnotes/dirnotes.db</code>, sensible alt: <code>/var/lib/dirnotes.db</code>) 
-> * start_mode (_xattr_ or _db_ display priority)
+* xattr_tag (default: <code>user.xdg.comment</code>)
+* database (default: <code>~/.local/share/dirnotes/dirnotes.db</code>, sensible alt: <code>/var/lib/dirnotes.db</code>) 
+* start_mode (_xattr_ or _db_ display priority)
 
 The _config_file_ should be auto-generated the first time one of 
 the **dirnotes** apps is run.
@@ -190,9 +205,7 @@ As comments are editted or appended, new records are added to the database.
 Older records are are not purged. This gives you a history of the comments, 
 but it means that fetching the most recent comment involves something like
 
-~~~~
-  SELECT * FROM dirnotes WHERE name=? ORDER BY comment_date DESC
-~~~~
+        SELECT * FROM dirnotes WHERE name=? ORDER BY comment_date DESC
 
 and just fetch the first record.
 
@@ -202,7 +215,12 @@ The database is created the first time one of the **dirnotes** apps is run.
 
 The <code>**dirnotes**</code> gui app has a desktop icon built into the code. 
 There is not need for an external .icon file, but there is an .xpm file included
-in the project, which can be copied to ~/.local/share/icons/
+in the project, which can be copied to <code>~/.local/share/icons/</code>
+
+The 3 apps share a big block of common code. At this point, the code is embedded
+in each executable, but perhaps in the future it will be brought out as a library.
+I just like apps to be a single file I can copy to my various devices and servers,
+but it does create a problem of keepint the 3 apps in sync.
 
 ### comment date & author
 
@@ -262,10 +280,10 @@ Does anyone have an opinion?
 
 2. Is it ok to put the config file and database file buried in ~/.config and ~/.local? 
 
-These directories exist on computers with a gui/windowing system installed, 
-but don't neccessarily exist on headless servers. 
-Perhaps the default locations should be in the user directory? 
-(~/.dirnotes.conf and ~/.dirnotes.db)
+    These directories exist on computers with a gui/windowing system installed, 
+    but don't neccessarily exist on headless servers. 
+    Perhaps the default locations should be in the user directory? 
+    (~/.dirnotes.conf and ~/.dirnotes.db)
 
 3. Who needs translations?
 
@@ -284,3 +302,4 @@ Perhaps the default locations should be in the user directory?
         - so, for example, the user can't add comments to /usr/bin/\*
 
 6. Is anyone interested in the MacOS version?
+

dirnotes

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 # TODO: XDG compatibility: config in ~/.config/dirnotes/dirnotes.conf and data in ~/.local/share/dirnotes/dirnotes.db
 # TODO: clearing a comment out to '' doesn't seem to work on both sides
+# TODO: change banner line to indicate the CWD 
 
 """ a simple gui or command line app
 to view and create/edit file comments
@@ -61,11 +62,10 @@ the comment box gets a light yellow background.
 double-click the mouse, or hit <Enter>.
 """
 
-import sys,os,time,argparse,stat,getpass,shutil,logging,math
+import sys,argparse,logging
 from   PyQt5.QtGui     import *
 from   PyQt5.QtWidgets import *
 from   PyQt5.QtCore    import Qt, pyqtSignal
-import sqlite3, json
 
 xattr_comment = "user.xdg.comment"
 xattr_author  = "user.xdg.comment.author"
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ def print_d(*a):
 
 # >>> snip here <<<
 #============ the DnDataBase, UiHelper and FileObj code is shared with other dirnotes programs
-import getpass, time, stat, shutil
+import getpass, time, stat, shutil, sqlite3, json, os, math
 
 DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE = "~/.config/dirnotes/dirnotes.conf" # or /etc/dirnotes.conf
 

dirnotes-cli

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 VERSION = "0.4"
 
-import os, sys, argparse, json, sqlite3
+import sys, argparse
 
 # global mutables 
 answer_json = []
@@ -23,8 +23,7 @@ def errorBox(*a):
 
 # >>> snip here <<<
 #============ the DnDataBase, UiHelper and FileObj code is shared with other dirnotes programs
-import getpass, time, stat, shutil
-
+import getpass, time, stat, shutil, sqlite3, json, os, math
 DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE = "~/.config/dirnotes/dirnotes.conf" # or /etc/dirnotes.conf
 
 # config

dirnotes-cli.md

@@ -184,6 +184,9 @@ Or, in json format:
 > <code>$ dirnotes-cli -j car_notes.txt</code>  
 > <code>[{"file": "car_notes.txt", "comment": "notes on the car repair"}]</code>
 
+[NOTE: with json output, consider piping the results to <code>jq</code> for
+pretty-print]
+
 To append to a comment:
 
 > <code>$ dirnotes-cli -a 'first quote: \$1,400' car_notes.txt</code>  

dirnotes-tui

@@ -17,12 +17,9 @@
 #   FileObj: a file with its xattr-comment and db-comment data
 #   Files: a collection of FileObjs, sortable
 
-import os, time, stat, sys, shutil
-
-import time, math
-import curses, sqlite3, curses.textpad
-import logging, getpass, argparse
-import json
+import sys, time
+import curses, curses.textpad
+import logging, argparse
 
 VERSION = "1.9"
 # these may be different on MacOS
@@ -326,8 +323,7 @@ def errorBox(string):
   
 # >>> snip here <<<
 #============ the DnDataBase, UiHelper and FileObj code is shared with other dirnotes programs
-import getpass, time, stat, shutil
-
+import getpass, time, stat, shutil, sqlite3, json, os, math
 DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE = "~/.config/dirnotes/dirnotes.conf" # or /etc/dirnotes.conf
 
 # config