Jesús Pérez 2b3e574e3d # Summary
fix: help system integration, build process optimization, and plugin rebuild efficiency

## Detailed Description

This commit addresses critical issues in the help system discoverability, build process robustness, and plugin rebuild efficiency.

### 1. Help System Integration (New Feature)

**Issue**: Version-update module recipes were not discoverable
- Not shown in `just help modules`
- Not referenced in `just help`
- Not included in help navigation system
- Users had to manually run `just --list` to find update commands

**Solution**:
- Added version-update module to all help outputs
- Updated `justfiles/help.just` to document all 30+ version-update recipes
- Created new `just commands` recipe as discoverable alias for `just --list`
- Integrated version-update into help-all workflow

**Impact**:
- Version-update commands now fully discoverable via help system
- Users can find update commands with: `just help modules`, `just help`, `just commands`
- Improved overall help system navigation

**Files Modified**:
- `justfiles/help.just` (+23 lines)
  - Added version-update module to help sections
  - Added to modules list
  - Added to help-all workflow
  - New `commands` recipe showing all recipes by group

### 2. Build Process Fixes (Phase 3: Bin Archives)

#### 2a. Plugin Archive Collection Bug

**Issue**: "No plugins found to package" warning in Phase 3
- Collected 26 plugin binaries but reported 0
- Archive creation skipped because count was wrong

**Root Cause**: `each` command returns null, so `| length` returned 0
```nushell
#  OLD - each returns null
let plugin_count = (ls nu_plugin_*/target/release/nu_plugin_* | each {|p|
    cp $p.name $"($temp_dir)/"
} | length)  # Returns 0!
```

**Solution**: Separated counting from copying with proper filtering
```nushell
#  NEW - count before operations
let plugins_to_copy = (ls nu_plugin_*/target/release/nu_plugin_* | where type == "file")
let plugin_count = ($plugins_to_copy | length)
```

**Impact**:
- Now correctly collects and reports 26 plugins
- Filters out .d dependency files automatically
- Warning eliminated

#### 2b. Tar Archive Path Handling

**Issue**: Tar command failing silently with relative paths in subshell
- `cd $temp_dir` changes context unpredictably
- Relative path `../$archive_name` fails in subshell
- Archive file not created despite exit code 0

**Root Cause**: Shell context and relative path issues in Nushell `do` block

**Solution**: Used `tar -C` with absolute paths instead of `cd`
```nushell
#  OLD - unreliable context switching
do {
    cd $temp_dir
    tar -czf ../$archive_name .
}

#  NEW - absolute paths, no context switching
tar -C $temp_dir -czf $archive_path .
```

**Additional Improvements**:
- Absolute path construction using `pwd | path join`
- Better error diagnostics with exit code and stderr output
- File verification after creation

**Impact**:
- Tar archives now created successfully
- Robust path handling across platforms
- Clear error messages for debugging

#### 2c. File Size Calculation Type Error

**Issue**: Runtime error when calculating archive size
```
Error: The '/' operator does not work on values of type 'list<filesize>'
```

**Root Cause**: `ls` returns list of records, so `.size` was a list
```nushell
#  OLD - returns list<filesize>
(ls $archive_path).size / 1024 / 1024

#  NEW - returns filesize
(ls $archive_path | get 0.size) / 1024 / 1024
```

**Impact**:
- Proper file size calculation in MB
- No more type errors

**Files Modified**:
- `scripts/create_full_distribution.nu` (+58 lines, refactored plugin collection)
  - Fixed plugin counting logic
  - Improved path handling with absolute paths
  - Enhanced error diagnostics

### 3. Plugin Rebuild Optimization

**Issue**: All plugins marked for rebuild even when dependencies unchanged
- Step 4 (`update_all_plugins.nu`) touched all Cargo.toml files at 01:00:32
- Step 5 saw all files as "newer" than binaries
- Marked ALL plugins for rebuild, though cargo only rebuilt changed ones

**Root Cause**: Script always saved files, even when no changes made
```nushell
#  OLD - always saves, touching file timestamp
$updated_content | to toml | save -f $cargo_toml
```

**Solution**: Only save if content actually changed
```nushell
#  NEW - compare before writing
let original_toml = $content | to toml
let new_toml = $updated_content | to toml

if $original_toml != $new_toml {
    $updated_content | to toml | save -f $cargo_toml
}
```

**Impact**:
- Unchanged files preserve original timestamps
- Only plugins with actual dependency changes are rebuilt
- Efficient rebuild process with accurate file modification detection

**Files Modified**:
- `scripts/update_all_plugins.nu` (+12 lines, added content comparison)
  - Only touches files with real changes
  - Preserves timestamps for efficiency
  - Clearer logic and comments

### 4. Documentation

**Files Modified**:
- `CHANGELOG.md` (+56 lines)
  - Added comprehensive 2025-10-19 entry
  - Documented all fixes with root causes
  - Listed files modified and impact summary

## Technical Details

### Nushell Patterns Used

1. **Proper List Handling**:
   - `ls` returns list of records, access with `| get 0.size`
   - Filter with `where type == "file"` to exclude metadata

2. **Absolute Path Construction**:
   - `pwd | append "path" | path join` for cross-platform paths
   - Safer than string concatenation with `/`

3. **Content Comparison**:
   - Compare TOML string representation before saving
   - Preserves file timestamps for efficiency

4. **Error Diagnostics**:
   - Capture `stderr` from commands
   - Report exit codes and error messages separately

## Testing

- [x] Help system shows version-update module
- [x] `just commands` displays all recipes by group
- [x] Phase 3 bin archive creation works
- [x] Plugin collection reports correct count (26)
- [x] Tar archives created successfully
- [x] File size calculated correctly
- [x] Plugin rebuild only touches changed files
- [x] CHANGELOG updated with all changes

## Files Changed

```
38 files changed, 2721 insertions(+), 2548 deletions(-)

Core Changes:
- justfiles/help.just                  (+23)  Help system integration
- scripts/create_full_distribution.nu  (+58)  Build process fixes
- scripts/update_all_plugins.nu        (+12)  Rebuild optimization
- CHANGELOG.md                         (+56)  Documentation

Dependency Updates:
- All plugin Cargo.toml and Cargo.lock files (version consistency)
```

## Breaking Changes

None. These are bug fixes and optimizations that maintain backward compatibility.

## Migration Notes

No migration needed. Improvements are transparent to users.

## Related Issues

- Help system discoverability
- Build process Phase 3 failures
- Unnecessary plugin rebuilds
- Build process reliability

## Checklist

- [x] Changes follow Rust/Nushell idioms
- [x] Code is well-commented
- [x] Error handling is comprehensive
- [x] Documentation is updated
- [x] All changes tested
- [x] No breaking changes introduced
2025-10-19 01:17:13 +01:00
..
2025-10-19 01:17:13 +01:00

Nushell Plugins - Guides Directory

Comprehensive guides for nushell plugin development and version management


📚 Available Guides

🚀 Quick Start

QUICK_START.md - Fast track to updating Nushell and creating distributions

Perfect for: Getting started immediately, common workflows, quick reference

Key topics:

  • One-liner updates
  • Creating distributions and bin archives
  • Common workflows
  • Status commands
  • Troubleshooting

📖 Complete Version Update Guide

COMPLETE_VERSION_UPDATE_GUIDE.md - Comprehensive guide for updating Nushell versions

Perfect for: Understanding the complete update process, step-by-step instructions

Key topics:

  • Complete update workflow (all phases)
  • Plugin updates
  • Distribution creation
  • Validation and testing
  • Troubleshooting
  • Reference commands

🗂️ Version-Specific Documentation

Version-specific documentation is located in the updates/ directory:

updates/
├── 107/              # Nushell 0.107.x documentation
├── 108/              # Nushell 0.108.x documentation
│   ├── NUSHELL_0.108_UPDATE_SUMMARY.md       # Complete update summary
│   ├── MIGRATION_0.108.0.md                  # Migration guide
│   ├── NUSHELL_UPDATE_AUTOMATION.md          # Automation documentation
│   └── ... (validation reports, change logs)
└── 109/              # Future versions...

🎯 Quick Navigation

I want to...

...update to a new Nushell version → Read: QUICK_START.md → Run: just complete-update 0.108.0

...create distribution packages → Read: QUICK_START.md → Run: just create-distribution

...update only plugins → Read: QUICK_START.md → Run: just update-plugins 0.108.0

...understand the complete process → Read: COMPLETE_VERSION_UPDATE_GUIDE.md

...check migration requirements → Read: updates/108/MIGRATION_0.108.0.md

...understand the automation → Read: updates/108/NUSHELL_UPDATE_AUTOMATION.md


🔧 Command Quick Reference

Update Commands

# Complete update
just complete-update 0.108.0          # All-in-one
just update-latest                     # Latest version

# Step-by-step
just update-nushell 0.108.0           # Nushell core only
just update-plugins 0.108.0           # Plugins only
just create-distribution              # Distributions only

Status Commands

just update-status                    # Update system status
just dist-status                      # Distribution status
just check-versions                   # Version consistency
just list-versions                    # List plugin versions
just audit-deps                       # Dependency audit

Help Commands

just update-help                      # Quick command reference
just update-docs                      # Documentation paths
just help                            # All available commands

📖 Documentation Structure

Repository Documentation:
├── guides/                           # This directory
│   ├── README.md                     # This file
│   ├── QUICK_START.md                # Fast track guide
│   └── COMPLETE_VERSION_UPDATE_GUIDE.md  # Complete guide
│
├── updates/                          # Version-specific docs
│   ├── 107/
│   ├── 108/
│   │   ├── NUSHELL_0.108_UPDATE_SUMMARY.md
│   │   ├── MIGRATION_0.108.0.md
│   │   ├── NUSHELL_UPDATE_AUTOMATION.md
│   │   └── ... (validation, changes, etc.)
│   └── 109/
│
├── README.md                         # Repository overview
├── CHANGELOG.md                      # All changes
├── CLAUDE.md                         # Claude Code guidance
│
└── scripts/                          # Automation scripts
    ├── complete_update.nu            # All-in-one updater
    ├── update_all_plugins.nu         # Bulk plugin updater
    ├── create_full_distribution.nu   # Distribution creator
    └── ... (8 total update scripts)

🎓 Learning Path

For First-Time Users

  1. Start here: QUICK_START.md

    • Learn the one-liner update command
    • Understand what gets created
  2. Then read: Repository README.md

    • Understand repository structure
    • Learn about plugin types
  3. For deeper knowledge: COMPLETE_VERSION_UPDATE_GUIDE.md

    • Complete workflow understanding
    • Troubleshooting guide

For Experienced Users

  1. Quick Reference: QUICK_START.md

    • Command cheat sheet
    • Common workflows
  2. Automation Details: updates/108/NUSHELL_UPDATE_AUTOMATION.md

    • How automation works
    • Customization options
  3. Version Changes: updates/108/MIGRATION_0.108.0.md

    • Breaking changes
    • Migration steps

💡 Tips & Best Practices

Before Updating

Always check for breaking changes:

just detect-breaking

Create a backup:

git stash save "backup before update"

Check current versions:

just check-versions
just audit-deps

During Update

Use the all-in-one command for simplicity:

just complete-update 0.108.0

Monitor progress:

just update-status

After Update

Validate everything works:

just validate-code
just verify-plugins

Create distributions:

just create-distribution-all

Commit changes:

git add -A
git commit -m "chore: update to Nushell 0.108.0"

🆘 Getting Help

Quick Help

# Show all update commands
just update-help

# Show documentation paths
just update-docs

# Show all available commands
just help

Documentation

  • This file: Overview and navigation
  • QUICK_START.md: Fast track and common workflows
  • COMPLETE_VERSION_UPDATE_GUIDE.md: Comprehensive guide
  • updates/108/: Version-specific documentation

Online Resources


🔄 Update Workflow Summary

graph TD
    A[Start: New Nushell Version] --> B{Choose Workflow}
    B -->|All-in-One| C[just complete-update 0.108.0]
    B -->|Step-by-Step| D[just update-nushell 0.108.0]

    C --> Z[Done! ✅]

    D --> E[just update-plugins 0.108.0]
    E --> F[just create-distribution]
    F --> G[just validate-code]
    G --> Z

    Z --> H[Commit Changes]
    H --> I[Push to Repository]

Last Updated: 2025-10-18 Current Nushell Version: 0.108.0 Guides Status: Complete and ready to use