collection-files.md

Collection files

privacy.sexy is a data-driven application that reads YAML files. This document details the structure and syntax of the YAML files located in application/collections, which form the backbone of the application's data model.

Related documentation:

• 📖 collection.yaml.d.ts outlines code types.
• 📖 Script Guidelines provide guidance on script creation including best-practices.

Objects

Collection

• Defines categories, scripts, and OS-specific details in a tree structure.
• Allows defining common functions for code reuse.

Collection syntax

• os: string (required)
  • Operating system for the collection.
  • 📖 See OperatingSystem.ts for possible values.
• actions: [ Category , ... ] (required)
  • Renders each parent category as cards in the user interface.
  • ❗ A Collection must consist of at least one category.
• functions: [ Function , ... ]
  • Optional for code reuse.
• scripting: ScriptingDefinition (required)
  • Sets the scripting language for all inline code used within the collection.

Category

Represents a logical group of scripts and subcategories.

Category syntax

• category: string (required)
  • Name of the category.
  • ❗ Must be unique throughout the collection.
• children: [ Category | Script , ... ] (required)
  • ❗ Category must consist of at least one subcategory or script.
  • Children can be combination of scripts and subcategories.
• docs: string | [string, ... ]
  • Markdown-formatted documentation related to the category.

Script

Represents an individual tweak.

Types (like functions):

1. Inline script:
   • Direct code.
   • ❗ Requires code and optional revertCode.
2. Caller script:
   • Calls other functions.
   • ❗ Requires call, but not code or revertCode.

📖 For detailed guidelines, see Script Guidelines.

Script syntax

• name: string (required)
  • Script name.
  • ❗ Must be unique throughout the Collection.
• code: string (conditionally required)
  • Code to execute when the user selects the script.
  • 💡 If defined, it's best practice to also define revertCode.
  • ❗ Cannot co-exist with call, define either code with optional revertCode or call.
• revertCode: string
  • Reverts changes made by code.
  • ❗ Cannot co-exist with call, define revertCode with code or call.
• call: FunctionCall | [ FunctionCall , ... ] (conditionally required)
  • A shared function or sequence of functions to call (called in order).
  • ❗ Cannot co-exist with code or revertCode, define code with optional revertCode or call.
• docs: string | [string, ... ]
  • Markdown-formatted documentation related to the script.
• recommend: "standard" | "strict" | undefined (default: undefined)
  • Sets recommendation level.
  • Application will not recommend the script if undefined.

📖 For detailed guidelines, see Script Guidelines.

FunctionCall

Specifies a function call. It may require providing argument values to its parameters.

FunctionCall syntax

• function: string (required)
  • Name of the function to call.
  • ❗ Function with same name must defined in functions property of Collection.
• parameters: [ parameterName: parameterValue , ... ]
  • Key-value pairs representing function parameters and their corresponding argument values.
  • 📖 See parameter substitution for an example usage.
  • 💡 You can use expressions (templating) when providing argument values for parameters.

Function

• Enables reusable code in scripts.
• Functions are templates compiled by privacy.sexy and uses special expression expressions.
• A function can be of two different types (like scripts):
  1. Inline function: a function with an inline code.
     • ❗ Requires code and optionally revertCode, but not call.
  2. Caller function: a function that calls other functions.
     • ❗ Requires call, but not code or revertCode.
• 📖 Read about function expressions in Templating with example usages.

Function syntax

• name: string (required)
  • Name of the function that scripts will use.
  • ❗ Function names must be unique.
  • ❗ Function names must follow camelCase and start with verbs (e.g., uninstallStoreApp).
• parameters: [ FunctionParameter , ... ] (conditionally required)
  • Lists parameters used.
  • ❗ Required to be able use in FunctionCall or expressions (templating).
• code: string (conditionally required)
  • Code to execute when the user selects the script.
  • 💡 You can use expressions (templating) in its value.
  • 💡 If defined, it's best practice to also define revertCode.
  • ❗ Cannot co-exist with call, define either code with optional revertCode or call.
• revertCode: string
  • Reverts changes made by code.
  • 💡 You can use expressions (templating) in its value.
  • ❗ Cannot co-exist with call, define revertCode with code or call.
• call: FunctionCall | [ FunctionCall , ... ] (conditionally required)
  • A shared function or sequence of functions to call (called in order).
  • 💡 You can use expressions (templating) in argument values provided for parameters.
  • ❗ Cannot co-exist with code or revertCode, define code with optional revertCode or call.

FunctionParameter

• Defines a single parameter that may require an argument value optionally or mandatory.
• A FunctionCall provides argument values by a caller.
  • A caller can be a Script or Function.

FunctionParameter syntax

• name: string (required)
  • Name of the parameter that the function has.
  • ❗ Required for expressions (templating).
  • ❗ Must be unique and consists of alphanumeric characters.
• optional: boolean (default: false)
  • Indicates the caller must provide and argument value for the parameter.
  • 💡 If set to false i.e. an argument value is not optional then it expects a non-empty value for the variable.
    • E.g., in a with expression.
  • 💡 Set it to true if you will use its argument value conditionally;
    • Or else set it to false for verbosity or do not define it as default value is false anyway.

ScriptingDefinition

Sets global scripting properties for a Collection.

ScriptingDefinition syntax

• language: string (required)
  • 📖 See ScriptingLanguage.ts enumeration for allowed values.
• startCode: string (required)
  • Prepends the given code to the generated script file.
  • 💡 You can use global variables such as $homepage, $version, $date via parameter substitution code syntax such as Welcome to {{ $homepage }}!.
• endCode: string (required)
  • Appends to the given code to the generated script file.
  • 💡 You can use global variables such as $homepage, $version, $date via parameter substitution code syntax such as Welcome to {{ $homepage }}!.