diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 550b72d..a1d6a66 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -19,14 +19,14 @@
`pda!` is a command-line key-value store tool with:
-- [templates](https://github.com/Llywelwyn/pda#templates),
+- [templates](https://github.com/Llywelwyn/pda#templates) supporting arbitrary shell execution, conditionals, loops, more,
- [encryption](https://github.com/Llywelwyn/pda#encryption) at rest using [age](https://github.com/FiloSottile/age),
-- Git-backed [version control](https://github.com/Llywelwyn/pda#git),
-- [search and filtering](https://github.com/Llywelwyn/pda#filtering) by key and/or value,
-- plaintext exports in multiple formats,
+- Git-backed [version control](https://github.com/Llywelwyn/pda#git) with automatic syncing,
+- [search and filtering](https://github.com/Llywelwyn/pda#filtering) by key, value, or store,
+- plaintext exports in 7 different formats,
- support for all [binary data](https://github.com/Llywelwyn/pda#binary),
-- [time-to-live](https://github.com/Llywelwyn/pda#ttl)/expiry support,
-- built-in [diagnostics](https://github.com/Llywelwyn/pda#doctor),
+- expiring keys with a [time-to-live](https://github.com/Llywelwyn/pda#ttl),
+- built-in [diagnostics](https://github.com/Llywelwyn/pda#doctor) and [configuration](https://github.com/Llywelwyn/pda#config),
and more, written in pure Go, and inspired by [skate](https://github.com/charmbracelet/skate) and [nb](https://github.com/xwmx/nb).
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ Values support effectively all of Go's `text/template` syntax. Templates are eva
`text/template` is a Turing-complete templating library that supports most of what you'd expect in a scripting language. Actions are given with ``{{ action }}`` syntax and support pipelines and nested templates, along with a lot more. I recommend reading the documentation if you want to do anything more complicated than described here.
-To fit `text/template` nicely into this tool, pda has a sparse set of additional functions built-in. For example, `default` values, `enum`s, `require`d values, `time`, `lists`, among others. These same functions are also available in `git.default_commit_message` templates, along with `{{ summary }}` which returns the action that triggered the commit (e.g. "set foo", "removed bar").
+To fit `text/template` nicely into this tool, pda has a sparse set of additional functions built-in. For example, `default` values, `enum`s, `require`d values, `time`, `lists`, arbitrary `shell` execution, and getting other `pda` keys (recursively!). These same functions are also available in `git.default_commit_message` templates, along with `summary` which returns the action that triggered the commit (e.g. "set foo", "removed bar").
Below is more detail on the extra functions added by this tool.
@@ -481,6 +481,35 @@ pda get names NAMES=Bob,Alice
+`shell` executes a command and returns stdout.
+```bash
+pda set rev '{{ shell "git rev-parse --short HEAD" }}'
+pda get rev
+# a1b2c3d
+
+pda set today '{{ shell "date +%Y-%m-%d" }}'
+pda get today
+# 2025-06-15
+```
+
+
+
+`pda` gets another key.
+```bash
+pda set base_url "https://api.example.com"
+pda set endpoint '{{ pda "base_url" }}/users/{{ require .ID }}'
+pda get endpoint ID=42
+# https://api.example.com/users/42
+
+# Cross-store references work too.
+pda set host@urls "https://example.com"
+pda set api '{{ pda "host@urls" }}/api'
+pda get api
+# https://example.com/api
+```
+
+
+
pass `no-template` to output literally without templating.
```bash
pda set hello "{{ if .MORNING }}Good morning.{{ end }}"
diff --git a/cmd/get.go b/cmd/get.go
index 5a3a85d..e4b6b1c 100644
--- a/cmd/get.go
+++ b/cmd/get.go
@@ -148,18 +148,22 @@ func applyTemplate(tplBytes []byte, substitutions []string) ([]byte, error) {
val := parts[1]
vars[key] = val
}
+ funcMap := templateFuncMap()
+ funcMap["pda"] = func(key string) (string, error) {
+ return pdaGet(key, substitutions)
+ }
tpl, err := template.New("cmd").
Delims("{{", "}}").
// Render missing map keys as zero values so the default helper can decide on fallbacks.
Option("missingkey=zero").
- Funcs(templateFuncMap()).
+ Funcs(funcMap).
Parse(string(tplBytes))
if err != nil {
return nil, err
}
var buf bytes.Buffer
if err := tpl.Execute(&buf, vars); err != nil {
- return nil, err
+ return nil, cleanTemplateError(err)
}
return buf.Bytes(), nil
}
diff --git a/cmd/template.go b/cmd/template.go
index 0bd1209..d8cef0d 100644
--- a/cmd/template.go
+++ b/cmd/template.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ package cmd
import (
"fmt"
"os"
+ "os/exec"
"slices"
"strconv"
"strings"
@@ -81,5 +82,76 @@ func templateFuncMap() template.FuncMap {
return parts
},
"time": func() string { return time.Now().UTC().Format(time.RFC3339) },
+ "shell": func(command string) (string, error) {
+ sh := os.Getenv("SHELL")
+ if sh == "" {
+ sh = "/bin/sh"
+ }
+ out, err := exec.Command(sh, "-c", command).Output()
+ if err != nil {
+ if exitErr, ok := err.(*exec.ExitError); ok && len(exitErr.Stderr) > 0 {
+ return "", fmt.Errorf("shell %q: %s", command, strings.TrimSpace(string(exitErr.Stderr)))
+ }
+ return "", fmt.Errorf("shell %q: %w", command, err)
+ }
+ return strings.TrimRight(string(out), "\n"), nil
+ },
+ "pda": func(key string) (string, error) {
+ return pdaGet(key, nil)
+ },
}
}
+
+// cleanTemplateError strips Go template engine internals from function call
+// errors, returning just the inner error message. Template execution errors
+// look like: "template: cmd:1:3: executing "cmd" at : error calling func: "
+// We extract just for cleaner user-facing output.
+func cleanTemplateError(err error) error {
+ msg := err.Error()
+ const marker = "error calling "
+ if i := strings.Index(msg, marker); i >= 0 {
+ rest := msg[i+len(marker):]
+ if j := strings.Index(rest, ": "); j >= 0 {
+ return fmt.Errorf("%s", rest[j+2:])
+ }
+ }
+ return err
+}
+
+const maxTemplateDepth = 16
+
+func templateDepth() int {
+ s := os.Getenv("PDA_TEMPLATE_DEPTH")
+ if s == "" {
+ return 0
+ }
+ n, _ := strconv.Atoi(s)
+ return n
+}
+
+func pdaGet(key string, substitutions []string) (string, error) {
+ depth := templateDepth()
+ if depth >= maxTemplateDepth {
+ return "", fmt.Errorf("pda: max template depth (%d) exceeded", maxTemplateDepth)
+ }
+ exe, err := os.Executable()
+ if err != nil {
+ return "", fmt.Errorf("pda: %w", err)
+ }
+ args := append([]string{"get", key}, substitutions...)
+ cmd := exec.Command(exe, args...)
+ cmd.Env = append(os.Environ(), fmt.Sprintf("PDA_TEMPLATE_DEPTH=%d", depth+1))
+ out, err := cmd.Output()
+ if err != nil {
+ if exitErr, ok := err.(*exec.ExitError); ok && len(exitErr.Stderr) > 0 {
+ msg := strings.TrimSpace(string(exitErr.Stderr))
+ msg = strings.TrimPrefix(msg, "FAIL ")
+ if strings.Contains(msg, "max template depth") {
+ return "", fmt.Errorf("pda: max template depth (%d) exceeded (possible circular reference involving %q)", maxTemplateDepth, key)
+ }
+ return "", fmt.Errorf("pda: %s", msg)
+ }
+ return "", fmt.Errorf("pda: %w", err)
+ }
+ return strings.TrimRight(string(out), "\n"), nil
+}
diff --git a/testdata/template-enum-err.ct b/testdata/template-enum-err.ct
index f3a5e79..b0597cf 100644
--- a/testdata/template-enum-err.ct
+++ b/testdata/template-enum-err.ct
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@
$ fecho tpl {{ enum .LEVEL "info" "warn" }}
$ pda set level@tple < tpl
$ pda get level@tple LEVEL=debug --> FAIL
-FAIL cannot get 'level@tple': template: cmd:1:3: executing "cmd" at : error calling enum: invalid value 'debug', allowed: [info warn]
+FAIL cannot get 'level@tple': invalid value 'debug', allowed: [info warn]
diff --git a/testdata/template-pda-ref-err.ct b/testdata/template-pda-ref-err.ct
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e779297
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/template-pda-ref-err.ct
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# pda errors on missing key
+$ fecho tpl1 {{ pda "missing" }}
+$ pda set ref@tplre < tpl1
+$ pda get ref@tplre --> FAIL
+FAIL cannot get 'ref@tplre': pda: cannot get 'missing': no such key
diff --git a/testdata/template-pda-ref.ct b/testdata/template-pda-ref.ct
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eccba79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/template-pda-ref.ct
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# pda function cross-references another key
+$ pda set base https://example.com
+$ fecho tpl1 {{ pda "base" }}/api
+$ pda set endpoint@tplr < tpl1
+$ pda get endpoint@tplr
+https://example.com/api
+# pda with substitution vars passed through
+$ fecho tpl2 Hello, {{ default "World" .NAME }}
+$ pda set greeting@tplr < tpl2
+$ fecho tpl3 {{ pda "greeting@tplr" }}!
+$ pda set shout@tplr < tpl3
+$ pda get shout@tplr NAME=Alice
+Hello, Alice!
diff --git a/testdata/template-require-err.ct b/testdata/template-require-err.ct
index 55a686b..255cf57 100644
--- a/testdata/template-require-err.ct
+++ b/testdata/template-require-err.ct
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@
$ fecho tpl {{ require .FILE }}
$ pda set tmpl@tplr < tpl
$ pda get tmpl@tplr --> FAIL
-FAIL cannot get 'tmpl@tplr': template: cmd:1:3: executing "cmd" at : error calling require: required value is missing or empty
+FAIL cannot get 'tmpl@tplr': required value is missing or empty
diff --git a/testdata/template-shell.ct b/testdata/template-shell.ct
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ad5c933
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/template-shell.ct
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# Shell function executes a command and returns stdout
+$ fecho tpl1 {{ shell "echo hello" }}
+$ pda set shelltest@tpls < tpl1
+$ pda get shelltest@tpls
+hello