allow us to specify paths and files in the configuration relative to the directory the configuration file is in

config/config.go

@@ -156,6 +156,15 @@ type AmConfig struct {
 			UserProps       int `yaml:"userProps"`
 		} `yaml:"caches"`
 	} `yaml:"tuning"`
+	baseDir string // the base directory to evaluate relative paths to.
+}
+
+// ExPath expands a path relative to the baseDir (the location of the config file).
+func (c *AmConfig) ExPath(path string) string {
+	if path == "" || c.baseDir == "" || filepath.IsAbs(path) {
+		return path
+	}
+	return filepath.Join(c.baseDir, path)
 }
 
 // AmConfigComputed is the configuration values which are "computed" based only on values in AmConfig.
@@ -213,6 +222,10 @@ func locateConfigFile() (string, *os.File) {
 func overlayStructValue(dest, loaded, defaults reflect.Value) {
 	typ := dest.Type()
 	for i := 0; i < dest.NumField(); i++ {
+		structField := typ.Field(i)
+		if !structField.IsExported() {
+			continue
+		}
 		fldDest := dest.Field(i)
 		fldLoaded := loaded.Field(i)
 		fldDefaults := defaults.Field(i)
@@ -257,8 +270,7 @@ func overlayStructValue(dest, loaded, defaults reflect.Value) {
 			}
 		} else {
 			// if we see this message, this function needs more work
-			errField := typ.Field(i)
+			log.Errorf("*** unable to deal with field %s of type %s", structField.Name, typ.Name())
-			log.Errorf("*** unable to deal with field %s of type %s", errField.Name, typ.Name())
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -290,19 +302,20 @@ func parseDataSize(s string) (int32, error) {
 
 // AmOpenExternalContentPath opens the "external content path" specified in the configuration as a root filesystem.
 func AmOpenExternalContentPath() (fs.FS, error) {
-	if GlobalConfig.Resources.ExternalContentPath == "" {
+	path := GlobalConfig.ExPath(GlobalConfig.Resources.ExternalContentPath)
+	if path == "" {
 		return nil, nil
 	}
-	finfo, err := os.Stat(GlobalConfig.Resources.ExternalContentPath)
+	finfo, err := os.Stat(path)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Errorf("external content path \"%s\" is not valid, ignored (%v)", GlobalConfig.Resources.ExternalContentPath, err)
+		log.Errorf("external content path \"%s\" is not valid, ignored (%v)", path, err)
 		return nil, nil
 	}
 	if !finfo.IsDir() {
-		log.Errorf("external content path \"%s\" is not a directory, ignored", GlobalConfig.Resources.ExternalContentPath)
+		log.Errorf("external content path \"%s\" is not a directory, ignored", path)
 		return nil, nil
 	}
-	root, err := os.OpenRoot(GlobalConfig.Resources.ExternalContentPath)
+	root, err := os.OpenRoot(path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -331,9 +344,11 @@ func SetupConfig() {
 			panic(fmt.Sprintf("unable to load configuration file %s: %v", name, err))
 		}
 		overlayStructValue(reflect.ValueOf(&GlobalConfig).Elem(), reflect.ValueOf(&loadedConfig).Elem(), reflect.ValueOf(&defaultConfig).Elem())
+		GlobalConfig.baseDir = filepath.Dir(name)
 	} else {
 		log.Info("SetupConfig(): using default configs only")
 		GlobalConfig = defaultConfig // just copy over the defaults
+		GlobalConfig.baseDir = ""
 	}
 
 	// Compute additional values.

email/sender.go

@@ -213,16 +213,17 @@ func SetupMailSender() func() {
 
 	// Locate the external template directory and build the loaders.
 	templateLoaders := make([]jet.Loader, 0, 2)
-	if config.GlobalConfig.Resources.EmailTemplateDir != "" {
+	etDir := config.GlobalConfig.ExPath(config.GlobalConfig.Resources.EmailTemplateDir)
-		finfo, err := os.Stat(config.GlobalConfig.Resources.EmailTemplateDir)
+	if etDir != "" {
+		finfo, err := os.Stat(etDir)
 		if err == nil {
 			if finfo.IsDir() {
-				templateLoaders = append(templateLoaders, jet.NewOSFileSystemLoader(config.GlobalConfig.Resources.EmailTemplateDir))
+				templateLoaders = append(templateLoaders, jet.NewOSFileSystemLoader(etDir))
 			} else {
-				log.Errorf("email template directory %s is not a directory, ignored", config.GlobalConfig.Resources.EmailTemplateDir)
+				log.Errorf("email template directory %s is not a directory, ignored", etDir)
 			}
 		} else {
-			log.Errorf("email template directory %s is not valid, ignored (%v)", config.GlobalConfig.Resources.EmailTemplateDir, err)
+			log.Errorf("email template directory %s is not valid, ignored (%v)", etDir, err)
 		}
 	}
 	templateLoaders = append(templateLoaders, embedfs.NewLoader("templates/", emailTemplates))

ui/dialog.go

@@ -88,20 +88,21 @@ var extDialogs fs.FS = nil
 // setupDialogs sets up the external dialog filesystem.
 func setupDialogs() {
 	// Open the external dialog path.
-	if config.GlobalConfig.Resources.DialogTemplateDir != "" {
+	dtDir := config.GlobalConfig.ExPath(config.GlobalConfig.Resources.DialogTemplateDir)
-		finfo, err := os.Stat(config.GlobalConfig.Resources.DialogTemplateDir)
+	if dtDir != "" {
+		finfo, err := os.Stat(dtDir)
 		if err == nil {
 			if finfo.IsDir() {
-				root, err := os.OpenRoot(config.GlobalConfig.Resources.DialogTemplateDir)
+				root, err := os.OpenRoot(dtDir)
 				if err != nil {
 					panic(err)
 				}
 				extDialogs = root.FS()
 			} else {
-				log.Errorf("external resource path \"%s\" is not a directory, ignored", config.GlobalConfig.Resources.DialogTemplateDir)
+				log.Errorf("external resource path \"%s\" is not a directory, ignored", dtDir)
 			}
 		} else {
-			log.Errorf("external resource path \"%s\" is not valid, ignored (%v)", config.GlobalConfig.Resources.DialogTemplateDir, err)
+			log.Errorf("external resource path \"%s\" is not valid, ignored (%v)", dtDir, err)
 		}
 	}
 }

ui/menus.go

@@ -164,8 +164,9 @@ func setupMenus() {
 	if menuCache, err = lru.New(config.GlobalConfig.Tuning.Caches.Menus); err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
-	if config.GlobalConfig.Resources.ExternalMenuDefinitions != "" {
+	mfile := config.GlobalConfig.ExPath(config.GlobalConfig.Resources.ExternalMenuDefinitions)
-		b, err := os.ReadFile(config.GlobalConfig.Resources.ExternalMenuDefinitions)
+	if mfile != "" {
+		b, err := os.ReadFile(mfile)
 		if err == nil {
 			md := new(MenuDefs)
 			err = yaml.Unmarshal(b, md)
@@ -177,10 +178,10 @@ func setupMenus() {
 					}
 				}
 			} else {
-				log.Errorf("cannot parse external menu definition file %s, ignored (%v)", config.GlobalConfig.Resources.ExternalMenuDefinitions, err)
+				log.Errorf("cannot parse external menu definition file %s, ignored (%v)", mfile, err)
 			}
 		} else {
-			log.Errorf("cannot read external menu definition file %s, ignored (%v)", config.GlobalConfig.Resources.ExternalMenuDefinitions, err)
+			log.Errorf("cannot read external menu definition file %s, ignored (%v)", mfile, err)
 		}
 	}
 }

ui/messagebox.go

@@ -85,8 +85,9 @@ func init() {
 
 // setupMessageBoxes loads external message box definitions.
 func setupMessageBoxes() {
-	if config.GlobalConfig.Resources.ExternalMessageDefinitions != "" {
+	mbfile := config.GlobalConfig.ExPath(config.GlobalConfig.Resources.ExternalMessageDefinitions)
-		b, err := os.ReadFile(config.GlobalConfig.Resources.ExternalMessageDefinitions)
+	if mbfile != "" {
+		b, err := os.ReadFile(mbfile)
 		if err == nil {
 			mb := new(MessageBoxDefs)
 			err = yaml.Unmarshal(b, mb)
@@ -102,10 +103,10 @@ func setupMessageBoxes() {
 					}
 				}
 			} else {
-				log.Errorf("cannot parse external message definition file %s, ignored (%v)", config.GlobalConfig.Resources.ExternalMessageDefinitions, err)
+				log.Errorf("cannot parse external message definition file %s, ignored (%v)", mbfile, err)
 			}
 		} else {
-			log.Errorf("cannot read external message definition file %s, ignored (%v)", config.GlobalConfig.Resources.ExternalMessageDefinitions, err)
+			log.Errorf("cannot read external message definition file %s, ignored (%v)", mbfile, err)
 		}
 	}
 }

ui/static.go

@@ -37,20 +37,21 @@ var external_resources fs.FS = nil
 
 func setupResources() {
 	// Open the external resource path.
-	if config.GlobalConfig.Resources.ExternalResourcePath != "" {
+	rpath := config.GlobalConfig.ExPath(config.GlobalConfig.Resources.ExternalResourcePath)
-		finfo, err := os.Stat(config.GlobalConfig.Resources.ExternalResourcePath)
+	if rpath != "" {
+		finfo, err := os.Stat(rpath)
 		if err == nil {
 			if finfo.IsDir() {
-				root, err := os.OpenRoot(config.GlobalConfig.Resources.ExternalResourcePath)
+				root, err := os.OpenRoot(rpath)
 				if err != nil {
 					panic(err)
 				}
 				external_resources = root.FS()
 			} else {
-				log.Errorf("external resource path \"%s\" is not a directory, ignored", config.GlobalConfig.Resources.ExternalResourcePath)
+				log.Errorf("external resource path \"%s\" is not a directory, ignored", rpath)
 			}
 		} else {
-			log.Errorf("external resource path \"%s\" is not valid, ignored (%v)", config.GlobalConfig.Resources.ExternalResourcePath, err)
+			log.Errorf("external resource path \"%s\" is not valid, ignored (%v)", rpath, err)
 		}
 	}
 }

ui/templates.go

@@ -287,16 +287,17 @@ func postRewrite(a jet.Arguments) reflect.Value {
 func setupTemplates() {
 	// Set up the template loaders: the optional filesystem loader, then the embedded loader.
 	templateLoaders := make([]jet.Loader, 0, 2)
-	if config.GlobalConfig.Resources.ViewTemplateDir != "" {
+	vtDir := config.GlobalConfig.ExPath(config.GlobalConfig.Resources.ViewTemplateDir)
-		finfo, err := os.Stat(config.GlobalConfig.Resources.ViewTemplateDir)
+	if vtDir != "" {
+		finfo, err := os.Stat(vtDir)
 		if err == nil {
 			if finfo.IsDir() {
-				templateLoaders = append(templateLoaders, jet.NewOSFileSystemLoader(config.GlobalConfig.Resources.ViewTemplateDir))
+				templateLoaders = append(templateLoaders, jet.NewOSFileSystemLoader(vtDir))
 			} else {
-				log.Errorf("view template directory %s is not a directory, ignored", config.GlobalConfig.Resources.ViewTemplateDir)
+				log.Errorf("view template directory %s is not a directory, ignored", vtDir)
 			}
 		} else {
-			log.Errorf("view template directory %s is not valid, ignored (%v)", config.GlobalConfig.Resources.ViewTemplateDir, err)
+			log.Errorf("view template directory %s is not valid, ignored (%v)", vtDir, err)
 		}
 	}
 	templateLoaders = append(templateLoaders, embedfs.NewLoader("views/", static_views))