# Adding your data

Create `~/.local/share/manicule/entries.json` as a JSON array:

```json
[
  {
    "id": "author-work-short-name",
    "passage": "The words you want to remember.",
    "author": "Author or speaker",
    "source": "Book, speech, letter, or other source",
    "kind": "novel",
    "year": "1813",
    "locator": "Chapter 1",
    "reference": "https://example.com/primary-source",
    "tags": ["attention", "courage"]
  }
]
```

Only `passage`, `author`, and `source` are required. `id` is generated when
missing; keep an explicit ID if you may correct the wording later. Optional
fields are `kind`, `year`, `locator`, `context`, `reference`, and `tags`.

Manicule also accepts one entry or an object containing an `entries`, `quotes`,
`items`, or `data` array. Imports can use these aliases:

| Output | Accepted input names |
| --- | --- |
| `id` | `id`, `key`, `slug` |
| `passage` | `passage`, `quote`, `text`, `content`, `thought` |
| `author` | `author`, `writer`, `by` |
| `source` | `source`, `book`, `title`, `work`, `bookTitle`, `book_title` |
| `kind` | `kind`, `category`, `type` |
| `year` | `year`, `date` |
| `locator` | `locator`, `location`, `chapter`, `page` |
| `context` | `context`, `background`, `note` |
| `reference` | `reference`, `url`, `link` |
| `tags` | `tags`, `topics`, `labels` |

## Build your own library

Capture the exact passage while reading or listening, then record who said it,
the work, and a useful locator. Prefer the original text, an author archive, a
library, or an institutional transcript over quote-aggregation sites. Add the
direct URL in `reference` and use `context` for anything you want to remember.

Exported highlights only need to be transformed to one accepted shape. If a
field name differs, add it to `fieldAliases` in `Model.js`. If the root structure
differs, extend `recordsFromData`. Keep validation in `validateEntry` and
`validateCorpus`, and add a normalization test.

Validate before reloading:

```bash
node scripts/validate-library.mjs ~/.local/share/manicule/entries.json
```

The file is accepted as one transaction: malformed entries or duplicate IDs
leave the last working library visible. Keep personal extracts local, and only
publish text you wrote, licensed text, or material whose copyright status you
have checked.