xdg-recent

#!/usr/bin/python3
# xdg-recent (part of ossobv/vcutil) // wdoekes/2023-2024 // Public Domain
#
# Mark files as "recently used" so they show up first in the File Browser in
# GNOME/Gtk/X. This is useful when you're editing/preparing files using
# the command line and want to upload them using a (graphical) web
# brower.
#
# Usage:
#
# - <create file1.txt>
# - xdg-recent file1.txt
# - <open graphical application, click recent, see file there>
#
# Original from unix.stackexchange.com/questions/509413 by Stephen Kitt.
# Named it xdg-recent to match xdg-open, which is the other commonly used
# tool when switching from CLI to X. Not called xdg-mark-recent because
# (a) there exists a xdg-m(ime) and (b) we may want to amend this to do
# more than just "mark".
#
# Todo:
# - add -n for do-not-mark utime()
# - do other stuff, like list/delete the RecentManager data
#
# See also: xdg-open(1) from xdg-utils.
#
import os
import sys

import gi
gi.require_version('Gtk', '3.0')

if True:
    # Indent so PEP tools don't complain.
    from gi.repository import Gtk, Gio, GLib

rec_mgr = Gtk.RecentManager.get_default()

# rd = Gtk.RecentData()
# rd.description = None
# rd.app_name = 'xdg-recent'              # free form
# rd.app_exec = '/usr/bin/xdg-open %u'    # %u = file://url, %f = filename
# rd.is_private = False

for arg in sys.argv[1:]:
    try:
        # Update mtime so an 'ls -ltr' will quickly show it as well.
        # Do this first. It resets 'gio info' recent access times if
        # done afterwards.
        # Additional benefit is that the existence of arg is checked
        # before it is pushed onto the RecentManager stack.
        os.utime(arg, None)
    except PermissionError:
        # Failed to update mtime because of lacking permissions. Not a
        # problem for us.
        pass

    gfile = Gio.File.new_for_path(arg)

    # rd.display_name = os.path.basename(arg)
    # rd.mime_type = mimetypes.guess_type(arg)[0] or 'application/octet-stream'
    # rec_mgr.add_full(gfile.get_uri(), rd)

    # add_item() is just as capable as add_full() and it's better at
    # populating app_exec.
    rec_mgr.add_item(gfile.get_uri())

    try:
        # Open the file to simulate access: this will update the
        # "time::access" as seen with "gio info FILE".
        stream = gfile.read()  # Open the file
        stream.read_bytes(1)   # Read at least one byte
        stream.close()         # Close it right away
    except GLib.GError:
        # Failed to set the "time::access" property. If we can't because
        # we cannot read it, the file will still show up in the Recent list,
        # but at the bottom.
        pass

GLib.idle_add(Gtk.main_quit)
Gtk.main()