Ini Align

INI file section and key-value alignment tool. Reorders sections and keys in a target INI file to match the order in a source (reference) INI file. Target-only sections/keys preserved at end with full content, source-only sections listed as comments. Use when user requests "INI section reorder", "INI key alignment", "align INI sections", "reorder INI config", or similar needs.

INI File Alignment

Overview

Align a target INI file's section order and key order to match a source (reference) INI file.

Usage

Run the script directly:

bash

python scripts/ini_align.py <source.ini> <target.ini> <output.ini>

Input/Output Convention

• source.ini: Reference file, never modified
• target.ini: File to be reordered, never modified
• output.ini: Output file with aligned result. Never overwrite source or target.

Alignment Rules

The script will:

1. Common sections: Sections present in both files are reordered to match source order. Keys within each section are also reordered to match source key order.
2. Target-only keys: Keys in target but not in source are appended at the end of that section.
3. Source-only sections: Sections only in source are listed as comments (; [SectionName]) at the end of output.
4. Target-only sections: Sections only in target are preserved with full content at the end of output.
5. Duplicate sections: If source has duplicate section names, the first occurrence determines position.

Pre-execution Confirmation

Before running the script, confirm with the user:

• Full paths to source and target files
• Output file path (suggest naming: <original>-aligned.ini)
• Confirm original files will not be overwritten

Post-execution Summary

After running, output statistics:

• Source section count
• Target section count
• Common section count
• Source-only and target-only section counts
• Any duplicate section warnings