Pfcreator is a handy tool built with Rust and Zig that simplifies the creation of lab practical records. It automates the process of compiling code, running it, and neatly organizing the results into a .docx file. You can customize the look of your record using a straightforward format.toml configuration file.

• Automatically runs your .cpp or .py code files.
• Creates a well-structured .docx practical record.
• Lets you customize the formatting with a format.toml file.
• Uses a questions.txt file to organize your practical questions.

1. Run the installer via

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/UndiedGamer/pfcreator/refs/heads/main/install.sh | sh

2. Source your shell profile (.bashrc, .zshrc, etc.) or create a new terminal instance to use the pfcreator command.

1. Enable Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).
2. Open Ubuntu or your distro of choice in Windows Terminal or from Start Menu.
3. Follow Linux steps.

1. Code Files: Put all your .cpp, .py, or .java files into a single folder.

2. questions.txt: In the same folder, create a file named questions.txt. Write each practical question, followed by a line of --- to separate them. Like this:

   Question 1::file1.java
   ---
   Question 2::file2.java
   ---
   Question 3::file3.java
   

3. format.toml: Also in the same folder, create a format.toml file to define how your record should look. Here's an example:

   [header]
   size = 14             # Font size (optional, default is 12)
   bold = true           # Bold text (optional, default is false)
   text = "Task {n}"     # {n} will be the question number
   align = "center"      # Text alignment (optional, default is left)
   
   [question]
   size = 17
   bold = true
   text = "Q) {question}" # {question} will be taken from questions.txt
   
   [solution]
   size = 12
   text = "{solution}"   # {solution} will be your code
   
     [solution.title]
     size = 14
     bold = true
     underline = true
     text = "Code:"
   
   [output]
   size = 12
   text = "{output}"    # {output} will be the program's output
   
     [output.title]
     size = 14
     bold = true
     underline = true
     text = "Output:"
   
   # Optional footer
   [footer]
   size = 10
   text = "Made by Hemanth"
   align = "right"

1. Open your terminal and go to the folder with your files.

2. Run this command:

   pfcreator [color] <file_extension> <folder_path>

   • [color] is optional - enables colored output in the terminal.
   • Replace <file_extension> with cpp, py, or java (depending on your code files).
   • Replace <folder_path> with the path to your folder.

   For example:

   pfcreator cpp my_cpp_practical

   or

   pfcreator py my_python_practical

   or

   pfcreator java my_java_practical

   or with colored output:

   pfcreator color cpp my_cpp_practical

Your .docx practical record will be created inside the folder you specified (my_cpp_practical, my_python_practical, or my_java_practical in the examples).

These are special tags in your format.toml that Pfcreator replaces:

• {n}: The question number.
• {question}: The question from questions.txt.
• {solution}: Your code.
• {output}: The output of your code.

Note to self: add windows deprecation in future section here