FEATURE: Added support for configuration files, documentation updated

README.md

@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ This tool is perfect for users who want to standardize their media library's aud
 
   * Processes multiple files simultaneously to dramatically speed up batch jobs, automatically using the optimal number of CPU cores.
 
+* **User-Friendly Configuration:**
+  * Automatically creates a default `options.json` file on the first run for easy customization. Command-line options always override the config file.
+
 * **Interactive Progress Bar:**
 
   * A clean `tqdm` progress bar shows you the overall progress, ETA, and processing speed.
@@ -88,7 +91,7 @@ The primary command is `eac3-transcode`.
 `eac3-transcode --input "/path/to/your/video_folder/" --dry-run  `  
 __*This is the safest way to start, to confirm the script's logic matches your expectations.*__
 
-2. **Process** all videos in a folder (output saved in the same directory as **originals):**
+2. **Process** all videos in a folder (using defaults or your config file):**
 
 `eac3-transcode --input "/path/to/your/video_folder/"`  
 __*This will use all available CPU cores for maximum speed.*__
@@ -107,6 +110,45 @@ __*This will use all available CPU cores for maximum speed.*__
 
 `eac3-transcode --input "/path/to/your/video_folder/" --force-reprocess`
 
+## Configuration
+
+For convenience, the script supports a `options.json` file to set your preferred defaults.
+
+### How it Works
+
+1. **Automatic Creation:** The **first time** you run the script, it will automatically create a default `options.json` file in your user's configuration directory. It will print a message showing you where the file was created.
+
+2. **Search Order:** When you run the command,  it looks for a `options.json` file in this order:
+
+    * **1. Current Directory:** A `options.json` in the folder you are running the command from (for project-specific settings).
+
+    * **2. User Config Directory:** The global config file it created on the first run.
+
+3. **Overrides:** Any option you provide on the command line (e.g., `--bitrate 640k`) will always take precedence over the setting in the config file for that specific run.
+
+### Config File Location
+
+The global config file is located in the standard directory for your operating system:
+
+* Windows: `C:\Users\<YourUser>\AppData\Roaming\eac3-transcode\options.json`
+
+* macOS: `/Users/<YourUser>/Library/Application Support/eac3-transcode/options.json`
+
+* Linux: `/home/<YourUser>/.config/eac3-transcode/options.json`
+
+**Example `options.json`**  
+You can edit this JSON file ot change your default settings.  
+```
+{
+    "output_directory_base": null,
+    "audio_bitrate": "640k",
+    "languages": "eng,jpn",
+    "jobs": 8,
+    "dry_run": false,
+    "force_reprocess": false
+}
+```
+
 ## Command-Line Options
 
 **Usage:**

setup.cfg

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [metadata]
 name = surround-to-eac3
-version = 0.3.4
+version = 0.4.0
 author = Jonathan Rampersad
 author_email = jonathan@jono-rams.work
 description = A CLI tool to transcode 5.1 audio in video files to E-AC3.
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ packages = find:
 python_requires = >=3.10
 install_requires = 
     tqdm
+    platformdirs
 
 [options.packages.find]
 where=src

src/surround_to_eac3/main.py

@@ -6,8 +6,13 @@ import argparse
 import json
 import threading
 import queue
-from functools import partial
 from tqdm import tqdm
+from platformdirs import user_config_dir
+
+# --- Constants for Configuration ---
+APP_NAME = "eac3-transcode"
+APP_AUTHOR = "eac3-transcode"
+CONFIG_FILENAME = "options.json"
 
 # Global lock for TQDM writes to prevent interleaving from multiple threads
 tqdm_lock = threading.Lock()
@@ -380,15 +385,47 @@ def main():
         help="Force reprocessing of all files, even if an output file with the target name already exists."
     )
 
+    # --- Configuration File Logic ---
+    config = {}
+
+    user_config_dir_path = user_config_dir(APP_NAME, APP_AUTHOR)
+    user_config_file_path = os.path.join(user_config_dir_path, CONFIG_FILENAME)
+
+    if not os.path.exists(user_config_file_path):
+        try:
+            defaults = {action.dest: action.default for action in parser._actions if action.dest != "help" and not action.required}
+            os.makedirs(user_config_dir_path, exist_ok=True)
+            with open(user_config_file_path, 'w') as f:
+                json.dump(defaults, f, indent=4)
+            print(f"✅ Created default configuration at: {user_config_file_path}")
+        except Exception as e:
+            print(f"⚠️ Warning: Could not create default config at '{user_config_file_path}': {e}")
+
+    potential_paths = [os.path.join(os.getcwd(), CONFIG_FILENAME), user_config_file_path]
+    loaded_config_path = None
+    for path in potential_paths:
+        if os.path.exists(path):
+            try:
+                with open(path, 'r') as f:
+                    config = json.load(f)
+                loaded_config_path = path
+                break
+            except (json.JSONDecodeError, IOError) as e:
+                print(f"⚠️ Warning: Could not read or parse config at '{path}': {e}")
+                break
+    
+    parser.set_defaults(**config)
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
+    if loaded_config_path:
+        print(f"✅ Loaded configuration from: {loaded_config_path}")
+
     if args.dry_run:
         print("--- DRY RUN MODE ENABLED: No files will be modified. ---")
 
+    # --- File Discovery ---
     input_path_abs = os.path.abspath(args.input_path)
     files_to_process_paths = []
-
-    # Collect all files to process
     if os.path.isdir(input_path_abs):
         print(f"📁 Scanning folder: {input_path_abs}")
         for root, _, filenames in os.walk(input_path_abs):