# Comic Data Directory

This directory contains YAML files for managing individual comics. Each comic gets its own `.yaml` file.

## Quick Start

### Adding a New Comic

1. **Copy the template:**
   ```bash
   cp TEMPLATE.yaml 004.yaml
   ```

2. **Edit the file** with your comic's information:
   - Update `number`, `filename`, `date`, and `alt_text` (required)
   - Add optional fields like `title`, `author_note`, etc.

3. **Save the file** and restart your application

The comics will be automatically loaded and sorted by comic number.

## File Naming

You can name files anything you want (e.g., `001.yaml`, `first-comic.yaml`, `2025-01-01.yaml`), but using the comic number is recommended for easy organization.

## Required Fields

Every comic MUST have:
- `number` - Sequential comic number (integer)
- `filename` - Image filename (string) or list of filenames for multi-image comics
- `date` - Publication date in YYYY-MM-DD format (string)
- `alt_text` - Accessibility description (string or list for multi-image)

## Optional Fields

- `title` - Comic title (defaults to "#X" if not provided)
- `mobile_filename` - Mobile-optimized version
- `author_note` - Plain text note below the comic
- `author_note_md` - Markdown file for author note (overrides `author_note`)
- `full_width` - Override global width setting (boolean)
- `plain` - Override global plain mode (boolean)
- `section` - Start a new section/chapter (string, add only to first comic of section)

## Multi-Image Comics (Webtoon Style)

For vertical scrolling comics with multiple images:

```yaml
number: 42
filename:
  - page1.png
  - page2.png
  - page3.png
alt_text:
  - "First panel description"
  - "Second panel description"
  - "Third panel description"
date: "2025-01-01"
```

## Example

```yaml
number: 4
title: "The Adventure Begins"
filename: comic-004.jpg
date: "2025-01-22"
alt_text: "A hero stands at the edge of a cliff, looking at the horizon"
author_note: "This is where things get interesting!"
full_width: true
section: "Chapter 2: The Journey"
```

## Validation

The data loader will:
- Skip files with missing required fields (with warnings)
- Check for duplicate comic numbers
- Warn about gaps in numbering
- Sort comics by number automatically

## Testing Your Changes

Test the loader directly:
```bash
python data_loader.py
```

This will show you all loaded comics and any validation warnings.