JDex - Johnny Decimal Index Manager

Personal Knowledge Organization Made Simple

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What is JDex?

JDex is a desktop application that helps you organize your digital life using the Johnny Decimal System - a simple yet powerful framework for structuring files, projects, and knowledge.

The Johnny Decimal System in 30 Seconds

Instead of deeply nested folders like Documents/Work/Projects/2024/Q1/ClientA/Reports/Draft/v3.docx, you organize everything with a simple numbering system:

10-19 Administration
  11 Finance
    11.01 Invoices
    11.02 Expenses
  12 HR
    12.01 Policies
    12.02 Benefits

20-29 Projects
  21 Website Redesign
    21.01 Mockups
    21.02 Content
  22 Product Launch
    22.01 Marketing
    22.02 PR Materials

Every item has a unique identifier. Need that invoice? It's in 11.01. Need the website mockups? 21.01. Simple, memorable, searchable.

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Features

• 🗂️ Visual Index Management - Browse and manage your Johnny Decimal categories with a clean, modern interface
• 🔍 Instant Search - Find any item by number or title in milliseconds
• 📊 SQLite Backend - Your index is stored in a portable, reliable database
• 🎨 Clean UI - Built with React and Tailwind CSS for a beautiful experience
• 💾 Local-First - Your data stays on your machine, no cloud required
• 🔄 Import/Export - Backup and share your organizational structure
• 🚀 Cross-Platform - Runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux

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Installation

macOS

1. Download the latest .dmg file from Releases
2. Open the DMG and drag JDex to Applications
3. First launch: Right-click → Open (macOS security requirement for unsigned apps)
4. Subsequent launches: Just double-click

Windows

1. Download JDex Setup 2.0.1.exe (installer) or JDex 2.0.1.exe (portable) from Releases
2. Run the installer or portable executable
3. The app is EV code signed by FTL Consulting LLC - no SmartScreen warnings

Note: Windows builds are signed with an Extended Validation (EV) certificate for immediate trust.

Linux (Coming Soon)

Linux builds (AppImage, .deb) are in development. Follow this repo for updates!

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Quick Start

1. Launch JDex - Open the application
2. Create Your First Area - Areas are the top-level (10-19, 20-29, etc.)
3. Add Categories - Break down each area into categories
4. Add Items - Create specific items within categories
5. Search & Browse - Use search or browse your organized index

Example Structure

10-19 Personal Life
  11 Health & Fitness
    11.01 Medical Records
    11.02 Workout Plans
    11.03 Meal Prep Ideas
  12 Finances
    12.01 Budget Spreadsheets
    12.02 Tax Documents
    12.03 Investment Tracking

20-29 Home Projects
  21 Kitchen Renovation
    21.01 Design Inspiration
    21.02 Contractor Quotes
    21.03 Purchase Receipts

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Building from Source

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+
• npm or yarn

Development Setup

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/As-The-Geek-Learns/JDEX.git
cd JDEX

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Run in development mode
npm run electron:dev

Building Distributables

# Build for your current platform
npm run electron:build

# Output will be in dist-electron/

For detailed build instructions, see DISTRIBUTION-SETUP.md

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Technology Stack

• Frontend: React 18, Tailwind CSS
• Desktop Framework: Electron 28
• Database: SQLite (via sql.js)
• Build System: Vite, electron-builder
• Icons: Lucide React

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Project Structure

jdex/
├── public/           # Static assets
├── src/              # React application source
│   ├── components/   # React components
│   ├── services/     # Database and business logic
│   └── utils/        # Helper functions
├── electron/         # Electron main process
├── build/            # Build resources (icons, entitlements)
└── dist-electron/    # Build output

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Roadmap

• Core Johnny Decimal index management
• SQLite database backend
• Search functionality
• macOS distribution
• Windows distribution (EV code signed)
• Linux distribution
• File system integration (create/manage actual folders)
• Cloud sync options
• Mobile companion app
• Advanced reporting and analytics
• Import from existing folder structures

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Philosophy

JDex follows the Johnny Decimal philosophy of "A place for everything, and everything in its place."

The tool is designed to:

• Stay out of your way - Quick to learn, fast to use
• Respect your data - Local-first, SQLite-based, easily exportable
• Be maintainable - Clean code, well-documented, easy to extend
• Remain free - MIT licensed, available to everyone

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About the Author

Built by James Cruce, a systems engineer with 25+ years of enterprise IT experience. JDex emerged from a personal need to organize thousands of technical notes, scripts, and project files using a consistent, scalable system.

More projects and technical writing at As The Geek Learns.

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Contributing

Contributions welcome! Whether it's:

• 🐛 Bug reports
• 💡 Feature suggestions
• 📝 Documentation improvements
• 🔧 Code contributions

Please open an issue first to discuss major changes.

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License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.

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Acknowledgments

• Johnny.Decimal - The organizational system that inspired this tool
• Electron - For making cross-platform desktop apps accessible
• The open-source community for the amazing tools that make projects like this possible

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Support

• 📧 Email: james@astgl.com
• 🐛 Issues: GitHub Issues
• 📚 Docs: Wiki (coming soon)
• 💬 Discussions: GitHub Discussions

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Made with ☕ by James Cruce

Download • Documentation • Report Bug