ref: Remove property setters from dataclass

Removed the property setters and getters from variables with complex
defaults. Instead, they are now given a specific const default value
`Path("%%%%I_DONT_EXIST_%%%%")` which is very unlikely to be used by a user
in normal circumstances.

This is necessary to be able to remove the properties since Python does
not distinguish between an empty Path() and a non-given Path() (i.e.
there is no Path value which returns Falsy).

However, this slightly clunky construct does allow setting the various
Paths once and only once, and also to remove all the previously
necessary getters and setters with their hidden backing variables.

Lastly it should open the gates for changing the _real_path
transformation to be part of the TConf class itself and not a global
function.

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Fixed
+
+- Default paths are only calculated once, though users can now not use specifically '%%%%I_DONT_EXIST_%%%%' as a path for the taskrc file and task data directory.
+
 ## [0.2.0] - 2025-04-09
 
 ### Added

topen.py

@@ -22,12 +22,14 @@ import os
 import subprocess
 import sys
 from collections import namedtuple
-from dataclasses import asdict, dataclass, field
+from dataclasses import asdict, dataclass
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Any, Self, cast
+from typing import Any, Self
 
 from tasklib import Task, TaskWarrior
 
+NON_EXISTENT_PATH = Path("%%%%I_DONT_EXIST_%%%%")
+
 
 def main():
     """Runs the cli interface.
@@ -118,43 +120,14 @@ class TConf:
 
     task_id: int
     """The id (or uuid) of the task to edit a note for."""
-    task_rc: Path
-    _task_rc: Path | None = field(init=False, repr=False, default=None)
+    task_rc: Path = NON_EXISTENT_PATH
     """The path to the taskwarrior taskrc file. Can be absolute or relative to cwd."""
 
-    @property
-    def task_rc(self) -> Path:
-        if self._task_rc:
-            return self._task_rc
-        elif _real_path("~/.taskrc").exists():
-            return _real_path("~/.taskrc")
-        elif _real_path("$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/task/taskrc").exists():
-            return _real_path("$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/task/taskrc")
-        else:
-            return _real_path("~/.config/task/taskrc")
-
-    @task_rc.setter
-    def task_rc(self, value: Path | property | None):
-        if type(value) is property:
-            value = TConf._notes_dir
-        self._task_rc = cast(Path, value)
-
     task_data: Path = Path("~/.task")
     """The path to the taskwarrior data directory. Can be absolute or relative to cwd."""
 
-    notes_dir: Path
+    notes_dir: Path = NON_EXISTENT_PATH
     """The path to the notes directory."""
-    _notes_dir: Path | None = field(init=False, repr=False, default=None)
-
-    @property
-    def notes_dir(self) -> Path:
-        return self._notes_dir if self._notes_dir else self.task_data.joinpath("notes")
-
-    @notes_dir.setter
-    def notes_dir(self, value: Path | property | None):
-        if type(value) is property:
-            value = TConf._notes_dir
-        self._notes_dir = cast(Path, value)
 
     notes_ext: str = "md"
     """The extension of note files."""
@@ -166,13 +139,28 @@ class TConf:
     """If set topen will give no feedback on note editing."""
 
     def __post_init__(self):
+        if self.task_rc == NON_EXISTENT_PATH:
+            self.task_rc = self._default_task_rc()
         self.task_rc = _real_path(self.task_rc)
         self.task_data = _real_path(self.task_data)
+        if self.notes_dir == NON_EXISTENT_PATH:
+            self.notes_dir = self._default_notes_dir()
         self.notes_dir = _real_path(self.notes_dir)
 
     def __or__(self, other: Any, /) -> Self:
         return self.__class__(**asdict(self) | asdict(other))
 
+    def _default_task_rc(self) -> Path:
+        if Path("~/.taskrc").exists():
+            return Path("~/.taskrc")
+        elif Path("$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/task/taskrc").exists():
+            return Path("$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/task/taskrc")
+        else:
+            return Path("~/.config/task/taskrc")
+
+    def _default_notes_dir(self) -> Path:
+        return self.task_data.joinpath("notes")
+
     @classmethod
     def from_dict(cls, d: dict) -> Self:
         """Generate a TConf class from a dictionary.