Dazzlelink Catalog Search

[djdarcy]

Feature Description
Implement a catalog and search system for Dazzlelink, allowing users to build and query a local index of .dazzlelink files across directories, drives, and archives. This feature would provide fast lookup and metadata-based search of symlinked content.

Current vs. Proposed Behavior

• Current: Users must manually navigate and inspect .dazzlelink files via filesystem tools.
• Proposed: Dazzlelink can maintain a local index (SQLite or JSONL-based) of exported .dazzlelink metadata, which can then be searched using CLI queries or even through a lightweight web UI.

Use Case

• Let users search across catalogs by tags, file types, media properties, or plugin-generated metadata.
• Enable centralized browsing of link data spanning multiple volumes or machines.
• Facilitate inventory of external drives or offline content without needing full filesystem access.

Implementation Suggestions

• Introduce a catalog command with subcommands like build, update, search, and info
• Use SQLite, JSONL, or another portable format for indexing
• Support filters like:
  • --type image
  • --tag soundtrack
  • --missing
  • --plugin=name
• Optional: build a catalog.json alongside existing .dazzlelink exports
• Optional: REST API or local HTML viewer for friendly navigation

Which Version(s)

• CLI Version
• Package Version
• Both

Additional context
This would move Dazzlelink closer to being a modern, user-extensible digital asset manager. It lays the groundwork for integration with creative workflows, enterprise archiving, or large-scale search across disconnected drives and NAS units.