sterling/README.md

# Sterling

Converts a given D&D 5e currency value to the Silver Standard. Inspired by the Reddit posts titled
[The Silver Hack: Making Money Matter](https://www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/80f6kt/the_silver_hack_making_money_matter/),
and [I make Silver Standard for 5th Edition (Spreadsheets.)](https://www.reddit.com/r/dndnext/comments/5tt5g8/i_make_silver_standard_for_5_edition_spreadsheets/).

## Usage

```
USAGE:
    sterling [FLAGS] [OPTIONS] [VALUE]... [SUBCOMMAND]

FLAGS:
    -o, --optional    Include currencies marked as optional when converting.
    -f, --full        Print currencies with full name, rather than with alias.
    -h, --help        Prints help information
    -V, --version     Prints version information

OPTIONS:
    -c, --config <CONFIG>    Specify location of config file; defaults to './sterling-conf.yml'.

ARGS:
    <VALUE>...    The value to be converted; should be suffixed with the coin's short-hand abbreviation, i.e. p, g,
                  e, s, or c.

SUBCOMMANDS:
    add     Add two currency amounts together; uses the currencies defined in your config file
    help    Prints this message or the help of the given subcommand(s)
    sub     Subtract two currency amounts from one another; uses the currencies defined in your config file
```

## Converting Currency Examples

```
// Convert one hundred platinum coins: 
sterling 100p // 10g

// Convert one hundred platinum, fifty gold coins:
sterling 100p 50g // 10g, 5s

// Convert fifteen thousand copper coins, printing the full names of the coins:
sterling -f 15000c // 1 gold, 50 silver

// Convert one platinum, thirty-six gold, twelve electrum, eighty-two silver, and four hundred
// sixty-nine copper coins, printing the full names of the coins
sterling --full 1p 36g 12e 82s 469c // 64 silver, 89 copper

// Convert one platinum, thirty-six gold, twelve electrum, eighty-two silver, and four hundred
// sixty-nine copper coins, printing the full names of the coins, using the custom config file
// detailed below, including optional currencies
sterling --full -o -c "~/Documents/D&D/sterling-conf.yml" 1p 36g 12e 82s 469c // 7 guilders, 6 sterling, 25 pence
```

## Adding and Subtracting Currency Examples

```
// Add together ten and twenty pense, using the custom config file detailed below
sterling add "10p" "20p" // 30p

// Subtract two sterling and ten pence from one florin
sterling sub "1F" "2s 10p" --full // 2 sterling, 10 pence

// Subtract one florin from two sterling and ten pence. Note that, regardless of order, the smaller
// value is ALWAYS subtracted from the larger value.
sterling sub "2s 10p" "1F" --full // 2 sterling, 10 pence
```

Note that `sterling` doesn't allow for negative currencies. Therefore, when subtracting currencies,
the smaller currency value will always be subtracted from the larger currency value, regardless of
the order of the currencies in the `sub` command.

## Custom Currencies

`sterling` allows for user-defined currencies, with their own names and conversion rates. By
default, `sterling` will look at a file within the current directory called `sterling-conf.yml`, or
in whatever location as supplied by the `-c` flag. You can also specify that a currency be optional,
which will prevent that currency from being used when converting values, unless the `-o` flag is
passed. Below is an example `sterling-conf.yml` file, showing the actual currencies that I use
within my own campaign!

```
-
  name: "note"
  rate: 143360
  alias: "N"
  optional: true
-
  name: "eagle"
  rate: 17920
  alias: "e"
-
  name: "guilder"
  rate: 896
  alias: "g"
-
  name: "shilling"
  rate: 32
  alias: "s"
  plural: "sterling"
-
  name: "penny"
  rate: 1
  alias: "p"
  plural: "pence"
```

Please note that the `rate` value is defined as the number of copper coins that goes into one of
that particular currency. In the example above, twelve copper coins goes into one "penny", and
two-hundred forty copper coins goes into one "sterling".

## Abstract

Items and expenses are, by default, assigned arbitrary currency values within the official D&D 5th
edition source books. Many of the officially priced items use the "Gold Standard"; that is, items
are priced in gold coins by default. While there is nothing wrong with using official currency
values within your campaign, it leads to the perceived value of gold to be less in the eyes of your
players. Gold has been sought after as both a commodity and a currency for centuries, and your
campaign aught to treat gold similarly!

## Explanation

The basis of the Silver Standard treats one gold coin from the official D&D 5e source books as one
silver coin, and that there are one hundred of a given coin to every one of the next highest valued
coin. That's all. Thus, one hundred fifty copper coins equals one silver and fifty copper coins,
while a suit of heavy plate armor equals fifteen gold coins, rather than fifteen hundred.

## Installation

The easiest way to install `sterling` is to do so with `cargo`, the build tool that's installed
along with the `rust` compiler. If you already have `rust` and `cargo` installed onto your computer,
simply run the following command from a command prompt:

```
$ cargo install sterling
```

If you do not have the `rust` compiler installed, you can also find pre-built binaries for 64-bit
Windows, macOS, and Linux computers in the "Tags" navigation link, which is displayed above this
README. Simply download the correct binary for your computer's operating system, extract it
somewhere into your file system (such as a "bin" folder within your user directory), and add that
location to your system's PATH.