A stray "j" ruined my evening

The developer created a simple link shortener script called "shirts" that uses `curl` and `jq` to shorten URLs and copy them to the clipboard. When using the script with a Signal TUI client called "gurk," the developer noticed that shortened links ending with a "j" character caused 404 errors for recipients. The issue was traced to a newline character (`\n`) being appended to the end of the shortened URL, which was then translated to a "j" character in ANSI terminals. This was resolved by using the `--join-output` argument with `jq`.

The use of command-line tools and shell scripts for automating tasks is common among developers. In this case, the developer was using a combination of `curl`, `jq`, and `wl-clipboard` to create a simple link shortener. The issue highlights the importance of properly handling edge cases and unexpected input when working with command-line tools. The fact that the issue went unnoticed for months until the developer started using it with a new tool, "gurk," underscores the need for thorough testing.

The incident also underscores the potential risks associated with using complex command-line tools and scripts. In this case, the developer's script was vulnerable to a specific sequence of events that caused the issue. To mitigate such risks, developers should thoroughly test their scripts and consider implementing additional checks and error handling. Furthermore, the use of tools like `jq` with specific arguments, such as `--join-output`, can help prevent similar issues in the future.