make static

README.md

@@ -19,9 +19,12 @@ estimated **remaining** balance, for both meal blocks and FLEX.
 - Checkboxes for configured breaks ("missing periods") you spent off campus.
 - A numeric input for any additional days you don't want counted.
 - Live-updating results — every input recomputes the estimate instantly.
-- Everything is config-driven: plans, dates, and breaks live in one JSON file. No code changes
-  needed to adjust them.
+- Everything is config-driven: plans, dates, and breaks live in one JSON file that is fetched at
+  runtime. Edit it on the server and changes appear on the next page load — no rebuild needed.
+- Your plan, checked breaks, and extra-days value are remembered between visits (via
+  `localStorage`). The date always resets to today.
 - Dark theme with restrained CMU Tartan-red accents.
+- Ships as plain static files — no server-side code or backend.
 
 ## Getting started
 
@@ -42,8 +45,11 @@ npm test         # run the estimation-engine tests
 
 ## Configuration
 
-All tunable values live in [`src/config.json`](src/config.json). Edit that file, then reload the
-page — the UI updates reactively.
+All tunable values live in [`public/config.json`](public/config.json). This file is **fetched at
+runtime**, not compiled into the bundle — so after deployment you can edit the deployed
+`config.json` directly and the changes take effect on the next page load, with no rebuild.
+
+During development, edit `public/config.json` and reload the page.
 
 ```jsonc
 {
@@ -96,17 +102,62 @@ Notes:
 Checking a break or adding excluded days shifts your expected consumption down, which is what you
 want when you were away and not eating on campus.
 
+## Deployment (static hosting)
+
+The app is a purely client-side static site — no backend, no server-side rendering. To deploy:
+
+```bash
+npm run build      # outputs everything to dist/
+```
+
+Then copy the **contents of `dist/`** to wherever you're serving from. The build produces:
+
+```
+dist/
+  index.html
+  config.json      # the live, editable config
+  assets/          # hashed JS + CSS
+```
+
+### Subpath hosting
+
+Asset paths in the build are **relative**, and `config.json` is loaded relative to the page's
+own location. That means the app works unchanged whether it's served from a domain root or a
+subpath — e.g. `https://www.cmu.edu/~you/meal-estimator/`. No base-path configuration or rebuild
+is needed to move it between locations.
+
+The one requirement is that the app is served as a directory with a trailing slash (e.g.
+`.../meal-estimator/`). Virtually all static servers (Apache, nginx, and the like) redirect
+`.../meal-estimator` to `.../meal-estimator/` automatically, so this is handled for you.
+
+### Editing config after deployment
+
+Because `config.json` sits alongside `index.html` in the deployed files and is fetched at
+runtime, you can update plan numbers, dates, or breaks by editing the deployed
+`config.json` directly. No rebuild or redeploy of the JS is required — just reload the page.
+
+## Data persistence
+
+The selected plan, checked breaks, and additional-days value are saved to the browser's
+`localStorage` and restored on the next visit. The "as of" date is intentionally **not**
+persisted — it always defaults to today. Persistence fails silently if `localStorage` is
+unavailable (e.g. private browsing), and stale entries (a plan or break no longer in the config)
+are ignored on load.
+
 ## Project structure
 
 ```
 index.html            # app shell
+public/
+  config.json         # all tunable values (plans, dates, breaks); served + fetched at runtime
 src/
-  config.json         # all tunable values (plans, dates, breaks)
   types.ts            # shared types
   dates.ts            # whole-day date helpers
   configLoader.ts     # validates + normalizes config
+  configFetch.ts      # fetches config.json at runtime (subpath-aware)
   engine.ts           # pure estimation math (no DOM)
   store.ts            # tiny reactive state store
+  persistence.ts      # localStorage load/save of selections
   main.ts             # builds the UI, re-renders on change
   style.css           # dark CMU-accented theme
   engine.test.ts      # engine unit tests