Improve robustness of auto-detection by using list properties instead of index-based mapping

[skempken]

Problem

The detect_list_names() function in things_jxa.py currently assumes that Things 3 lists are returned in a fixed order and maps them by index:

# things_jxa.py:69-77
english_keys = ["inbox", "today", "upcoming", "anytime", "someday", "logbook"]

detected_mapping = {}
for i, english_key in enumerate(english_keys):
    if i < len(list_names):
        detected_mapping[english_key] = list_names[i]

Risks:

• If Things 3 changes the list order in a future update, mappings will be incorrect
• If a list is missing or hidden, all subsequent mappings shift
• No way to verify that the detected list actually corresponds to the expected type

Current Implementation

Location: things_jxa.py:42-105

The function queries all lists via JXA and assumes:

1. Lists are always returned in order: Inbox, Today, Upcoming, Anytime, Someday, Logbook
2. All 6 lists are always present
3. The order never changes

Proposed Solution

Option 1: Use list IDs or properties (Recommended)

Query additional properties from Things 3 lists to identify them reliably:

const things = Application("Things3");
const lists = things.lists();
const result = [];
for (let i = 0; i < lists.length; i++) {
    result.push({
        name: lists[i].name(),
        id: lists[i].id(),  // If available
        // Or other distinguishing properties
    });
}

Then match lists by their stable IDs rather than position.

Option 2: Match by known translations

Build a comprehensive translation database and match detected names:

KNOWN_TRANSLATIONS = {
    "inbox": ["Inbox", "Eingang", "Bandeja", "Boîte de réception", ...],
    "today": ["Today", "Heute", "Hoy", "Aujourd'hui", ...],
    # ...
}

def detect_list_names():
    # Query list names
    # Match each name against KNOWN_TRANSLATIONS
    # Build mapping

Pros: Works even if order changes
Cons: Requires maintaining translation database for all supported languages

Option 3: Hybrid approach

1. Try to use IDs/properties first (most reliable)
2. Fall back to translation matching
3. Fall back to index-based mapping as last resort

Impact

Priority: High - affects reliability of auto-detection for all users

Affected code: things_jxa.py:42-105

Breaking changes: None (internal implementation only)

Acceptance Criteria

• Auto-detection works even if list order changes
• Detection validates that found lists match expected types
• Clear error messages if detection fails
• No breaking changes to user-facing API
• Tests verify detection with different list orders

Additional Context

This issue was identified during post-implementation review of #1 (multi-locale support).