Add support for Definition Lists

Feature requests
27

Adding my vote to this feature request

2 Likes
28

any news with lists?

1 Like
29

This seems incredibly useful. Would love to have this. Created an account just to post this.
Thanks obsidian, best app!

4 Likes
30

would also love this, since I use Obsidian primarily for language learning.

2 Likes
31

+1 as well, would love to use this to have a neat list of well-formatted definitions!

2 Likes
32

+1

Also, seems there is a consilience of need for this type of function across multiple topics and threads.

Definition lists, asides, annotations, descriptions, disambiguations, references, etc. all requesting this very function:

  • the ability to provide in-line, readable, UI-friendly, and linkable meta-descriptions about a singular term, at the instance of its use.

See similar topics:

Is there another way of understanding this long-unsolved need?

Also, Gwern!

Removed duplicates

It seems there’s either a solution that others use natively, or a disconnect in the understanding of potential value that must explain why this is such a neglected topic/function?

Plez Obsidi-wan Kenobi…

You’re our only hoep!

3 Likes
33

Does temp fix allow for links within list?

34

Does this allow for linking from within the HTML dd/dt?

35

+1

This would be a great feature for note-taking. I’d use it a lot for taking literature notes.

1 Like
36

+1
This would be really good. I’m surprised it’s had this much interest for so long and hasn’t been implemented yet.

2 Likes
37

Yas! ^This!

'nother +1

38

+1
would love to use it for making flashcards for learning languages <3

1 Like
39

+1 Love to pitch in on this again.

For me, definition list is vital for personal knowledge management and should be built into Obsidian. It is a concise and formatted way to provide clean definitions (including paragraphs, code blocks, equations, etc.) to terms, that lists and tables cannot substitute.

It is part of the extended markdown syntax and has been implemented in many markdown systems as people have pointed out already. Compared to callouts, this should be a relatively easier implementation for something so important and overdue. Love to see the result when the great Obsidian team delivers!

2 Likes
40

+1

This feature would be helpful for generating glossaries.

4 Likes
41

Really useful, I want that

42

If this workaround allowed for using [[ ]] links within the HTML styling, it might get us most of the way to useful.

Unfortunately, dl/dt/dd does not allow Obsidian-style links.

Have tried a few other sloppy HTML/CSS hacks like sup/sub to include inline definitions with links back to the terms, but the first-principles goal of inline, intra-file, at the level of individual terms (not the inside-the-box, webpage-proxy, whole page or nothing-type) disambiguation remains unsatisfied.

Methinks thar be a disconnect in jargon that’s preventing this essential though apparently as-yet unmet function from being realized.

Alas, my Mr. Meeseeks keeps on seekin’…

1 Like
43

Two years since initial request, no comment from the developers. I guess this is so far back on the back burner that it fell off the stove.

3 Likes
44

Callouts are clunky…

And they seem to reenforce the webpage-proxy-cognitive frame (e.g. edit → preview → display | separating the inseparables of content from its context or creation from its usage), which limits development of broader, more robust, yet more essential/rudimentary tools for managing knowledge in Obsidian.

Seems we’re in search of a single, simple solution to multiple, complex problems/use cases.

It’s this kind of low-hanging fruit, the direct inverse of a “solution looking for a problem,” that precedes its “plucking.” Either via paradigm shift within a product or its corollary, market disruption without.

Or I suppose there’s the tragic third option for the fruit of frame-bound problem-solving: withering on the vine.

Forgive the nihilistic polemic. Must’ve poured too much Nietzsche in my morning coffee…

45

That is true…

To your point, 40+ post-count thread with healthy mix of VIPs, insiders, supporters, and members über-interlinked with similar threads, yet no direct comment from Devs is out of character for this forum and the Obsidian Community writ large.

Perhaps an @WhiteNoise is in order?

1 Like
46

We try to follow commonmark and they haven’t accepted this extension yet.
Regardless, at a certain point there will be a a major rework of the the parser libraries we use (both first party and third parties). At that time, we will look into definition lists.

There are no ETAs on when this will happen and this is not short term task. I am sorry.

I think the use case present in this FR can be resolved with the even more powerful implementation of Native support for Inline attributes

8 Likes