Auto updated creation/modification date with templater?

Knowledge management
1

Hi there.
I am using templater plugins but I have problem with auto-update meta like creation and modification. I always when I create or edit notes, I have to cmd + P and choose option Insert Current Date, I always forget about it.

How can I set auto-updated notes in meta (create/edit date)?
Maybe I should change the plugin?

1 Like
2

Thereā€™s the ā€œUpdate time on editā€ community plugin.

2 Likes
3

@CawlinTeffid thanks, but how I can use it?
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qbOVaeY6AmNWEYa9Rl70RqfL3Cn2_7Ya/view?usp=sharing

4

Would this work for your needs?

**Created**: `=dateformat(this.file.ctime, "yyyy-MM-dd-EEEE, HH:mm")`   
**Modified**: `=dateformat(this.file.mtime, "yyyy-MM-dd-EEEE, HH:mm")`   
**Location**: `=this.file.path`
1 Like
5

@anon63144152 how I can put it to meta?

---
**Created**: `=dateformat(this.file.ctime, "yyyy-MM-dd-EEEE, HH:mm")`   
**Modified**: `=dateformat(this.file.mtime, "yyyy-MM-dd-EEEE, HH:mm")`   
**Location**: `=this.file.path`   
---

Not working

6

As a YAML header at the top of the file it wonā€˜t work, although changes to how YAML works are in the pipeline, so things might be different before too long.

You could use it is a folded callout:

> [!NOTE]- Meta
> **Created**: `=dateformat(this.file.ctime, "yyyy-MM-dd-EEEE, HH:mm")`  
> **Modified**: `=dateformat(this.file.mtime, "yyyy-MM-dd-EEEE, HH:mm")`  
> **Location**: `=this.file.path`

Or hide it in reading mode as commented text:

%%
**Created**: `=dateformat(this.file.ctime, "yyyy-MM-dd-EEEE, HH:mm")`  
**Modified**: `=dateformat(this.file.mtime, "yyyy-MM-dd-EEEE, HH:mm")`  
**Location**: `=this.file.path`  
%%
7

I donā€™t know, I havenā€™t used it. Did you read the plugin description page? Those usually have some instructions.

8

Tepmplaterā€™s dynamic commands deprecated soon(?)

Tepmplaterā€™s dynamic commands <%+ ... %> are not working reliably anymore and might be deprecated soon. In short <%+ ....%> does return NaN instead of needed values like date.

Alternative way for automatically updating yaml

For quickly generating and/or updating yaml /front matter block I now use reasonable alternative, that is community plugin Linter.
Linter has YAML section that can be configured to create, format and update yaml block.
I use it to auto-generate yaml atr. like title, aliases, tags and created / modified dates.

Advantage

  • values are edited into note itself as text instead of script so *.md file can be read outside of obsidian.
  • unifies format in all notes

Disadvantage

  • single format for all notes

Automation

Once set up, Linter can be triggered either by shortcut ctrl + alt + L (as in many IDEā€™s) or automatically upon saving.

Linter

It is a ā€œprettyfierā€ plugin. among updating yaml itā€™s primary function is to format md file according to setting and/or md standards.

Disclaimer

Iā€™m not associated with Linter team. I simply looked for way to fix Templatorā€™s ā€œNaNā€ issue and came across this thread and after finding alternative came back to help fellowship of obsidian in the future.

1 Like