Automatically insert aliases into frontmatter from newly created aliases

Use case or problem

Some friction with having to constantly switch pages when doing work. For example, on a page where I would typing about a certain [[idea|concept]] or [[idea|thought]], I would want “concept” and “thought” to form an alias link immediately with “idea”.

Currently, I would have to open up the [[idea]] page, then type in manually:

---
aliases: [concept, thought]
---

Proposed solution

Would like to automatically populate the aliases field whenever I type an alias outside of the page. Or maybe this can be triggered by “ctrl-enter” while typing an alias, if there are people who do not want this automatic population of the alias field.

13 Likes

This is crazy coincidence! I just submitted this feature request then see you’ve requested this less than 24 hours ago.

Here’s my link for moderators: Auto add pretty links to aliases - toggle

Great minds think alike!

Thanks!

2 Likes

I wouldn’t want it to be automatic.

1 Like

Use case or problem

Preemptively you build a large complex vault with many navigational pretty links perhaps for a class. You consistently use many different variations of phrases for pretty links to many notes as you quickly build out vault.

Later, it comes time to use the vault, and because it was necessary for class to have a long ugly naming convention, you quickly realize that using pretty links going forward will pretty much be a must. Your notes look horrible in edit mode and you pat self on back and say, “you’ve made it this far without WYSIWYG”, and proceed knowing things are fine now (especially with potential of “Auto add pretty links to aliases” getting implemented in the perhaps nearer future for next “class”).

End daydream, and the harsh reality hits of the friction of building out aliases via searching the vault comes in. The other option is to manually build the pretty links as you go forward in this class, but you want to be consistent so you start devising a mass search and replace tactic but even doing that is painful and not perfect.

Proposed solution

A toggle that would allow you to enable auto adding all of a note’s different pretty link occurrences to a note’s alias list.

It is possible that more people might utilize and appreciate this feature if it had a per-note toggle. To be clear, the syncing would not be bidirectional. So adjusting an alias would not change all pretty links that used that alias. Also, more obviously but worth noting, you still have the ability to define aliases that never occur in vault in the form of a pretty link.

Final thought would be an option to have a dialog that asks if you want to add an alias after you create a pretty link. This dialog could have a “never ask me again option” controlling a toggle in settings. I would be pretty happy to see this as a plugin, but this feels like it isn’t too intrusive to be utilized via core plugin. I am under the impression that core plugins fall under umbrella of feature request. At least here on the forum where some newer users may be turned off when they hear plugin but don’t fully realize how Obsidian is a modular stack of core plugins, many enabled by default.

Sorry for the excessive length!

Thanks!

Relevant request/workaround: Add aliases to frontmatter by right click on a link with alias

2 Likes

@koala I think I agree that strict automatic adding would be no good. But the ability to scrape the vault and auto-add retroactively would be nice. Perhaps even that would be better with a dialog list providing an option to pick and choose.

Thanks.

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2 Likes

at least we need to have a option

1 Like

YAS!

It feels as if there is a critical disconnect in communications about this feature. It would seem to be such an essential component of any knowledge base that its continued absence, since the earliest posts on this forum (pre-PKM Wars of the roaring 20’s).

Either there isn’t already a way of accomplishing this or something similar; solves for OEM/Plug-in fix.

Or

There is already a way of accomplishing this, but the schism of specialization between Users and Devs has obviated by omission the ability to communicate about problems and solutions via an almost-but-not-quite-there optimizably-optimizable tool like the great Obsidian could be.

1 Like

:saluting_face:

To those who came before us.

A list of the fallen:

Now I just use hover editor to hover on a wikilink and add an alias to the YAML of that note directly. then I edit the wikilink to point to the alias that I just added directly. This is a compromised way. not elegant, not convenient, I still want to have an intuitive way to do this.

2 Likes

please check out my post

I agree that I would not want this to be automatic, as sometimes I’m linking text that isn’t unique to a topic or is infrequently used. (By way of example, consider how often websites link text like “like this” or “available here.”)

But I also agree that it would be handy to have a shortcut means of doing this from within the note you’re currently editing.

Automatically insert aliases into frontmatter from newly created aliases - #11 by Ocarinalover try out this plugin