Create alias from selected text in target note frontmatter

[sonsche]

Aliasing and switching back and forth between notes is creating a lot of friction, disrupting work in the current note.

Idea for a process:

Select text in current note
Open a menu “Set as alias for…”
Search for target note and hit Enter
The alias is created and the selected text is linked to the target note

Done. Continue working in current note.

Would this be possible?

Previously suggested:
https://forum.obsidian.md/t/add-aliases-to-frontmatter-by-right-click-on-a-link-with-alias/9023
https://forum.obsidian.md/t/auto-add-pretty-links-to-aliases-toggle/22584

[sonsche]

Working links:
Automatic update aliases metadata
Add aliases to frontmatter by right click on a link with alias
Auto add pretty links to aliases - toggle

[sonsche]

I have since found two plugins that each do some part of what I am suggesting:

GitHub - mrjackphil/obsidian-crosslink-between-notes: This plugin adds a command which allows to add a link to the current note at the bottom of selected notes

Creates a backlink to the current note in a target note that is found through the quick switcher (without leaving the current note).

GitHub - hadynz/obsidian-sidekick: A companion to identify hidden connections that match your tags and pages

This plugin has the ability to just link the highlighted text in the current note (that it highlights itself through a constant search of existing notes).

Maybe these two parts could be adapted? Another aspect necessary would be a check whether the target note already has YAML frontmatter and whether the alias already exists?

[gobbletown]

+1 !!! Woot!

Nay, + all-of-the-plusses!!!

And all of the nonplusses!!!

This is exactly the solution to one of the final frictional-inertia usefulness issues remaining in Obsidian, which restricts its value to the information-presentation mindset of knowledge-working-tool design (a la unidirectional hyperlinks in the webpages of yore) instead of the more information-creation mindset of working with information to create new knowledge.

Value to Create, not display.

Whatever the term: inline aliasing, annotation, defining, disambiguating, etc., the need is the same. An ability to further clarify meaning from message. While crafting (see, during creation) the message (and therefore its meaning) in realtime, not retrospectively. And certainly not at some future point, broken from flow, when picking out the color of the drapes while designing the webpage with which to present mere information, such is the pupal stage of knowledge’s growth.

In terms of biological development–explicitly–two data eggs exchanged their data → creating a new information larva → knowledge pupa → wisdom imago. Here wisdom is knowledge presented to the rest of existence for further digestion (and regurgitation).

Add support for Definition Lists

Please add support for Definition Lists. Looks like there’s a Markdown-it parser plugin available, markdown-it-deflist. Example: Term 1 : Definition 1 Term 2 with *inline markup* : Definition 2 { some code, part of Definition 2 } Third paragraph of definition 2.

Thread with much discussion and linkage regarding so many proposed solutions to essentially the same, simple problem.

Easy inline aliasing.

P.S. Aliasing here refers to the concept, not necessarily the technical term–aliases, so as to prevent further retread in the “YAML ain’t… YAML cain’t…”

[gobbletown]

And for serious, very well communicated.

Thanks

[sonsche]

Thanks! It took some iterations to formulate the simplest (?) solution for this very fundamental issue that I ran smack into within two weeks of using Obsidian. Which is amazing and has transformed my work

It does seem strange though that this rather simple (?) vision keeps being articulated for the past two years, since at least May 2020 in the thread you posted, and already twice since I made this topic six weeks ago:
Aliases, Inflection and Auto-Updating
Automatically insert aliases into YAML frontmatter

It seems to be a problem of different vocabulary referring to the same process? Maybe we could compile a list and go meta!

[gobbletown]

Agreed!

Still hoping it’s either my technical ignorance or a semantical situation…

This is a great proposed implementation from recent:

Push content to link - Automatically apply #tags, [[links]], ![[embeds]] into newly-created [[links]] through "[[link]]>>{insert content}"

Let’s say you were typing something… and wanted to create a page for [[Andy Matuschak]]. instead of having to use something like Hover Editor to hover over and open the page up, or traditionally opening it up in a new or existing panel… What if you could just do this? [[Andy Matsuschak]]>>{#type/person} wrote about his system of [[Evergreen Notes]]>>{#type/concept \n - [ ] to explore further on this topic later on}. And after the plugin runs through this line, it becomes: [[Andy Matsusch…

Have exchanged PM’s with different thread authors and OPs which seem to indicate the feature remains absent.

These are two of the more poignant early threads discussing the same feature:

Allow links in YAML front matter; Notion-like databases from metadata; links as first-class citizens

First, I’d like to thank all contributors to Obsidian for making the absolute best knowledge management application! Over the years many applications never quite delivered what I was looking for and ideas of a better system started accumulating in my mind. The most notable idea being able to link anything to anything and use those links as tags themselves. Notion almost made this possible, but not completely. Then Obsidian appeared, turning this dream into a possibility! As I’ve become acquain…

Nesting functional links within link names

Use case or problem I would like to automate the process of creating clumps of links. Proposed solution First you could define shortened functioning link names that go to desired notes. Then you could create a new note that contains those links. And in order to avoid unintended nested linking, it could require you add a certain symbol before these aliases in these links. It might be a nice bonus feature for it to recognize the aliases within note name and automatically add the actual full l…

[sonsche]

Great links with great ideas! They all point in the same direction, though I must admit that they already go far beyond my simple (fundamental) issue.

Which is that I don’t want to get additional functionality, but to simply be able to use the already existing functionality of “unlinked mentions”, which I have completely abandoned by now.

I cannot rely on them AT ALL if I have not manually lemmatized words with at least 5, but up to over 12 aliases (x2 for case sensitivity).

Examples

Let’s say I have a note on [Systems] (maybe linked under [Systems Theory] and maybe containing [Ant Mounds] or [Decentralized Synergy]). I might add the aliases (x2 for case-sensitivity):

nouns/ adj./ adv.	verbs
system	systemize
systematization	systemizes
systematizations	systemized
systematic	systematize
systematical	systematizes
systematically	systematized

.

This is already a lot, and even in this case it would be great not have to do this in advance, but be able to spontaneously “send” an alias to this note if I happen to think of it when working on another note, without having to switch back and forth.

For German, the adjective and verb have to be adjusted according to the subject of the sentence (AND usually multiplied with the temporal tense, but I can spare you in this case ) (and as always, x2 for case sensitivity)

adj./ adv. (systematic)	verb (systematize)
systematisch (adjective stem)	systematisieren (verb infintive)
systematische (fem.)	systematisiere (1st pers. sing.)
systematischer (masc.)	systematisierst (2nd pers. sing.)
systematisches (neutr.)	systematisiert (3rd pers. sing)
systematischen (pl.)	systematisieren (1st pers. pl.)
systematischere (comparative sing. fem.)	systematisiert (2nd pers. pl.)
systematischerer (comp. sing. masc.)	systematisieren (3rd pers. pl.)
systematischereres (comp. sing. neutr.)
systematischeren (comparative pl.)
systematischste (superlative sing.)
systematischsten (superlative pl.)

.

Additionally, composite words can be and frequently are used like “systemimmanent” or “systemdestabilisierend” (system destabilizing) or “Denksystem” (thought system).

These ALSO need to be lemmatized or they disappear into the vault and have to be specifically searched for, loosing any chance of emergent ideas.

[sonsche]

Ideas for solutions:

1. (bad)
   Having “unlinked mentions” somehow use lemmatization would clearly be ridiculously huge and complicated and unnecessary

2. (best, but seemingly a unicorn)
   Optional fuzzy aliases so that alias: &{s}ystem& would magically solve everything (impossible in YAML)

3. (please maybe)
   The suggestion in OP. This is such a tiny fraction… just to designate something as an alias when I run into it without having to leave the current note.

[gobbletown]

Wow!

Firstly, I’m definitely learning German (modularity in composite word crafting and word use–think of all the wonderful neologisms)!

Secondly, I’m incorporating lemmatize in to my personal knowledge management framework (granularity in the disambiguation of terms)!!!

And I think conceptually, it nicely frames the current dialogue.

@sonsche

They all point in the same direction, though I must admit that they already go far beyond my simple (fundamental) issue.

In the service of the meta and of simplification: how can we better define and frame this issue that it may get traction and resolution?

We recognize there is a fundamental issue and that there is an essential direction pointing towards a solution. And it seems Obsidian natively has the capacity to resolve it, yet for reasons (jargon, language, semantics, tribalism, diversity of Developer & Userbase: technical skills, backgrounds, use cases, etc.) the issue remains unresolved…

That is, either the solution exists and we just don’t know it or this isn’t a problem because of essential limitations in either the tool or its intended Use/Userbase.

Quoth the gobble:

@gobbletown

[It seems there is a] 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 (1) paradigm shift within a product or via (2) its corollary, market disruption without.

Or I suppose there’s the tragic third option for the neglected fruit of frame-bound problem-solving… It withers on the vine, along with so many unlinked mentions…

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

[gobbletown]

Just pondering our original discussion through the lens of our new most favoritest plugin Push content to link from the creative genius of @lizard_heart!

@lizard_heart’s as-yet unnamed plugin, “The Inline-Disambiguation-anator”!

This syntax, from @syncretizm: [[target|>>alias]]>>{content} seems to provide some functional lemmatization? It creates a file called “target” with an inline aliased link called “alias” and YAML including the correct frontmatter aliasing and pushes or prepends/appends {content} as “any content” (including links, headings, etc.) to the body of the created or existing note, respectively.

Example:

---

---
alias: alias,
---
content

---

I think what’s so amazing, and seemingly unique about this plugin, is that it allows for Obsidian flavored aliasing in both the link AND the YAML, inline (woot!), and sans friction!

---

Just cross-posting here to pick up any watchers from this topic.

[syncretizm]

Don’t forget to support the creator at Henry Gustafson for his great work

[jonisloren]

You can create an aliases field in the front matter of your new my-awesome-blog-post where you can add previous paths within the TXD tool Apk which very famous for Alias creation.

[pavel.knowledge]

I am working on publishing and review of Obsidian plugin Link with alias which supports fast and handy creation of links together with their aliases in the front matter of the target note. I was already using that plugin for about 1 month while building my personal knowledge base with thousands of links. It already saved me a lot of time. I believe it can help you too.