Create file inside a folder by expliciting in the name (<folder>/<file>)

[henrycunh]

Use case or problem

Creating files directly in folders isn’t possible using hotkeys, it would be very useful :]

Proposed solution

Upon file creation (Cmd + N), a user should be able to explicit a folder path before the file basename.

e.g. Creating a file with the name notes/web/tool should insert it in the following directory structure:

notes
    | web
        | tool

[rigmarole]

This can already be done. Please familiarize yourself with the Help Vault before making a new feature request.

1. Settings → Files & Links → Default location for new notes. Set this to “In the folder specified below” and you can choose any folder or subfolder that you wish.
2. Daily Notes and Zettlekasten plugins can also be configured with their own custom folder location.
3. With the Obsidian URL scheme you can create new notes in any folder and file you wish by triggering a URL. You can create new notes, or append to existing notes.

[Deinos]

@Rigmarole, with respect I think the OP’s question is a little more specific than your reading of it. It seems to me they are specifically looking for a hotkey solution to create a file in any folder on the fly, so the (1) default solution or the (2) specific use cases (Zettelkasten and Daily Notes) are not applicable. And the third solution is far from a hotkey triggered dialog box – wouldn’t it require a very user-unfriendly URI like obsidian://new?vault=my%20vault&path=path%2Fto%2Fmy%20note?

But your point about the URI scheme suggests it might be amenable to a lightweight plugin. Instead of hitting Cmd+N, you would just invoke another hotkey to pop up a folder picker, and the plugin could populate the URI with the results.

I’m not a developer, but I know there are times when I would find that handy.

[Deinos]

@henrycunh I do have a workaround in this case. I installed the “cMenu” plugin and added the “Move file to” command to it. Whenever I create a new file (they all default to my Inbox), I just click on the button in the cMenu palette and I get the file picker. It’s an extra step, I know, but it is pretty frictionless.

Respectfully,
Jack

[rigmarole]

I think you are right. That’s a fair interpretation, thanks! The mods need to be fairly defensive in the Feature Request section, since so many duplicates are posted.

After reading this again, I can see how I jumped to the wrong conclusion.

It would be pretty great to be able to write a path inside the new file name, and have that note automatically land into that path.

I’ll move this back to Feature Requests, with my apologies @henrycunh!

[Craig]

The way I do this is via the Open menu. I type Ctrl-O to open the menu, then type e.g. “Topics/NewTopic” then press Enter. This creates the “NewTopic” page in the “Topics” folder.

[Deinos]

Kapow! @Craig’s solution fits the OP’s specification. Type in Cmd-O and write the folder path and file name. There is so much power in Obsidian! Thanks to the devs and to mods like @rigmarole for their work making this app great!

Cheers,
Jack