Directory alias

Feature requests
1

Use case or problem

Have an ability to create directory alias within the Obsidian vault. It would allow to create shorter link to some files and distinguish different folders having the same name in a different branch of the files tree.
Example:

  • :page_facing_up: my todo list
  • :open_file_folder: school
    • :file_folder: classmates
      • :page_facing_up: alice
      • :page_facing_up: dave
    • :file_folder: training notes
    • :open_file_folder: projects (alias would be wpjt)
      • :page_facing_up: awesome
      • :page_facing_up: cool
  • :open_file_folder: work
    • :open_file_folder: coworkers (alias would be wšŸ‘¤)
      • :page_facing_up: bob
      • :page_facing_up: carol
    • :file_folder: meeting notes
    • :open_file_folder: projects (alias would be wpjt)
      • :page_facing_up: amazing
      • :page_facing_up: nice

Currently, my todo list content looks like:

- [ ] fix something on [[school/projects/awesome|awesome]]
- [ ] improve some things on [[work/projects/amazing|amazing]]
- [ ] contact [[coworkers/bob|Bob]] to ask the question that have to be asked
- [ ] meet with [[classmates/alice|Alice]] before next fun training on Wednesday

How it would using the aliases:

- [ ] fix something on [[spjt/awesome|awesome]]
- [ ] improve some things on [[wpjt/amazing|amazing]]
- [ ] contact [[šŸ‘”šŸ‘¤/bob]] to ask the question that have to be asked
- [ ] meet with [[šŸŽ“šŸ‘¤/alice]] before next fun training on Wednesday

Proposed solution

As the internal link is an Obsidian feature, it could be listed in a config file within the .obsidian folder. An UI section could deliver a simple list of table cells with the path and the aliases (separated by a coma or something if we want several aliases, or several row if you want several aliases for the same folder).

Otherwise, a special file in each folder could do too but Iā€™m not sure it is the way to go.

Current workaround (optional)

The only workarounds I have so far that are not really convenient are:

  • create the alias folder and a hard link for each file
    • works on OS were an admin shell is accessible, but does not (for example, non-rooted Android)
    • files looks duplicated in the UI & the graph, as well as in search results
  • use a webserver to distribute content of folder using an alias name
    • no internal link, no graph, no use of all Obsidian features
    • requires an external service
3 Likes