Allow editing a transluded document or block in place (without opening the original file)
Most likely a good implementation depends on A WYSIWYM (Typora-like) editing mode
252 Likes
Use case or problem
If I want to edit a transclusion I have to go back to the original text in the source note. That is long-winded.
Proposed solution
Enable editing of the transclusion in place so I don’t have to revert to the text in the source note.
Current workaround (optional)
None
Related feature requests (optional)
18 Likes
Use case or problem
Two use cases;
-
With synced blocks, I can re-use certain snippet (text etc) across notes. Things like “Mission Statements”, “Goal Statements”, and others can be written once and shared across.
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When on my homepage or daily note, I want to be able to see my goals and tasks embedded, so when I edit them they change everywhere.
Proposed solution
- Notion has implemented this feature see Notion – The all-in-one workspace for your notes, tasks, wikis, and databases.
Current workaround (optional)
- Alot of manual copy pasting and it breaks the “flow” of work
7 Likes
Use case or problem
- The ability to edit transcluded blocks or queries
Proposed solution
- Logseq Has the functionality and works with an index of markdown files
Current workaround (optional)
- As mentioned before a lot of manual jumping around ofiiles.
- Experimenting with pointing Logseq at an Obsidian Directory and it works pretty decently thought use of obsidian plugins breaks the workflow. a native edit mode would obviously be more idesl.
9 Likes
+1 for this. Very useful feature!
5 Likes
I would just like to add that editable transclusions (embeds) would not only be a convenience for current workflows, but I think it would actually really open up some additional interesting and useful workflows.
RemNote has “portals” (essentially editable transclusions) and it has become a way to not just pull in relevant information from multiple sources, but also a new way of creating a kind of flexible hierarchy of notes separate from bullet points and links/back-links — imagine that each embed is a “child” or “belongs to” the note you are currently working in.
If that is to become one’s primary method of organization in Obsidian (which I think I would do) then there would have to be a few other simple supporting features:
-
ability to toggle collapse of embeds -
create embeds with keyboard shortcuts -
in the backlist pane, potentially include titles of notes a note is included in as part of the context
11 Likes
Is there any recent update on this topic?
In addition to the ability to edit embedded blocks, I would also like to be able to edit backlinks from within the document. I am assuming that the same principle would be used for both?
Thanks!
7 Likes
No I don’t think there is any update. Does anyone know if this is even possible technically? I have heard that it might be impossible due to the nature of markdown.
3 Likes
Yes, this is why I haven’t stopped using Remnote. The auto-generated portals is so handy. In Obsidian I have to enter the page name then the block id to intentionally link/embed a block and then it’s not editable. If Obsidian is based on HTMLish technology, I don’t see why something like a frame (not a frame, but something like) couldn’t work. But what do I know? It must be hard or it would exist by now.
5 Likes
With live preview becoming a reality, has this been reconsidered?
It would definitely solve a problem I’m having with a block reference heavy workflow. I’m essentially trying to replicate Beau Haan’s approach, and having editable embedded blocks would greatly increase the flexibility of the system.
8 Likes
@FTWynn make sure you have upvoted it in the OP at the top of this page.
6 Likes
+1 This would enable a far superior workflow for me.
8 Likes
+1 This would be really nice for writers
4 Likes
+1
Even simpler, being able to copy text from a transcluded block without having to open the original note would be pretty helpful already.
3 Likes
+1 I am really envious at Logseq users at the moment for this feature.
That being said.
Thank you for all your amazing and hard work on this amazing app!
3 Likes
This is the only remaining scrivener feature (scrivenings) that keeps me from doing longform in Obsidian. The non feature reason I hesitate using Obsidian for longform is the distraction of chasing new things while trying to focus on writing the longform:)
7 Likes
This article on keeping daily notes in one file total vs one file per day presents a powerful use case for editable transcluded notes. The author now uses daily notes as provided by default (one note per day) but created an additional note that transcludes all of his notes so he can view them in one place. Unfortunately, he can’t even run a find command on the transcluded notes without going into Reader mode.
If we could search and edit those sections, and even transclude-link to a new day (or note) and then just start writing in that note, without leaving the parent note context, but then be able to backlink directly to that daily note later on, that could become really powerful.
13 Likes
@NothingIsLost is giving us something that may be a big help to some of us desiring editable embeds/transclusions: Editable Hover Pop-ups.
Disclaimer: as of writing, it is not yet in the Obsidian plugin browser, but can be installed through BRAT. Edit: Now available on Community Plugins.
It also gives hope that something similar might be possible for embeds as well.
10 Likes
I just gave this plugin a try, and found that it essentially achieves (to my liking) this thread’s feature request. My steps (important: I’m using the “live preview” setting… have not tried this with the edit/read-toggle config)…
- Install Hover Editor plugin
- Add a transcluded note to your working note
- “Click” the body of the transclusion block in your working note. This action will switch the state to edit/source mode
- Hover (+
<cmd>key in my case) the link to the transcluded note. Hover Editor will be revealed. - Edit note.
- Witness that (after a very short delay), your edits are reflected in the transclusion block in the parent note.
…and, you never “left” the parent note.
This all works quite well and is sufficient for my needs. I considered authoring my content to include internal links adjacent to the transclusions, to make the editing workflow even easier, but don’t really feel that need at the moment (and it’s nice that the parent note is “cleaner” without that link).
4 Likes
Thanks for the plug! 
Hover Editor was actually accepted into the Community Plugins browser a few days ago but I’ve been working on releasing 0.6.0 before I announced that too widely.
There’s a number of improvements and new features in 0.6.0 which you can get a quick overview of here: GitHub - nothingislost/obsidian-hover-editor: Transform the Page Preview hover into a working editor instance
7 Likes