# Nested list in yaml equals json in bases - can we clean up the json with formulae? **URL:** \ **Category:** Help\ **Tags:** yaml, bases\ **Created:** [October 8, 2026, 11:08pm UTC](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/nested-list-in-yaml-equals-json-in-bases-can-we-clean-up-the-json-with-formulae/119215 "2026-10-08T23:08:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lise](https://forum.obsidian.md/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/898d66/32.png) [@Lise](https://forum.obsidian.md/u/Lise)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2026, 11:09pm UTC](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/nested-list-in-yaml-equals-json-in-bases-can-we-clean-up-the-json-with-formulae/119215/1 "2026-10-08T23:09:00Z")
From what I’ve been reading, there is still no way in Obsidian to flesh out the json properties that result from using a nested list in the frontmatter. Is that correct? * * * My Existing frontmatter works, but it isn’t as precise as it could be: ```auto title: Quo Vadis, Aida viewing: - 2020-09-15 JL at tiff - 2026-10-08 JL Terry Lucie - 2026-10-24 mom ``` in my .base file I have a col for 1st seen `(viewing[0])` and last seen `(viewing[-1])` and I managed to get a column that shows everyone who has seen the movie by slicing the entries to remove the dates. ### What I’m trying to do I would prefer having the precision that might come in the future, where we could select 'watched[0].date` or [watched[-1].who`. I’d add a few fields if we could do that. So my question: Given this nested list frontmatter… ```auto title: Quo Vadis, Aida watched: - date: 2020-09-15 who: JL at tiff - date: 2026-10-08 who: JL Terry Lucie - date: 2026-10-24 who: mom ``` Is there a way of cleaning-up the json more than what gets displayed when I select `watched[0]` for example? Can I get the ‘who’ info out of this? 1st watched: ```auto {"date":"2020-09-15","who":"JL at tiff"} ``` last watched: ```auto {"date":"2026-10-08","who":"JL terry lucie"} ``` ---
**Author:** ![dawni](https://forum.obsidian.md/user_avatar/forum.obsidian.md/dawni/32/79261_2.png) [@dawni](https://forum.obsidian.md/u/dawni)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 12:44am UTC](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/nested-list-in-yaml-equals-json-in-bases-can-we-clean-up-the-json-with-formulae/119215/2 "2026-10-09T00:44:46Z")
Bases can read YAML mappings right now. It’s only the Properties interface that doesn’t recognize them; but even so, it preserves nested data that you enter. The Bases formulas for your example front matter are exactly the ones you showed: - `watched[0].date` will return `2020-09-15` - `watched[-1].who` will return `mom` For convenience, the Nested Properties community plugin lets you edit objects and lists of lists directly in the Properties interface: [https://github.com/mnaoumov/obsidian-nested-properties](https://github.com/mnaoumov/obsidian-nested-properties). Editing them in Source mode is still quicker though. ---
**Author:** ![Lise](https://forum.obsidian.md/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/898d66/32.png) [@Lise](https://forum.obsidian.md/u/Lise)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2026, 1:21am UTC](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/nested-list-in-yaml-equals-json-in-bases-can-we-clean-up-the-json-with-formulae/119215/3 "2026-10-10T01:21:40Z")
Right. I tried that and got it wrong, I guess. I probably put the “count” at the end as in `watched.date[0]` or something. So thanks for responding and correcting that. The `watched[0].date` thing isn’t always as easy as it looks, though, is it? It seems quite complicated to extract from json without having to manually address each item ([0], [1]). I have found that `watched.map(value)` for example, which auto iterates through all the values until it finds none, doesn’t work here. Let me explain. ### What I would like I’d like a formula that displays the results in English rather than json. Example: > **Watched History** > 2020-09-15 JL at tiff > 2026-10-08 JL Terry Lucie > 2026-10-24 mom rather than displaying the property itself: ![image](https://forum.obsidian.md/uploads/default/original/3X/2/2/2288bbae3a207154f59b62cbca1dcfbb1d0afbab.png) or the prettier version, but still too illegible for my taste: ```auto watched.map([value]) ``` ![image](https://forum.obsidian.md/uploads/default/original/3X/f/f/ff14da896c834f5e604f3f4342a0e906bc6a19fb.png) Seems the only way I could get what I want is to manually write it all out for each iteration: ```auto [ [watched[0].date + " " + watched[0].who], [watched[1].date + " " + watched[1].who], [watched[2].date + " " + watched[2].who], [watched[3].date + " " + watched[3].who], [watched[4].date + " " + watched[4].who], [watched[5].date + " " + watched[5].who], [watched[6].date + " " + watched[6].who], [watched[7].date + " " + watched[y].who] ] ``` result: ![image](https://forum.obsidian.md/uploads/default/original/3X/0/3/0368ca7a5ded1ce124898abc138e8e160888568d.png) There’s got to be a better way, right? Please note that I do want ALL the watched data, and not just 1st and last which I have in other columns, not because I care about the dates as much as I care about who has seen the film so that I don’t show it to them again. ---
**Author:** ![dawni](https://forum.obsidian.md/user_avatar/forum.obsidian.md/dawni/32/79261_2.png) [@dawni](https://forum.obsidian.md/u/dawni)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2026, 2:34am UTC](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/nested-list-in-yaml-equals-json-in-bases-can-we-clean-up-the-json-with-formulae/119215/4 "2026-10-10T02:34:55Z")
```js watched.map([value.date, value.who]) ``` ---
**Author:** ![Lise](https://forum.obsidian.md/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/898d66/32.png) [@Lise](https://forum.obsidian.md/u/Lise)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 7:20pm UTC](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/nested-list-in-yaml-equals-json-in-bases-can-we-clean-up-the-json-with-formulae/119215/5 "2026-10-12T19:20:13Z")
That simple, eh? Geez. I never would have got there. Thanks so much dawni.