Unfortunately the problem with very long file names is that there is a character limit. But, unlike any other feature in Obsidian, the actual text within links can actually be updated when that file is. Without having to rely on embeds or fiddling with alternative link display text via | characters, the ability to simply rename a note and have the actual link text within notes be automatically updated is a very unique and powerful ability. But, it is heavily limited by note name length limits.
Especially now that Obsidian has this option to show note names inline as H1 headings, I see potential for some functionality that outsmarts the character limit and lets you compose a few hefty sentences right in that H1 heading and have it auto update all links to the note regardless of the actual note name.
I’m sorry, could you clarify? I don’t understand what’s being requested or what the existing problem is.
What is the note name limit you’re trying to overcome — the system restriction on filename length? How much text fits on a tab? Is there a warning Obsidian gives about note name length that I haven’t seen because I don’t use very long names?
How is this limit hampering you?
What s the feature you’re suggesting?
Why would you want a multi-sentence note name or heading?
As I understand, the fear is entering a bunch of long-form content into the new inline title area.
I don’t know what the character limit is for titles, or if it comes from the filesystem or from Obsidian. But if you make a really long one you get this error, and the title is automatically truncated:
(And judging by the “Testingaa” at the end of my title, it might actually remove it from the front, not the end. But I didn’t test closely.)
@CawlinTeffid Thanks for the response! These are good questions. Basically this is my way of summarizing a note that hasn’t been written yet entirely in the title. I can then have ordered lists of links to these notes where I rearrange the order and adjust the hierarchy to kind of sketch out the network. This is all a preamble to actually fully filling in the notes with the content summarized in the titles and including links within them to support the hierarchy that was created in the outline. At this point the titles can be reduced, and I no longer need to rely on that main outline sketch note.
In some ways, I guess this tactic has evolved as a bit of a response to the limitations of embeds within the hierarchy of ordered lists. The display and behavior of embeds is much less favorable in comparison to links when used for this purpose. It is also helpful having long names because it allows you to just write a few sentences, select it, add double brackets, then click the link knowing I can later trim it down. The limitations of the system file path character limit give me a headache and anxiety for future issues cropping up later. If I decide to use a number of nested folders, the runway for title length becomes shorter and shorter. Sorry if I am all over the place with this response. I tried. Thanks!
On a related note, I have recently experienced a confusing issue that can arise when you are migrating or copying notes from one vault to another. In the new vault, you place a note in a a deeper folder hierarchy and the result is that the path is too long, thus the links no longer work. However you haven’t yet realized that this occurred.
Next you make some edits to the note and later realize a broken link to that note. Mistakenly you assume that note must not have been migrated yet so you copy it over. This time it goes at a higher level in the folder hierarchy.
The links now work correctly as far as you know. But actually there are two different versions of the same file. Usually in this case Obsidian would add the path to the link, but since the one note is not seen, this doesn’t occur.
