Obsidian for coding

Help
1

hi how to use obsidian and can I use it for coding and is it context aware or not?

3

:rofl:

I was just in the mood and asked the same thing, ChatGPT. Here is the (very good!) answer:

How to Use Obsidian

Obsidian is a powerful Markdown-based note-taking app designed to link and organize knowledge. It works as a local-first tool, meaning all your notes are stored on your device and can be customized extensively with plugins and themes.

Basic Usage

  1. Creating Notes: Click “New Note” or press Ctrl + N (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + N (Mac) to create a note.
  2. Linking Notes: Use [[Note Name]] to create internal links between notes.
  3. Tags: Use #tag to categorize notes.
  4. Dataview Plugin: Allows querying notes like a database.
  5. Templates: The Templater plugin helps automate note structures.
  6. Graph View: Shows visual connections between linked notes.

Can You Use Obsidian for Coding?

Yes, you can! While Obsidian isn’t an IDE, it supports coding in multiple ways:

  1. Code Blocks – Use triple backticks (```) to write and highlight code:

    def hello():
    print("Hello, world!")

    Obsidian supports syntax highlighting for many languages.

  2. Plugins for Coding

    • CodeMirror Options: Enhances code block styling.
    • Obsidian Code Editor Plugin: Adds an in-editor code execution feature.
    • Dataview & Templater: Useful for automation and scripting within notes.
    • Execute Code Plugin: Allows running Python and JavaScript inside Obsidian.

  3. Embedding Snippets

    • You can store code snippets in your vault and link them for easy reuse.

Is Obsidian Context-Aware?

  • Not Natively – Obsidian doesn’t have built-in AI or code completion like an IDE.
  • With Plugins – You can make it more context-aware using:
    • Dataview: Query and process data dynamically.
    • Templater: Automate content generation.
    • GPT Plugins: Some third-party integrations allow AI-assisted writing.

While it won’t auto-complete code like VS Code, it can efficiently structure, organize, and retrieve coding knowledge.

But I think this link is a good start!

Cheers, Marko :nerd_face:

2 Likes
4

I find this plugin : Code Files

Very convient is you want to edit/write code within Obsidian itself. I added the hotkey for opening code block in Monaco Editor which allows for easier syntaxing functionality then in regular Obsidian interface

But honestly your best bet is to just use an IDE of your choosing, big fan of Windsurf and Cursor atm.

2 Likes
5

Interesting, although this plugin and the other one (GitHub - sunxvming/obsidian-vscode-editor: Edit Code Files like VSCode in Obsidian.) haven’t been maintained.

And for me, I need vim mode and neither seems to support that.

7

Did you check the community plugin Vscode editor by sunxvming ? Also consider to use a better code block formatter like HK code block by Heekang Park.