Use case or problem
I have read through many posts debating the ability to change Created Date and Updated dates of the files used by Obsidian. I can see the point of both sides and the desire to do that in the spirit of having files ‘sort’ in Obsidian but these dates.
In many places, for example in Linked Mentions - Sort, I can sort by Alpha, Created, or Updated. But if the file dates are not really how I want to sort, yes I created a note yesterday in reference to my Mom’s birthday 70 years ago, her birthday note will pop to the top if I sort by current on top. This seems problematic to me.
Proposed solution
Since these features sort by File Name, Created, and Updated and I have basically little control over the Created and Updated dates, the sort is somewhat useless. How about if we could define property dates in metadata that would ‘override’ Created and Updated dates. This is not a suggestion to CHANGE the date on the file but instead, I can define a date property that ‘if exists’ on the note, Obsidian would do such sorts using that ‘override’ date.
No need to update file dates, just an override that the Created and Updated sorts could use if exists on the note.
Current workaround
There is no real workaround to this when using the Sort on something like Linked Mentions. I certainly realize that I could create dataview queries in a note to do this which would work beautifully, however, this would require me to implement a dataview query for every note I want this alternative sorted Linked Mentioned list to exist. The sort already exists for instance in Linked Mentions so I would prefer to have that ‘pick up’ this functionality (and all other areas where that type of sort is used)
Related feature requests
There are other suggestions … but I find these to be incomplete …
Modify File Create Update Date - This would work but requires messing with file system dates which has impacts beyond Obsidian. Folks have argued this a good bit and I certainly see that point.
Add a custom sort beyond File, Created, Updated - I think this would be a great way to do this but may have to be implemented in numerous spots in the product. I am proposing an override that would affect the Created Date in the note wherever it is referenced in Obsidian. Then it just works everywhere.
Thanks for your consideration and thoughts!!!