Select multiple notes/folders from the file explorer to drag and drop

right now can only drag and drop one note at a time, would be nice if I could “shift/ctrl + click” to select multiple notes to drag together into folders

34 Likes

I concur with your request, but at present Ctrl+Click is used to open a note in a new pane.

On Windows both Shift and Ctrl are standard keypresses when selecting multiple files, so perhaps ‘Open Note in New Pane’ could be moved to Alt+Click?

4 Likes

A way to select multiple files in File Explorer is needed to delete several notes at once, and for requested multi-notes editing.

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Also dragging notes to top/bottom edge doesn’t auto-scroll. So it isn’t intuitive to move them to folders. Not sure if that’s a bug or just needs to be implemented.

5 Likes

Yes, please! These should be urgent features! As they are basic for the usability of an app’s file explorer!

8 Likes

I also really like/need this functionality

it will make bulk delete, bulk move, much easier.

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+1. It would be really helpful.

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Absolutely agree with you.

We need command / shift functionality like intelliJ.

+1 I don’t know why this is not implemented yet.

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Same. It’s weird.

It would be nice if we could select multiple notes at a time to move them between folders/delete them. I know this has been requested before, but it was in the ‘Plugin ideas’ section, so I do not know if it has been seen. It has also been a pretty long time and it seems like it still has not been implemented, even though this seems like a pretty obvious feature to have.

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Why not simply use an OS file explorer/manager?

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I mean, I guess I could do that, but I do not think I should have to switch between obsidian and file explorer just to move some notes.

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For me, it adds no friction and my file managers will always be more powerful than anything that could be added to Obsidian.

But then, I think of Obsidian as something to work with files rather than a program that contains notes - and I use other programs with those files anyway.

Would be an easy thing to add in a plugin.

Because that doesn’t automatically update your backlinks, like moving in the File panel does.

5 Likes

When I tested it the backlinks were retained.

That’s on Windows, but I’m not sure why it wouldn’t be the same with the other OSs.

You are likely using Shortest Path When Possible, in which case it would usually continue to work.

This assumption breaks if you have any links to notes with conflicting names in different folders, or are using a full path link setting in your prefs or have any existing links with full paths written.

Since I work with files I expect my file names to be unique; UIDs matter. Database systems create their own and hide them; files push the onus onto the user.

I prefer shortest path, but found backlinks working with any path preference when I tested. Surprised me a bit, and I can’t say whether that was a one off since I don’t usually use those settings.

I never manually write full paths into notes because it introduces a rigidity that easily breaks things.

Today, a couple of us in the general discord forum were talking about being able to ‘bulk’ move notes in the sidebar without having to do it in the vault system file. @cotemaxime did say they’d kindly get on it when doing some updates to the sidebar which I will patiently wait for.

Thank you @cotemaxime

@elmsfeuer

2 Likes