Treat a selected folder in File Explorer as a note in edit/preview window

I’m finding that I would appreciate an Obsidian setting that made selecting folders in the File Explorer behave like selecting a note.

For those of us that use folder organization, the folder has meaning. I’m finding that for most of my folders, I’m also creating a note with the same name and adding a variety of content. Sometimes just a description, sometimes TOCs.

My UI would be cleaner and more efficient if Obsidian could hide any note that shares the same name as its directory. And simply show that note when the directory is selected in the File Explorer.

13 Likes

This is a cool suggestion. Most of my folders contain note with the same name. Showing note instead of folder with the same name will allow users to set parent-child relationship on the note level.

3 Likes

A big +1 to this. I’ve trying to transition away from Zim (love it, I just really need multiple panes open at once), and this has been the main pain point for me.

All of my folders have a note named “.” in them that essentially act as that folder’s note. This feature isn’t uncommon in other software, but I really prefer obsidian’s interface over those so I’m really hoping this gets added someday!

1 Like

Here to chime in with my support for this feature request. I’m sorry to see it with so few likes since July.

Programs like Scrivener and Zim operate this way, as do most/all outliners.

This would allow Obsidian to be more easily used as an outliner and potentially open up a whole new userbase.

  • Allowing folder/notes with the same name to be conflated in the Notes sidebar could get rid of the separation of notes and folders when sorting in alphabetical order. (This should of course be optional as many users may prefer this separation).
    • Possible issue - when sorting by “date modified” folders do not have this attribute (at least to my knowledge on windows).
  • Conflating folders and notes would allow attachments such as linked images from notes to be stored in the folder of that note. This would be great for organisation as a note could simply be expanded to see a list of all of the included images. This is, in my opinion, a huge secondary bonus and almost worth the feature request in itself. There could be an option for attachments to auto-save to a note’s matching folder (a note’s sub-folder).
    • It also gives a sensible location in the filesystem for storing related filetypes not supported by Obsidian.
  • It may be worth noting that Zim Wiki implement this feature by having the note and folder of the same name in the same folder level. The note is not within the folder it matches (as per @Kosyne’s “.” workaround for this feature). I think Zim’s implementation makes sense as the note is kept at the same level as other notes which match its level in the hierarchy, whether or not these other notes have matching folders.
  • a shortcut key could be added to create a new note as a sub-note (placing it within the original note’s sub-folder).

Come on lads, let’s beef up the likes for this feature request :smile:

8 Likes

I agree! +1 from me too!

1 Like

related discussion: [Advice] The ability to have a note hierarchy

@WhiteNoise
Re: closed feature request - Allow manual ordering/rearranging of file explorer

My post above discusses how this feature would allow for more control over ordering/rearranging of the file explorer.

Archiving this feature request as it is achieved with the Folder Note and Note Folder Autorename plugins.

1 Like

Please add this feature

This is archived because there is a community plugin for it: Folder Note.