Use aliases with Templater suggester

[govsat1]

Using Templater, I have a standard file suggester. This works fine, but I would like to include aliases in the list in the same manner as Quick Switcher, then be able to insert the link in my created file.

Example, choose a file named Books with an alias of “Reading”… if I chose Reading from the suggester, then insert it into the file that Templater creates as [[Books|Reading]]. I’ve attempted to use tp.frontmatter with no success.

Current standard file picker code:

const file = (await tp.system.suggester((item) => item.basename, app.vault.getMarkdownFiles(), true, "Enter File")).basename

Any suggestions appreciated.

[gino_m]

See:

Extract to specified heading with Note Composer

Using @AlanG’s script, but exchanging the note suggester with a faster method (my vault is too large): <%* // By AlanG; Taken from: https://share.note.sx/tus76cc6 // Get the selected text let text = app.workspace.activeEditor.getSelection(); // Get the destination file const files = app.vault.getMarkdownFiles().map(file => { const fileCache = app.metadataCache.getFileCache(file); if (fileCache?.frontmatter?.aliases) { file.display = `${file.basename}\n${fileCache.frontmatter.aliases.j…

• Original idea by @Zachatoo. See original/more here.

[holroy]

Using parts of the code listed in previous post, I built the following template:

  <%_*
// Get the destination file
const allFiles = await app.vault.getMarkdownFiles()
// .slice(0, 10) // Uncomment for test purposes of a smaller file set

const alternatives = []

function pushAlternative(path, basename, alias) {
  alternatives.push({ path: path, basename: basename, alias: alias})
}

allFiles.map(file => {
  const fileCache = app.metadataCache.getFileCache(file);
  // Push non-aliased alternative
  file.alias = file.basename
  pushAlternative(file.path, file.basename, file.alias)
  // Use the following to check for existence, and type of alias
  const aliasType = typeof(fileCache.frontmatter?.aliases)
  
  if (aliasType == "string") {
    // Single alias
    file.alias = fileCache.frontmatter.aliases
    pushAlternative(file.path, file.basename, file.alias)
    
  } else if (aliasType == "object" && file.frontmatter?.aliases.length ) {
    // Multiple aliases
    for (const alias of fileCache.frontmatter.aliases ) {
      file.alias = alias
      pushAlternative(file.path, file.basename, file.alias)
    }
  }
})

const destination = await tp.system.suggester(
  item => item.basename + 
         (item.alias != item.basename ? `\n↳ ${ item.alias }` : ""),
  alternatives,
  true,
  "Enter file",
  10);

if (destination)
  tR += `[[${ destination.path } | ${ destination.alias }]]`
_%>

As a sample image, I searched for “newa” in my test vault, and got this result:

As we can see in the image both the fuzzy matching, and the aliases works. (See files “221231 - New years eve” and “New file 1 → new alias”).

And choosing the latter of those it produces the link [[tmp/new file 1.md | new alias]]. Hope this helps!

( Now I just need to figure out how to create a new file link based upon this without having to trigger another tp.system.prompt() or similar, as I then can use this template to locate or create new forum response notes. )

[govsat1]

Works great, thanks!

[gino_m]

Typed in an alias (to be an exact match): was not found.

---

@holroy

produces the link [[tmp/new file 1.md | new alias]]

• What’s with the pair of whitespaces there, may I ask?

[holroy]

I’ve not considered any issues with spaces. Yet…

But what didn’t work in your case?

[gino_m]

Well, even if I allow larger than 10 results, my aliases that worked in the original script are not offered for insertion. Simple one-string aliases, btw.

@holroy

I’ve not considered any issues with spaces.

No, I meant tR += `[[${ destination.path }|${ destination.alias }]].