Very basic questions on creating an internal link to a note and then pasting it to another note; and searching for a folder name

[m2927ae]

Very basic question from a new user to Obsidian long time Evernote and Joplin user. I’ve read this on copying / pasting internal links to notes and still can’t figure it out:

Internal links - Obsidian Help

Let’s say I’m editing a note X, and I want to copy a link to X1 that I will then manually paste in notes Y and Z. I do not want to drag, nor do I want to go to note Y and type [[ and then search for note X1 because I have many similarly named notes X1, X2, X3, X4 and I started editing exactly note X1.

I’m If on macOS client I right click on note X1 and “Copy Obsidian URL” and then I navigate to note Y and paste from the clipboard, I get obsidian://open?vault=Obsidian… that does not open anything.

If however I am editing note X1 and use the app Hookmark, to Copy as Markdown link, then, paste from clipboard in note Y, I get a link in note Y that opens note X1 and just has the title of note X1 (which is exactly what I want, except I’d like to do this without Hookmark just within Obsidian’s macOS client).

I can in note Y type [[ and then start typing looking for note X1’s title but again prefer not to because of many similarly named notes.

Am I missing something? How do I copy a link to a note / create an internal link to a note, OR, convert the obsidian://open?vault=Obsidian… to a markdown link which displays just as the note title? I’ve tried embedding it in [[obsidian://open?vault=Obsidian…]] that didn’t work (work being defined as creates a clickable link; works well as creates a clickable link and just displays the note title like a hyperlink).

Also, is there a good video or text page someone can recommend on switching from Joplin to Obsidian? I’ve found some excellent resources on importing Evernote and Joplin databases, but also a basic primer on switching to Obsidian for those who’ve been using the Evernote/Joplin style for decades, as well as Obsidian 101.

ALSO, is there a way to search just for a folder name if you have a lot of folders (the equivalent of Notebooks in Joplin or Stacks and Notebooks in Evernote)?

Thank you!

[vanadium]

I am likely not clear where the problem is, but the link to X1 is the file name, surrounded by [[…]]. Thus, it would suffice to copy or type the file name, highlight it then hit [ twice to make the selected text into a link. You can copy the created link ([[X1]]) to the clipboard, and paste it in other notes as many times as you want.

If however I am editing note X1 and use the app Hookmark

Not sure what that is. Anyway, any text surrounded by [[…]] (e.g., highlight then hit [ twice is turned into a link, even if the actual page does not yet exist. If you click on the link, the actual page (file) is created—this is where you see just the title. If it were a note that already existed, you would see its content.

because of many similarly named notes.

This is where you may have some friction. Obsidian is very much centered around linking pieces of information, which accordingly you should store in files with clear distinct names. Then the [[ search becomes a way to locate and link related meaningful information with the speed of light instead of being a hindrance.

How do I copy a link to a note / create an internal link to a note

If not using the search after hitting [[, then you can copy the file name and surround it with [[…]] to turn it into a link.

What you get with the “Copy Obsidian URL” command in the right-click menu of a note is an external link. It will allow to open the note from outside of Obsidian.

Is there a way to search just for a folder name if you have a lot of folders (the equivalent of Notebooks in Joplin or Stacks and Notebooks in Evernote)?

Obsidian has excellent and fast search facilities: in the search query, use path:Projects to only search the “Projects” folder (and below) if you have one. The Obsidian help you referred to above informs about the powerful yet simple search syntax.

[m2927ae]

Thank you, you explained it very well, that solves my problem.

I was not aware I could just copy the X1 note name (filename) and in notes Y and Z type [[ then paste the note name.

Just tested it – if there happens to be more than one note with the same name in different folders, Obsidian gives me the choice to select which note. Great!

Since Obsidian is quite a different system than Evernote or Joplin, can you or another person please recommend simple short starting how-to video(s) or web page(s) focused on creating a more Evernote/Joplin-like experience?

I’ve found lengthy treatises on the Zettelkasten method but not something for beginners who have been using a Joplin / Evernote type interface and system for decades. There are some excellent pages on migrating notes and Yarle but I haven’t found simple short how-tos on how to use the UX itself for switchers who want a more Evernote / Joplin type experience. For instance, I came across a useful community plug-in called File Tree Alternative which for me is very much improved.

I much prefer the folder-and-file structure of Obsidian to the single-database structure of Joplin, it is more future-proof. I definitely do not like closed-source “cloud only” commercial solutions like Evernote (which used to feature unlimited offline notes but they stopped), but I did like the interface and organization of Evernote.

use the app Hookmark

Not sure what that is.

It is a macOS app I recommend it if you like to link to local files a lot. It works conjunction with markdown notes such as Joplin and it seems to work well with Obsidian too, for creating either Markdown or external links to a wide range of targets such as local files, emails, notes, and has many features I don’t use: https://hookproductivity.com/

[gino_m]

@m2927ae

how-to video(s)

I don’t know of anyone who would specifically try to copy Evernote functionality but I suspect YouTuber Antone Heyward’s videos might be right up your alley.

[vanadium]

I have no idea of the Evernote experience, but I used Joplin for a while. You may want to indicate which “experience” you want to translate to Obsidian.

The strength of Obsidian is in the ultra fast search and the seamless “in place” linking (no need to go to the target, copy a link, paste a link). In contrast, Evernote and Joplin focus on classifying (“Note stacks”, “Note books”) and tags.

Obsidian can be used without the mental overhead of worrying where to store a note. However, for those who like that, it features file management. That is the tool that replicates “Note stacks” and “Note books”. It is actually more flexible than the two-level system of these other tools. It also features tags, which can be searched and displayed in a pane for quick access.

Also, you may not want to be too focused on the “Evernote or Joplin” experience. Then you better use these tools. Be open: a native Obsidian experience actually may prove to be even better.

[m2927ae]

I have no idea of the Evernote experience, but I used Joplin for a while. You may want to indicate which “experience” you want to translate to Obsidian.
…
Evernote and Joplin focus on classifying (“Note stacks”, “Note books”)

Yes, Note stacks and Note books are what I want. I’ve been taking notes in that style for 40 years.

As important is the “look” (UX) of Evernote and Joplin, as I’ve been on that UX for 15 years. I’ve been on the Evernote/Joplin type UX for so long, my neural pathways as well as my existing archives are very much locked into their UX as well as their database structure!

Also, you may not want to be too focused on the “Evernote or Joplin” experience. Then you better use these tools. Be open: a native Obsidian experience actually may prove to be even better.

You may not be taking into account the reality of most mammalian brains!! Sadly, after many 4 decades of organizing notes in the notebook / stack metaphor, and, 15 years exactly on one UX, it would take more time than I have to become as fast on a new system. So the closer I can replicate the Evernote/Joplin experience (down to the UX even where the search bar is as well as organizational structure), with instantly available community-plug ins, the better for me given finite free time.

Even if a better system and UX exists, I am kind of stuck, as my job requires regular access to thousands of notes.

I moved from Evernote to Joplin only after Evernote shifted to a forced-cloud model where I no longer have my own data on my local device. I am now having to move away from Joplin because I have a corrupted note interfering with sync, and the SQLITE database format means I can’t repair it, and even though I’m a paid Joplin Cloud user for sync, Joplin doesn’t offer that level of support. Plus, long term, a file-and-folder format for vaults/database is superior to the single-file for my purposes: easier use of multiple redundant independent backup services, compatible with any search app (I personally am very fond of Houdah’s Houdahspot which adds a nice visual UX for Boolean search to macOS Spotlight).

So if anyone reading this has high familiarity with the Evernote / Joplin UX, and can point me to a quick list of plugins that will replicate this experience on Obsidian, including whole-page web clipping, THANK YOU!