README starting the real plugin v0.2

README.md

@@ -1,92 +1,80 @@
-# Obsidian Sample Plugin
+# Zettelclean
 
-This is a sample plugin for Obsidian (https://obsidian.md).
+Keep a Zettelkasten filename's slug in sync with the note's H1 heading.
 
-This project uses TypeScript to provide type checking and documentation.
+Zettelclean resolves the "three sources of truth for a title" problem (filename vs H1 vs
-The repo depends on the latest plugin API (obsidian.d.ts) in TypeScript Definition format, which contains TSDoc comments describing what it does.
+YAML `title:`) by separating concerns:
 
-This sample plugin demonstrates some of the basic functionality the plugin API can do.
+- The **H1 heading** in the note body is the single source of truth for the human title.
+- The **filename** is a derived machine identity: `TIMEID-slug(H1).md`.
+- No YAML is written. Files stay pure Markdown.
 
-- Adds a ribbon icon, which shows a Notice when clicked.
+It is a small, one-way, prefix-gated renamer: edit the H1, and a moment later the filename's
-- Adds a command "Open modal (simple)" which opens a Modal.
+slug tail follows. Nothing else is touched.
-- Adds a plugin setting tab to the settings page.
-- Registers a global click event and outputs a Notice on click.
-- Registers a global interval which logs 'setInterval' to the console.
 
-## First time developing plugins?
+## How it works
 
-Quick starting guide for new plugin devs:
+- A note is a zettel when its filename starts with a **TIMEID**: a run of 12 to 18 digits
+  (a timestamp), for example `20260728145404-my-note.md`. Files without that prefix are
+  ignored, so plain notes, daily notes, Excalidraw and Kanban files are never renamed.
+- The TIMEID is minted **once** and never changes. Only the slug tail is regenerated.
+- When you edit the H1, zettelclean waits about 5 seconds of idle, then renames the file to
+  `TIMEID-slug(H1).md` using Obsidian's own rename (so backlinks are updated). A 10 second
+  cooldown prevents a just-renamed file from being renamed again.
+- Sync is strictly one-way, H1 to filename. Renaming a file by hand is never fought.
+- Delete the H1 and the filename collapses back to the bare `TIMEID.md`.
 
-- Check if [someone already developed a plugin for what you want](https://obsidian.md/plugins)! There might be an existing plugin similar enough that you can partner up with.
+The slug is lowercase, ASCII, dash-separated: accents are folded (`Ciências` becomes
-- Make a copy of this repo as a template with the "Use this template" button (login to GitHub if you don't see it).
+`ciencias`), runs of punctuation and whitespace collapse to a single dash, and leading and
-- Clone your repo to a local development folder. For convenience, you can place this folder in your `.obsidian/plugins/your-plugin-name` folder.
+trailing dashes are trimmed.
-- Install NodeJS, then run `npm i` in the command line under your repo folder.
-- Run `npm run dev` to compile your plugin from `src/main.ts` to `main.js`.
-- Make changes to `src/main.ts` (or create new `.ts` files). Those changes should be automatically compiled into `main.js`.
-- Reload Obsidian to load the new version of your plugin.
-- Enable plugin in settings window.
-- For updates to the Obsidian API run `npm update` in the command line under your repo folder.
 
-## Releasing new releases
+## Creating notes
 
-- Update your `manifest.json` with your new version number, such as `1.0.1`, and the minimum Obsidian version required for your latest release.
+Use Obsidian's built-in **Unique note creator** core plugin to mint the TIMEID:
-- Update your `versions.json` file with `"new-plugin-version": "minimum-obsidian-version"` so older versions of Obsidian can download an older version of your plugin that's compatible.
-- Create new GitHub release using your new version number as the "Tag version". Use the exact version number, don't include a prefix `v`. See here for an example: https://github.com/obsidianmd/obsidian-sample-plugin/releases
-- Upload the files `manifest.json`, `main.js`, `styles.css` as binary attachments. Note: The manifest.json file must be in two places, first the root path of your repository and also in the release.
-- Publish the release.
 
-> You can simplify the version bump process by running `npm version patch`, `npm version minor` or `npm version major` after updating `minAppVersion` manually in `manifest.json`.
+1. Settings -> Core plugins -> enable "Unique note creator".
-> The command will bump version in `manifest.json` and `package.json`, and add the entry for the new version to `versions.json`
+2. Set "Unique note format" to `YYYYMMDDHHmmss` (14 digits, second precision - avoids
+   same-minute collisions).
+3. Click the "Create new unique note" ribbon icon. You get `20260728145404.md`; type your
+   `# Title`, and zettelclean takes over from there.
 
-## Adding your plugin to the community plugin list
+Zettelclean also accepts an existing 12-digit (`YYYYMMDDHHmm`) vault if you prefer not to
+change the setting.
 
-- Check the [plugin guidelines](https://docs.obsidian.md/Plugins/Releasing/Plugin+guidelines).
+### Retrofitting existing notes
-- Publish an initial version.
-- Make sure you have a `README.md` file in the root of your repo.
-- Make a pull request at https://github.com/obsidianmd/obsidian-releases to add your plugin.
 
-## How to use
+Notes created before you adopted this workflow have no TIMEID. Right-click such a note in the
+file explorer and choose **"Add zettel TIMEID to filename"**. It mints a fresh timestamp,
+prepends it, and the note is now a zettel that syncs on future H1 edits.
 
-- Clone this repo.
+## Pretty sidebar (optional)
-- Make sure your NodeJS is at least v18 (`node --version`).
-- `npm i` to install dependencies.
-- `npm run dev` to start compilation in watch mode.
 
-## Manually installing the plugin
+By default the file explorer shows the slugged filename (with dashes). If you want the sidebar,
+tabs and graph to show the pretty H1 instead - with no YAML in your files - install the
+**Front Matter Title** community plugin and set its feature templates to:
 
-- Copy over `main.js`, `styles.css`, `manifest.json` to your vault `VaultFolder/.obsidian/plugins/your-plugin-id/`.
+```
-
+#heading | _basename
-## Improve code quality with eslint
-
-- [ESLint](https://eslint.org/) is a tool that analyzes your code to quickly find problems. You can run ESLint against your plugin to find common bugs and ways to improve your code.
-- This project already has eslint preconfigured, you can invoke a check by running`npm run lint`
-- Together with a custom eslint [plugin](https://github.com/obsidianmd/eslint-plugin) for Obsidan specific code guidelines.
-- A GitHub action is preconfigured to automatically lint every commit on all branches.
-
-## Funding URL
-
-You can include funding URLs where people who use your plugin can financially support it.
-
-The simple way is to set the `fundingUrl` field to your link in your `manifest.json` file:
-
-```json
-{
-	"fundingUrl": "https://buymeacoffee.com"
-}
 ```
 
-If you have multiple URLs, you can also do:
+That reads the first H1 directly and falls back to the filename when there is none.
 
-```json
+## Settings
-{
-	"fundingUrl": {
-		"Buy Me a Coffee": "https://buymeacoffee.com",
-		"GitHub Sponsor": "https://github.com/sponsors",
-		"Patreon": "https://www.patreon.com/"
-	}
-}
-```
 
-## API Documentation
+None. Zettelclean is zero-config in this version. The 5 second settle and 10 second cooldown
+are fixed.
 
-See https://docs.obsidian.md
+## Development
+
+- `npm install` (or `pnpm install`).
+- `npm run dev` - compile in watch mode.
+- `npm run build` - typecheck and produce `main.js`.
+- `npm test` - run the slug unit tests on Node's built-in test runner.
+- `npm run lint` - eslint with the Obsidian ruleset.
+
+The pure string logic lives in `src/slug.ts` and is unit-tested in isolation; the Obsidian
+wiring lives in `src/main.ts`.
+
+## License
+
+0-BSD.

VERSION

@@ -1 +1 @@
-zettelclean v0.1
+zettelclean v0.2

eslint.config.mts

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ export default defineConfig(
 		'package.json',
 		'package-lock.json',
 		'tsconfig.json',
+		'src/**/*.test.ts',
 	]),
 	{
 		languageOptions: {

manifest.json

@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
 {
-	"id": "sample-plugin",
+	"id": "zettelclean",
-	"name": "Sample Plugin",
+	"name": "Zettelclean",
-	"version": "1.0.0",
+	"version": "0.2.0",
 	"minAppVersion": "1.0.0",
-	"description": "Demonstrates some of the capabilities of the Obsidian API.",
+	"description": "Keep a Zettelkasten filename's slug in sync with the note's H1 heading.",
-	"author": "Obsidian",
+	"author": "Ruben Carlo Benante",
-	"authorUrl": "https://obsidian.md",
+	"authorUrl": "https://code.beco.cc/beco/zettelclean",
-	"fundingUrl": "https://obsidian.md/pricing",
 	"isDesktopOnly": false
 }

package.json

@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 {
-	"name": "obsidian-sample-plugin",
+	"name": "zettelclean",
-	"version": "1.0.0",
+	"version": "0.2.0",
-	"description": "This is a sample plugin for Obsidian (https://obsidian.md)",
+	"description": "Keep a Zettelkasten filename's slug in sync with the note's H1 heading.",
 	"main": "main.js",
 	"type": "module",
 	"scripts": {
 		"dev": "node esbuild.config.mjs",
 		"build": "tsc -noEmit -skipLibCheck && node esbuild.config.mjs production",
+		"test": "node --test \"src/**/*.test.ts\"",
+		"test:watch": "node --test --watch \"src/**/*.test.ts\"",
 		"version": "node version-bump.mjs && git add manifest.json versions.json",
 		"lint": "eslint ."
 	},

src/main.ts

@@ -1,114 +1,110 @@
-import {
+import { Plugin, TFile, TAbstractFile, Menu, moment } from 'obsidian';
-	Editor,
+import { extractTimeId, generateSlug, buildFilename } from './slug';
-	MarkdownView,
-	MarkdownFileInfo,
-	Modal,
-	Notice,
-	Plugin,
-} from 'obsidian';
-import {
-	DEFAULT_SETTINGS,
-	MyPluginSettings,
-	SampleSettingTab,
-} from './settings';
 
-// Remember to rename these classes and interfaces!
+const SETTLE_MS = 5000; // rename ~5s after the H1 stops changing
+const COOLDOWN_MS = 10000; // do not rename the same path again within 10s
 
-export default class MyPlugin extends Plugin {
+export default class ZettelcleanPlugin extends Plugin {
-	settings!: MyPluginSettings;
+	private renameTimers = new Map<string, number>();
+	private lastRenamedAt = new Map<string, number>();
+	private isRenameInProgress = false;
 
 	async onload() {
-		await this.loadSettings();
+		// Fires after the metadata cache reparses a note, so headings[] is fresh.
-
+		this.registerEvent(
-		// This creates an icon in the left ribbon.
+			this.app.metadataCache.on('changed', (file) =>
-		this.addRibbonIcon('dice', 'Sample', (_evt: MouseEvent) => {
+				this.scheduleSync(file),
-			// Called when the user clicks the icon.
+			),
-			new Notice('This is a notice!');
+		);
-		});
+		// Retrofit entry in the file-explorer right-click menu, near "Rename".
-
+		this.registerEvent(
-		// This adds a status bar item to the bottom of the app. Does not work on mobile apps.
+			this.app.workspace.on('file-menu', (menu, file) =>
-		const statusBarItemEl = this.addStatusBarItem();
+				this.addTimeIdMenu(menu, file),
-		statusBarItemEl.setText('Status bar text');
+			),
-
-		// This adds a simple command that can be triggered anywhere
-		this.addCommand({
-			id: 'open-modal-simple',
-			name: 'Open modal (simple)',
-			callback: () => {
-				new SampleModal(this.app).open();
-			},
-		});
-		// This adds an editor command that can perform some operation on the current editor instance
-		this.addCommand({
-			id: 'replace-selected',
-			name: 'Replace selected content',
-			editorCallback: (
-				editor: Editor,
-				_ctx: MarkdownView | MarkdownFileInfo,
-			) => {
-				editor.replaceSelection('Sample editor command');
-			},
-		});
-		// This adds a complex command that can check whether the current state of the app allows execution of the command
-		this.addCommand({
-			id: 'open-modal-complex',
-			name: 'Open modal (complex)',
-			checkCallback: (checking: boolean) => {
-				// Conditions to check
-				const markdownView =
-					this.app.workspace.getActiveViewOfType(MarkdownView);
-				if (markdownView) {
-					// If checking is true, we're simply "checking" if the command can be run.
-					// If checking is false, then we want to actually perform the operation.
-					if (!checking) {
-						new SampleModal(this.app).open();
-					}
-
-					// This command will only show up in Command Palette when the check function returns true
-					return true;
-				}
-				return false;
-			},
-		});
-
-		// This adds a settings tab so the user can configure various aspects of the plugin
-		this.addSettingTab(new SampleSettingTab(this.app, this));
-
-		// If the plugin hooks up any global DOM events (on parts of the app that doesn't belong to this plugin)
-		// Using this function will automatically remove the event listener when this plugin is disabled.
-		this.registerDomEvent(activeDocument, 'click', (_evt: MouseEvent) => {
-			new Notice('Click');
-		});
-
-		// When registering intervals, this function will automatically clear the interval when the plugin is disabled.
-		this.registerInterval(
-			window.setInterval(() => console.log('setInterval'), 5 * 60 * 1000),
 		);
 	}
 
-	onunload() {}
+	onunload() {
+		for (const t of this.renameTimers.values()) window.clearTimeout(t);
+		this.renameTimers.clear();
+	}
 
-	async loadSettings() {
+	private pathFor(file: TFile, base: string): string {
-		this.settings = Object.assign(
+		const dir =
-			{},
+			file.parent && file.parent.path !== '/' ? `${file.parent.path}/` : '';
-			DEFAULT_SETTINGS,
+		return `${dir}${base}.md`;
-			(await this.loadData()) as Partial<MyPluginSettings>,
+	}
+
+	// Guard layer: only the actively edited zettel, honoring the 10s cooldown,
+	// (re)arming the 5s settle timer on every cache change.
+	private scheduleSync(file: TAbstractFile) {
+		if (this.isRenameInProgress) return; // our own rename, ignore
+		if (!(file instanceof TFile) || file.extension !== 'md') return;
+		if (extractTimeId(file.basename) === null) return; // opt-in gate: no TIMEID
+		if (this.app.workspace.getActiveFile() !== file) return; // only the edited note
+
+		const last = this.lastRenamedAt.get(file.path);
+		if (last && Date.now() - last < COOLDOWN_MS) return; // 10s cooldown
+
+		const existing = this.renameTimers.get(file.path);
+		if (existing) window.clearTimeout(existing);
+		this.renameTimers.set(
+			file.path,
+			window.setTimeout(() => {
+				this.renameTimers.delete(file.path);
+				void this.syncNow(file);
+			}, SETTLE_MS),
 		);
 	}
 
-	async saveSettings() {
+	// Compute the target basename, bail if unchanged, otherwise rename.
-		await this.saveData(this.settings);
+	private async syncNow(file: TFile) {
-	}
+		const id = extractTimeId(file.basename);
-}
+		if (id === null) return; // prefix removed meanwhile
 
-class SampleModal extends Modal {
+		const first = this.app.metadataCache.getFileCache(file)?.headings?.[0];
-	onOpen() {
+		const h1 = first && first.level === 1 ? first.heading : '';
-		const { contentEl } = this;
+
-		contentEl.setText('Woah!');
+		const newBase = buildFilename(id, generateSlug(h1));
+		if (newBase === file.basename) return; // nothing to do
+
+		const newPath = this.pathFor(file, newBase);
+		this.isRenameInProgress = true;
+		try {
+			await this.app.fileManager.renameFile(file, newPath);
+			this.lastRenamedAt.set(newPath, Date.now());
+		} catch (e) {
+			console.error('zettelclean: rename failed', e);
+		} finally {
+			this.isRenameInProgress = false;
+		}
 	}
 
-	onClose() {
+	private addTimeIdMenu(menu: Menu, file: TAbstractFile) {
-		const { contentEl } = this;
+		if (!(file instanceof TFile) || file.extension !== 'md') return;
-		contentEl.empty();
+		if (extractTimeId(file.basename) !== null) return; // already a zettel
+		menu.addItem((item) =>
+			item
+				.setTitle('Add zettel TIMEID to filename')
+				.setIcon('clock')
+				.onClick(() => void this.addTimeId(file)),
+		);
+	}
+
+	// Retrofit: mint a fresh timestamp for a note that has no TIMEID yet.
+	private async addTimeId(file: TFile) {
+		let id = moment().format('YYYYMMDDHHmmss'); // core Unique-note format
+		const first = this.app.metadataCache.getFileCache(file)?.headings?.[0];
+		const h1 =
+			first && first.level === 1 ? first.heading : file.basename;
+		const slug = generateSlug(h1);
+
+		let target = this.pathFor(file, buildFilename(id, slug));
+		// Rare same-second + same-title collision: extend the id (up to 18 digits).
+		while (this.app.vault.getAbstractFileByPath(target) && id.length < 18) {
+			id += String(Math.floor(Date.now() % 10));
+			target = this.pathFor(file, buildFilename(id, slug));
+		}
+		await this.app.fileManager.renameFile(file, target);
 	}
 }

tsconfig.json

@@ -15,5 +15,6 @@
 		"allowSyntheticDefaultImports": true,
 		"lib": ["ES2021", "DOM"]
 	},
-	"include": ["src/**/*.ts"]
+	"include": ["src/**/*.ts"],
+	"exclude": ["src/**/*.test.ts"]
 }

versions.json

@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 {
-	"1.0.0": "1.0.0"
+	"0.2.0": "1.0.0"
 }