obsidian-metadator

Development Guide

This project is set up as both a development environment and a test Obsidian vault.

Quick Start

1. Install dependencies:

   bun install
   

2. Build the plugin:

   bun run build
   

   Or run in watch mode for development:

   bun run dev
   

3. Open this folder as a vault in Obsidian:

   • Open Obsidian
   • Click “Open folder as vault”
   • Select this project directory
   • The plugin will be automatically loaded

Plugin Structure

The plugin files are symlinked from .obsidian/plugins/obsidian-metadata-tool/ to the build output:

• main.js → main.js (in project root)
• manifest.json → manifest.json

This means any changes you make will be reflected immediately after rebuilding.

Development Workflow

1. Make changes to the source files in src/
2. The build will automatically run if you’re using bun run dev
3. In Obsidian, reload the plugin:
   • Open Command Palette (Cmd/Ctrl + P)
   • Run “Reload app without saving”
   • Or disable and re-enable the plugin in Settings

Testing

Three sample notes are provided for testing:

• Sample Note 1.md - About Obsidian
• Sample Note 2.md - Morning routine
• Sample Note 3.md - Machine learning

To test the plugin:

1. Open one of the sample notes
2. Run the command “Generate metadata for current note” (Cmd/Ctrl + P)
3. Check the frontmatter that gets added

Configuration

Before using the plugin, you need to:

1. Get an Anthropic API key from console.anthropic.com
2. Open Settings → Metadator
3. Add your API key
4. Configure other settings as needed

Project Scripts

• bun run dev - Watch mode with auto-rebuild
• bun run build - Production build (includes type checking and linting)
• bun run check - Run Biome checks and markdownlint
• bun run typecheck - TypeScript type checking only
• bun run lint - Run Biome linting
• bun run lint:fix - Auto-fix linting issues
• bun run format - Format code with Biome
• bun run format:check - Check formatting without changes
• bun run validate - Full validation before release

Debugging

To debug the plugin:

1. Open Developer Tools in Obsidian (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + I)
2. Check the Console tab for errors
3. Add console.log() statements in your code
4. Rebuild and reload the plugin

File Structure

.
├── src/
│   ├── main.ts          # Plugin entry point
│   ├── settings.ts      # Settings interface
│   ├── settingsTab.ts   # Settings UI
│   ├── metadata.ts      # Metadata generation logic
│   └── utils.ts         # Utility functions (API calls, etc.)
├── scripts/
│   └── validate-plugin.ts  # Pre-release validation
├── .obsidian/
│   └── plugins/
│       └── obsidian-metadata-tool/  # Symlinked plugin files
├── main.js              # Build output (committed to repo)
├── manifest.json        # Plugin manifest
├── package.json         # NPM dependencies
└── tsconfig.json        # TypeScript configuration

Making Changes

1. Edit files in src/
2. The watcher will rebuild automatically (if using bun run dev)
3. Reload Obsidian to see changes
4. Check console for any errors

Common Issues

Plugin not loading

• Make sure you’ve run bun run build at least once
• Check that the symlinks exist in .obsidian/plugins/obsidian-metadata-tool/
• Verify the plugin is enabled in Settings → Community Plugins

Changes not appearing

• Make sure you’ve reloaded Obsidian after rebuilding
• Check the console for any JavaScript errors
• Verify the build completed successfully

API errors

• Verify your Anthropic API key is correct
• Check your internet connection
• Look at the console for specific error messages

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