Bug: Obsidian Bases - new empty file created instead of linking to existing base

[ensjens]

Describe the bug

When a base is included in the hierarchy, tapping on the base in the Trail view creates a new empty file instead of going to the existing base.

To Reproduce

Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Create base MyBase.base
2. Create file MyFile.md
3. Create frontmatter in MyFile md:

---
up: "[[MyBase.base]]"
---

4. Breadcrumbs: Rebuild Graph
5. Open MyFile.md, see MyBase.base in Trail view.
6. Tap on MyBase.base
7. New file "MyBase.base.md" is created

Expected behavior

MyBase.base opens

Smartphone (please complete the following information):

• Device: Samsung Galaxy S23
• OS: Android 16
• Breadcrumbs version: 4.3.2-beta
• Obsidian version: 1.10.5

[michaelpporter]

@ensjens Thank you for the report. I will see what can be done. Currently, it assumes md.

[michaelpporter]

Dataview queries the metadata in md files only. So it doesn’t “see” base files. Nor pdf, jpg, txt, etc.

Doing some research in to the issue I have found:

1. The initial load of files has to be "md". Both Obsidian and Dataview work from markdown.
2. While "base" files can be linked as edges and the PR chore: update ObsidianLink components for bases #635 does not add the .md to the link, it still marks the file as not resolved (found)

The more I think about it, I wonder the use case for having a base in the crumbs. In my thinking, a base is a filter or collection of files not a source. I would solve it by using a starter MD file with some notes and have the tree view on the sidebar or use the breadcrumbs code block to get the linking. This creates a genuine linking, with a base you could have files in the view that do not really link back to the base as a source.

@ensjens could you provide your thoughts on using a base as a starter in breadcrumbs?

[ensjens]

Thanks a lot for looking into this and for your input. I'm my case, I was using the base file as an dynamically updating table of contents.

By pointing a new note "up" at the base, it gets added to the Table of Contents.

My hope was that by adding "down" frontmatter from a "broad topic" md note pointing at the base file, the links from the base up and down would be implied (since no frontmatter is within the base file itself) and a breadcrumb trace would be established from "broad topic" to "base" to "individual note". Forgive me if my terminology is not quite right.

You are correct that the same could be done with a base embedded within a markdown file, and I feel that this is an acceptable solution, but would require changing all links currently pointing to base files.

It may be worth also considering whether adding support for Canvas files could be done in a similar manner. There is no similar workaround available to embed these in a markdown file.

Dataview queries the metadata in md files only. So it doesn’t “see” base files. Nor pdf, jpg, txt, etc.

Doing some research in to the issue I have found:

1. The initial load of files has to be "md". Both Obsidian and Dataview work from markdown.
2. While "base" files can be linked as edges and the PR chore: update ObsidianLink components for bases #635 does not add the .md to the link, it still marks the file as not resolved (found)

The more I think about it, I wonder the use case for having a base in the crumbs. In my thinking, a base is a filter or collection of files not a source. I would solve it by using a starter MD file with some notes and have the tree view on the sidebar or use the breadcrumbs code block to get the linking. This creates a genuine linking, with a base you could have files in the view that do not really link back to the base as a source.

@ensjens could you provide your thoughts on using a base as a starter in breadcrumbs?

[michaelpporter]

I think 'canvas' runs in to the same situation. Neither have properties to pull downstream data from, you are limited to having other files reference them.

If you have looked at the raw files, canvas is JSON and bases are YAML. Breadcrumbs in this form relies on properties, both inline and header. Maybe one day they can be linked from a file, but it does not look like the could be a true base in that it links out.

I think for now, we will move this to the wishlist.