Caret Position Variable

[vrajur]

Hey there!

Thanks for making this awesome plugin, I use it all the time! I wanted to suggest adding a variable accessing the cursor position (line and column number), which is helpful for passing to some commands I tend to run. I wanted to post here first to get your thoughts, but I already have a local branch that I could push if you're interested in taking a look.

Thanks

[Taitava]

Hi! 🙂

Thank you for your suggestion! I think it's a good idea! A few points on my mind:

1. I think we could use the term caret instead of cursor, as I understand that cursor usually refers to mouse cursor, while caret refers to the blinking text input pointer. It's easy to mix them up 🙂 . Here's at least one article describing the difference between cursor and caret.
2. What would be the variable's name? I'm considering these, but you can suggest others too:
   • {{caret_position}}, or
   • Simply {{caret}}, but only if there's no future use for any other properties a caret might have?
3. How to tell which value is wanted, line or column?
   • Using a parameter to tell which value to get: {{caret:line}} / {{caret:column}}, or
   • Something else?
4. Have you seen other plugins that access the caret position? I'm especially interested about plugins that have a variable system, and might have already a good name for a caret position variable, but maybe there is no such plugin. But even if there's a plugin that accesses the caret position without having it as a variable, I'd like to know.
5. Yes, a pull request is welcome after these decisions have been made. 👍

Can you also provide an example command that could be inserted to this documentation page to demonstrate the new variable, please? You can either:

• Fork the documentation repository and add it yourself (create a new note in Example commands folder and add a link to the new note in Example commands.md ). Before doing this, we should decide the variable name and how it's used. Then make a PR to that repo and I'll merge and publish the documentation change when releasing a version that contains the new variable.
• Just post the example command here in this discussion and I'll add it to the documentation. Can be done anytime, I can edit the variable name if needed.

And thank you for your nice feedback! 🌞

[Taitava]

Hello @Taitava !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry for my absence these past two weeks (We talk more about that in other post....)

Hello! 🙂 No problem, take your time! 😉

I saw this an my mind start to generate ideas !!!!!

Have you seen other plugins that access the caret position? I'm especially interested about plugins that have a variable system, and might have already a good name for a caret position variable, but maybe there is no such plugin. But even if there's a plugin that accesses the caret position without having it as a variable, I'd like to know.

Obsidian Go to Line https://github.com/phibr0/obsidian-go-to-line

That looks handy! 🙂 Someday I need to create a vault of plugins that I should explore.

Would be amazing if we have the same syntax between the two plugins which is line:column

Yes, we'll have it! 😎

My first ideia would be an SC to copy the current caret caret position (line+column) to the clipboard:

• Would be amazing to create template notes that receives content from other Obsidian Notes and Clipboard

Sorry, I'm not quite understanding what you mean by this idea? 🙂

• Or change the caret position after inserting content in a note (under an specific header for example)

Step 1: SC =echo {{caret}} [outputClipboard] Step 2: Use Go To Line with Clipboard Content

Yea, although you can use Go to line also for doing the first step (with Copy cursor line number command). But if you have a shell command that searches for text in your notes, then outputs the line and column, you can store the output to clipboard like you do in your example, and then use Go To Line with Clipboard Content. In that case, you'd not need {{caret_position}} at all, though.

I let you guys know when I found another user case

Two Things to Think in the future about caret

1- New Output Current File: Caret Position line:column

Do you mean that in the output settings, there would be a form field for inputting specific line and column numbers where the output should be made? You can open a new idea discussion for this and answer there 🙂 .

2- New variables {{caret_content:line}} and {{caret_content:line:column}} that get the word or the full line based on the position inserted by the user in the variable

Yea, I need to think about all possible variations, word, line, paragraph, chapter, or everything under the current heading (with/without the heading), etc. You can create a new discussion for this too, and answer there. Good ideas! 🙂

Let’s keep talking :)

Have a great day!

Nice day to you too! 🙂

[FelipeRearden]

Sorry, I'm not quite understanding what you mean by this idea? 🙂

I have a lot of workflows to insert content to Obsidian from external sources (web,Books,Podcast apps,iOS ...).

This way I have to set a note template for each one of this sources and insert this external content in the right place in this template.

Having more than one SC to manipulate the caret position, I can manipulate the caret position before insert content.

Yea, although you can use Go to line also for doing the first step (with Copy cursor line number command). But if you have a shell command that searches for text in your notes, then outputs the line and column, you can store the output to clipboard like you do in your example, and then use Go To Line with Clipboard Content. In that case, you'd not need {{caret_position}} at all, though.

The difference between SC and the Go to Line (Copy cursor line number command) is that we can define a specific caret position with SC instead of only have the clipboard of the current caret position as a source of action !

In that case, you'd not need {{caret_position}} at all, though.

For one workflow I will have 3/4 SC with different caret positions in the note instead of just using one from the Go To Line. That's why this new variable is a killer feature !!! We will have a way to navigate between the note without typing anything !!!!!!

Do you mean that in the output settings, there would be a form field for inputting specific line and column numbers where the output should be made?

Yes !!!!! echo {{selection}} [output=Current File: Caret Position:16:03] line 16 column 3

With this new output we close the matrix of possibilities to Current File top/bottom/caret_position/line:column !!!!! Users could insert file in every place possible in a note

You can open a new idea discussion for this and answer there 🙂 .

I will thanks :)

Yea, I need to think about all possible variations, word, line, paragraph, chapter, or everything under the current heading (with/without the heading), etc.

Yeah, I know I went far from the initial idea but my mind was blowing with ideas related to this topic :)

It's a lot of to think about :)
You can create a new discussion for this too, and answer there. Good ideas! 🙂

I will thanks @Taitava !!!!

[vrajur]

Hi @FelipeRearden! I didn't realize there were so many possibilities for this simple addition - thanks for sharing!

@Taitava thanks for the feedback and yeah you were right I cloned rather than forked (told you something silly on my end 😛). But anyways, I rebased my branch onto your 0.8.0 updates and opened a PR against that rather than main just to keep the diffs small. Happy to change this to main or another target if you'd like though. I'd appreciate your input whenever you have a chance. In the meantime, I will fork the docs repo and add updates there as well.

Thanks!

[Taitava]

I rebased my branch onto your 0.8.0 updates and opened a PR against that rather than main just to keep the diffs small.

Nice! And it's good idea to keep the diff small by selecting 0.8.0 as the target. I'll change it later when it's time. I'll comment more on the PR.

Thank you! 🙂

[FelipeRearden]

Hi @FelipeRearden! I didn't realize there were so many possibilities for this simple addition - thanks for sharing!

Thanks @vrajur !!!!!

[Taitava]

Created issue #119 for this

I totally forgot that usually I have a habit to create an issue for implementation.

Normal workflow:

1. Have a discussion (like we've had here).
2. Create an issue that contains a summary of all decisions from the discussions.
3. Branch name should have the issue's #id number (now the branch has this discussion's #id number, but its ok now).
4. Commits should also have the issue's #id number, because the the branch name will not persist in git log.

So the number 2 is something I forgot to do, but I did it now afterwards.