feat: add capture selection-as-value controls

[chhoumann]

Summary

• add global + per-capture controls for using editor selection as the Capture {{VALUE}}
• honor selection-as-value in one-page preflight and treat whitespace-only selections as empty
• rename setting key to useSelectionAsCaptureValue and update docs/tests

Testing

• bun run test
• bun run build-with-lint

Notes

• no automatic migration for the renamed setting key (useSelectionAsValue → useSelectionAsCaptureValue)

Summary by CodeRabbit

Release Notes

• New Features

  • Added ability to use editor selection as default capture value. Configure globally in Settings or per-choice with options to follow global setting, use selection, or ignore selection.

• Documentation

  • Updated guidance on VALUE placeholder behavior and editor selection-based defaults for Capture choices.

_{✏️ Tip: You can customize this high-level summary in your review settings.}

Fixes #594

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Project	Deployment	Review	Updated (UTC)
quickadd	Ready	Preview	Dec 20, 2025 11:14am

[coderabbitai]

Walkthrough

A feature enabling editor selection as the default value for Capture choice {{VALUE}} placeholders is introduced. This includes a global setting with per-choice override capability, configuration resolution in CaptureChoiceEngine, selection-handling logic in CaptureChoiceFormatter, integration into the preflight phase, and comprehensive documentation and test coverage.

Changes

Cohort / File(s)	Summary
Documentation docs/docs/Advanced/onePageInputs.md, docs/docs/Choices/CaptureChoice.md, docs/docs/FormatSyntax.md	Added documentation for the new "Use editor selection as default value" setting, explaining per-choice and global configuration options and their effect on the {{VALUE}} placeholder.
Global Settings src/settings.ts, src/quickAddSettingsTab.ts	Added new boolean setting useSelectionAsCaptureValue (default true) to global QuickAdd configuration and corresponding UI toggle in the Input settings group.
Choice Type Definitions src/types/choices/ICaptureChoice.ts, src/types/choices/CaptureChoice.ts	Added optional useSelectionAsCaptureValue?: boolean property to capture choice type definitions to support per-choice overrides of the global setting.
Formatter Implementation src/formatters/captureChoiceFormatter.ts	Added setUseSelectionAsCaptureValue() setter and protected helpers shouldUseSelectionForValue() and getSelectedTextForValue() to resolve and handle editor selection for value substitution.
Formatter Base Class src/formatters/completeFormatter.ts	Added protected methods shouldUseSelectionForValue() and getSelectedTextForValue() with updated promptForValue() logic to check selection before prompting.
Engine Configuration src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.ts	Added logic to resolve per-choice override against global setting and pass the computed flag to CaptureChoiceFormatter via setUseSelectionAsCaptureValue().
Preflight Integration src/preflight/runOnePagePreflight.ts	Added getEditorSelection() helper and logic to optionally pre-populate capture value from editor selection based on resolved configuration, potentially skipping the modal.
Choice Builder UI src/gui/ChoiceBuilder/captureChoiceBuilder.ts	Added addSelectionAsValueSetting() method to render dropdown UI control for per-choice selection-as-value configuration with three options: follow global, use selection, or ignore selection.
CaptureChoiceEngine Tests src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.notice.test.ts, src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.selection.test.ts, src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.template-property-types.test.ts	Added mocked useSelectionAsCaptureValue setting to test fixtures and new dedicated test module verifying configuration resolution between global and per-choice overrides.
CaptureChoiceFormatter Tests src/formatters/captureChoiceFormatter-selection.test.ts	Added new test suite verifying VALUE placeholder behavior when selection-as-value is enabled, disabled, or when selection is whitespace-only.
Preflight Selection Tests src/preflight/runOnePagePreflight.selection.test.ts	Added new test suite verifying preflight pre-fills {{VALUE}} from editor selection when enabled and skips modal, or shows modal when disabled.
Other Engine Tests src/engine/MacroChoiceEngine.notice.test.ts, src/engine/TemplateChoiceEngine.notice.test.ts	Added mocked useSelectionAsCaptureValue setting to test fixtures to maintain consistent mock shape.

Sequence Diagram(s)

sequenceDiagram
    actor User
    participant Editor
    participant CaptureEngine as CaptureChoiceEngine
    participant Formatter as CaptureChoiceFormatter
    participant Preflight as runOnePagePreflight
    participant Modal as OnePageInputModal
    participant Capture as Obsidian Capture

    User->>Editor: Make text selection
    User->>CaptureEngine: Trigger capture choice
    
    rect rgb(200, 220, 240)
    note over CaptureEngine: Resolve Configuration
    CaptureEngine->>CaptureEngine: Read per-choice override<br/>(useSelectionAsCaptureValue)
    CaptureEngine->>CaptureEngine: Fallback to global setting
    CaptureEngine->>Formatter: setUseSelectionAsCaptureValue(flag)
    end
    
    rect rgb(220, 240, 200)
    note over Preflight: Preflight Phase
    Preflight->>Editor: getEditorSelection()
    Editor-->>Preflight: Selected text
    alt Selection exists & feature enabled
        Preflight->>Preflight: Pre-fill {{VALUE}}<br/>in choiceExecutor
        Preflight-->>User: Skip modal, proceed
    else No pre-fill
        Preflight-->>User: Return, trigger modal
    end
    end
    
    rect rgb(240, 220, 200)
    note over Formatter: Value Resolution
    alt Should use selection & available
        Formatter->>Editor: getSelectedTextForValue()
        Editor-->>Formatter: Trimmed selection or empty
        Formatter->>Formatter: Use selection for {{VALUE}}
    else Fallback to prompt
        Formatter->>Modal: Show input prompt
        Modal-->>Formatter: User input
        Formatter->>Formatter: Use prompt result for {{VALUE}}
    end
    end
    
    Capture->>Capture: Format with resolved value
    Capture-->>User: Capture complete

Loading

Estimated code review effort

🎯 3 (Moderate) | ⏱️ ~25 minutes

Areas requiring extra attention:

• Selection resolution logic in CaptureChoiceFormatter.getSelectedTextForValue() — ensure whitespace trimming and empty handling are correct and consistent across test cases
• Configuration resolution ordering in CaptureChoiceEngine.ts — verify per-choice override precedence over global setting is correctly applied
• Preflight pre-fill logic in runOnePagePreflight.ts — confirm modal-skipping condition and value population are coordinated correctly
• Test coverage for edge cases (whitespace-only selections, missing editor context, missing global setting) in new test suites

Possibly related PRs

• feat: Add write to top of file switch for capture to active file (#248) #986: Modifies CaptureChoice implementation (CaptureChoiceFormatter, CaptureChoiceBuilder, CaptureChoiceEngine, and ICaptureChoice) — overlapping class/file changes and shared property consumption patterns.

Suggested labels

released

Poem

🐰 A selection now flows to the VALUE so bright,
With choice-by-choice control or global might,
No prompts when the editor holds the text,
A modal skipped makes prefilling quite blessed,
Capturing faster, the workflow's a treat! ✨

Pre-merge checks and finishing touches

❌ Failed checks (1 warning)

Check name	Status	Explanation	Resolution
Docstring Coverage	⚠️ Warning	Docstring coverage is 0.00% which is insufficient. The required threshold is 80.00%.	You can run @coderabbitai generate docstrings to improve docstring coverage.

✅ Passed checks (2 passed)

Check name	Status	Explanation
Description Check	✅ Passed	Check skipped - CodeRabbit’s high-level summary is enabled.
Title check	✅ Passed	The title clearly and concisely summarizes the main feature addition: introducing controls for using editor selection as the Capture value.

✨ Finishing touches

• 📝 Generate docstrings

🧪 Generate unit tests (beta)

• Create PR with unit tests
• Post copyable unit tests in a comment
• Commit unit tests in branch 594

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[coderabbitai]

Actionable comments posted: 0

🧹 Nitpick comments (1)

src/gui/ChoiceBuilder/captureChoiceBuilder.ts (1)

95-123: LGTM! Tri-state dropdown correctly implements per-choice override.

The implementation properly handles three states:

• Empty string → undefined (follow global setting)
• "enabled" → true (force on for this choice)
• "disabled" → false (force off for this choice)

The mapping logic in lines 108-114 is correct, though the nested ternary is somewhat dense.

Optional: Slightly more readable mapping

-				dropdown.setValue(
-					typeof override === "boolean"
-						? override
-							? "enabled"
-							: "disabled"
-						: "",
-				);
+				let dropdownValue = "";
+				if (typeof override === "boolean") {
+					dropdownValue = override ? "enabled" : "disabled";
+				}
+				dropdown.setValue(dropdownValue);

📜 Review details

Configuration used: defaults

Review profile: CHILL

Plan: Pro

📥 Commits

Reviewing files that changed from the base of the PR and between fcd058f and 6ce4751.

📒 Files selected for processing (19)

• docs/docs/Advanced/onePageInputs.md (1 hunks)
• docs/docs/Choices/CaptureChoice.md (2 hunks)
• docs/docs/FormatSyntax.md (1 hunks)
• src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.notice.test.ts (2 hunks)
• src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.selection.test.ts (1 hunks)
• src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.template-property-types.test.ts (1 hunks)
• src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.ts (1 hunks)
• src/engine/MacroChoiceEngine.notice.test.ts (1 hunks)
• src/engine/TemplateChoiceEngine.notice.test.ts (1 hunks)
• src/formatters/captureChoiceFormatter-selection.test.ts (1 hunks)
• src/formatters/captureChoiceFormatter.ts (2 hunks)
• src/formatters/completeFormatter.ts (1 hunks)
• src/gui/ChoiceBuilder/captureChoiceBuilder.ts (2 hunks)
• src/preflight/runOnePagePreflight.selection.test.ts (1 hunks)
• src/preflight/runOnePagePreflight.ts (3 hunks)
• src/quickAddSettingsTab.ts (2 hunks)
• src/settings.ts (2 hunks)
• src/types/choices/CaptureChoice.ts (1 hunks)
• src/types/choices/ICaptureChoice.ts (1 hunks)

🧰 Additional context used

📓 Path-based instructions (4)

src/**/*.{ts,tsx,js,jsx}

📄 CodeRabbit inference engine (AGENTS.md)

Source code lives in src/: core logic under engine/, services/, and utils/; Svelte UI in src/gui; shared types in src/types; settings entry in src/quickAddSettingsTab.ts

Files:

• src/types/choices/CaptureChoice.ts
• src/engine/MacroChoiceEngine.notice.test.ts
• src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.template-property-types.test.ts
• src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.notice.test.ts
• src/settings.ts
• src/formatters/captureChoiceFormatter-selection.test.ts
• src/preflight/runOnePagePreflight.ts
• src/preflight/runOnePagePreflight.selection.test.ts
• src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.selection.test.ts
• src/types/choices/ICaptureChoice.ts
• src/formatters/completeFormatter.ts
• src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.ts
• src/engine/TemplateChoiceEngine.notice.test.ts
• src/quickAddSettingsTab.ts
• src/gui/ChoiceBuilder/captureChoiceBuilder.ts
• src/formatters/captureChoiceFormatter.ts

src/**/*.{ts,tsx}

📄 CodeRabbit inference engine (AGENTS.md)

src/**/*.{ts,tsx}: Biome enforces tab indentation (width 2), LF endings, and an 80-character line guide; align editor settings
Use camelCase for variables and functions
Prefer type-only imports in TypeScript files
Route logging through the logger utilities for consistent output
Structure production code so Obsidian dependencies are injected behind interfaces; unit tests target pure logic and swap in adapters or tests/obsidian-stub.ts

Files:

• src/types/choices/CaptureChoice.ts
• src/engine/MacroChoiceEngine.notice.test.ts
• src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.template-property-types.test.ts
• src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.notice.test.ts
• src/settings.ts
• src/formatters/captureChoiceFormatter-selection.test.ts
• src/preflight/runOnePagePreflight.ts
• src/preflight/runOnePagePreflight.selection.test.ts
• src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.selection.test.ts
• src/types/choices/ICaptureChoice.ts
• src/formatters/completeFormatter.ts
• src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.ts
• src/engine/TemplateChoiceEngine.notice.test.ts
• src/quickAddSettingsTab.ts
• src/gui/ChoiceBuilder/captureChoiceBuilder.ts
• src/formatters/captureChoiceFormatter.ts

src/**/*.{ts,tsx,svelte}

📄 CodeRabbit inference engine (AGENTS.md)

Use PascalCase for classes and Svelte components

Files:

• src/types/choices/CaptureChoice.ts
• src/engine/MacroChoiceEngine.notice.test.ts
• src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.template-property-types.test.ts
• src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.notice.test.ts
• src/settings.ts
• src/formatters/captureChoiceFormatter-selection.test.ts
• src/preflight/runOnePagePreflight.ts
• src/preflight/runOnePagePreflight.selection.test.ts
• src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.selection.test.ts
• src/types/choices/ICaptureChoice.ts
• src/formatters/completeFormatter.ts
• src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.ts
• src/engine/TemplateChoiceEngine.notice.test.ts
• src/quickAddSettingsTab.ts
• src/gui/ChoiceBuilder/captureChoiceBuilder.ts
• src/formatters/captureChoiceFormatter.ts

docs/**/*

📄 CodeRabbit inference engine (AGENTS.md)

Keep user-facing docs in docs/ directory

Files:

• docs/docs/FormatSyntax.md
• docs/docs/Advanced/onePageInputs.md
• docs/docs/Choices/CaptureChoice.md

🧠 Learnings (2)

📚 Learning: 2025-12-09T21:20:52.425Z

Learnt from: CR
Repo: chhoumann/quickadd PR: 0
File: AGENTS.md:0-0
Timestamp: 2025-12-09T21:20:52.425Z
Learning: Applies to tests/**/*.{ts,tsx} : Add regression coverage for bug fixes

Applied to files:

• src/formatters/captureChoiceFormatter-selection.test.ts
• src/preflight/runOnePagePreflight.selection.test.ts
• src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.selection.test.ts
• src/engine/TemplateChoiceEngine.notice.test.ts

📚 Learning: 2025-12-09T21:20:52.425Z

Learnt from: CR
Repo: chhoumann/quickadd PR: 0
File: AGENTS.md:0-0
Timestamp: 2025-12-09T21:20:52.425Z
Learning: Applies to src/**/*.{ts,tsx} : Structure production code so Obsidian dependencies are injected behind interfaces; unit tests target pure logic and swap in adapters or `tests/obsidian-stub.ts`

Applied to files:

• src/formatters/captureChoiceFormatter-selection.test.ts
• src/preflight/runOnePagePreflight.selection.test.ts

🧬 Code graph analysis (6)

src/preflight/runOnePagePreflight.ts (2)

tests/obsidian-stub.ts (2)

• App (269-297)
• MarkdownView (346-353)

src/types/choices/ICaptureChoice.ts (1)

• ICaptureChoice (5-51)

src/preflight/runOnePagePreflight.selection.test.ts (3)

src/types/choices/ICaptureChoice.ts (1)

• ICaptureChoice (5-51)

src/IChoiceExecutor.ts (1)

• IChoiceExecutor (4-18)

src/preflight/runOnePagePreflight.ts (1)

• runOnePagePreflight (144-291)

src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.selection.test.ts (2)

src/types/choices/ICaptureChoice.ts (1)

• ICaptureChoice (5-51)

src/IChoiceExecutor.ts (1)

• IChoiceExecutor (4-18)

src/formatters/completeFormatter.ts (3)

src/gui/InputPrompt.ts (1)

• InputPrompt (5-13)

src/utils/errorUtils.ts (1)

• isCancellationError (69-80)

src/errors/MacroAbortError.ts (1)

• MacroAbortError (1-6)

src/quickAddSettingsTab.ts (1)

src/settingsStore.ts (1)

• settingsStore (8-21)

src/gui/ChoiceBuilder/captureChoiceBuilder.ts (1)

tests/obsidian-stub.ts (1)

• Setting (151-233)

🔇 Additional comments (22)

src/engine/MacroChoiceEngine.notice.test.ts (1)

9-9: LGTM! Settings mock properly updated.

The mock now includes the new useSelectionAsCaptureValue setting, preventing test failures and aligning with the default value defined in settings.ts.

src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.notice.test.ts (2)

9-9: LGTM! Settings mock updated correctly.

The addition of useSelectionAsCaptureValue: true aligns the test scaffolding with the updated settings interface.

---

51-51: LGTM! Formatter mock extended appropriately.

The new setUseSelectionAsCaptureValue() method matches the API that CaptureChoiceEngine now calls. The no-op implementation is suitable for these notice-focused tests.

src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.template-property-types.test.ts (1)

14-14: LGTM! Mock settings updated consistently.

The addition of useSelectionAsCaptureValue: true maintains consistency with the updated settings interface and other test files.

docs/docs/FormatSyntax.md (1)

11-11: LGTM! Documentation clearly describes the new feature.

The updated {{VALUE}} documentation accurately explains the selection-as-value behavior and mentions both global and per-capture controls.

src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.ts (1)

107-114: LGTM! Setting resolution logic is correct.

The precedence chain (per-choice override → global setting → default true) is implemented correctly, and the nullish coalescing operator provides a sensible fallback for backward compatibility.

However, please verify the migration path: the PR summary mentions renaming from useSelectionAsValue to useSelectionAsCaptureValue without automatic migration. If users had previously set the old key to false, their preference would be lost after the update, defaulting to true. Consider adding migration logic or confirming this is intentional.

docs/docs/Advanced/onePageInputs.md (1)

35-35: LGTM! Documentation accurately describes preflight behavior.

The note correctly explains that non-empty editor selections prefill {{VALUE}} during preflight when the selection-as-value feature is enabled.

src/types/choices/ICaptureChoice.ts (1)

15-19: LGTM! Well-documented interface extension.

The optional property allows per-choice override of the selection-as-value behavior, and the documentation clearly explains that undefined means the global setting will be used.

src/settings.ts (1)

10-13: LGTM! Settings interface and default value properly defined.

The property is well-documented, and the default value of true enables the feature for all users.

Note: The default value of true changes existing behavior—editor selection will now be used as the capture value by default. Please confirm this is intentional and consider mentioning it in release notes, as it may be surprising to existing users who expect the previous behavior.

Also applies to: 58-58

src/quickAddSettingsTab.ts (1)

376-391: LGTM! Clean integration of the new setting.

The new setting is properly wired into the settings store and follows the established patterns in the file. The UI text clearly explains the behavior.

src/engine/TemplateChoiceEngine.notice.test.ts (1)

9-9: LGTM! Test mock properly updated.

The mock settings correctly include the new useSelectionAsCaptureValue field with a sensible default.

src/types/choices/CaptureChoice.ts (1)

17-17: LGTM! Type extension aligns with the feature design.

The optional property correctly enables per-choice override of the global selection-as-value behavior. Leaving it undefined in the constructor properly signals "follow global setting."

docs/docs/Choices/CaptureChoice.md (1)

45-45: LGTM! Documentation clearly explains the new feature.

The documentation properly describes the global/per-choice override behavior and clarifies that this setting affects only {{VALUE}}, not {{SELECTED}}.

Also applies to: 123-123

src/preflight/runOnePagePreflight.ts (2)

138-142: LGTM! Clean helper function.

The getEditorSelection helper properly retrieves the current selection from the active MarkdownView, with appropriate null-safety.

---

168-184: LGTM! Selection-as-value preflight logic is correct.

The implementation properly:

• Resolves per-choice override vs. global setting (with sensible default of true)
• Only prefills when no existing value is present
• Treats whitespace-only selections as empty (via .trim())

The whitespace handling aligns with test expectations in captureChoiceFormatter-selection.test.ts.

src/formatters/captureChoiceFormatter-selection.test.ts (1)

63-98: LGTM! Comprehensive test coverage for selection-as-value behavior.

The test suite properly covers:

• Using selection when enabled (line 68-76)
• Falling back to prompt when disabled (line 78-88)
• Treating whitespace-only selection as empty (line 90-98)

The mocking strategy and assertions are sound.

src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.selection.test.ts (1)

128-171: LGTM! Complete coverage of override resolution logic.

The test suite verifies all three scenarios:

• Global setting used when no per-choice override (line 133-144)
• Per-choice override takes precedence over global (line 146-157, 159-170)
• Both enabling and disabling directions are tested

The test structure and assertions are correct.

src/preflight/runOnePagePreflight.selection.test.ts (1)

100-151: LGTM! Preflight selection behavior properly tested.

The test suite correctly verifies:

• When enabled: selection prefills value, modal skipped (return false) (line 106-127)
• When disabled: modal shown, manual input used (return true) (line 129-151)

The return value semantics are correctly tested (false = no modal needed, true = modal shown).

src/formatters/completeFormatter.ts (2)

166-201: LGTM! Well-structured selection-first value resolution with proper error handling.

The refactored flow correctly:

• Distinguishes undefined from empty string (line 167)
• Attempts selection first when enabled (lines 168-174)
• Falls back to appropriate prompt based on context (lines 176-191)
• Handles cancellation consistently by throwing MacroAbortError (lines 192-196)

---

158-160: The base class method shouldUseSelectionForValue() returning true only applies to CaptureChoiceFormatter, which is the sole subclass of CompleteFormatter. No TemplateFormatter or MacroFormatter classes extend CompleteFormatter—they are choice/engine types, not formatters. CaptureChoiceFormatter already overrides the method to check the configurable flag. No action needed.

Likely an incorrect or invalid review comment.

src/formatters/captureChoiceFormatter.ts (2)

21-21: LGTM! Default aligns with expected global setting.

The default value of true for useSelectionAsCaptureValue is consistent with the feature being enabled by default for Capture choices.

---

48-51: LGTM! Whitespace-only handling is intentional and well-implemented.

The logic correctly treats whitespace-only selections as empty (per PR objectives) while preserving original whitespace for selections containing non-whitespace content. For example:

• " " → "" (whitespace-only becomes empty)
• " hello " → " hello " (preserves formatting)

This distinction ensures meaningful selections are preserved exactly as typed while rejecting accidental whitespace-only selections.