Run Templater File Button Action Breaks & Is Incorrect

[Graywaren]

Please fill out these Check-boxes

• I checked for existing similar issues
• I checked that the plugin is up to date
• The issue persists with all other plugins and themes disabled

Plugin Version

1.3.4

This Issue Occurs on

• Windows
• Linux
• macOS
• Android
• iOS

Debug Info

SYSTEM INFO:
	Obsidian version: v1.8.7
	Installer version: v1.8.4
	Operating system: Windows 10 Home 10.0.19045
	Login status: not logged in
	Language: en
	Insider build toggle: off
	Live preview: on
	Base theme: adapt to system
	Community theme: none
	Snippets enabled: 0
	Restricted mode: off
	Plugins installed: 4
	Plugins enabled: 4
		1: Meta Bind v1.3.4
		2: JS Engine v0.3.1
		3: Dataview v0.5.67
		4: Templater v2.10.0

RECOMMENDATIONS:
	Community plugins: for bugs, please first try updating all your plugins to latest. If still not fixed, please try to make the issue happen in the Sandbox Vault or disable community plugins.

Describe the Issue

When using a button to run the "Run Templater File" action, templates break or pull incorrect information. For example, when using this action all references to the current file use the template's file and not the note the button is present in. Sometimes the template just errors as well. This behavior does not occur if you run the exact same template file via a command action instead.

Here's a simple example that prints the file title and logs the current file's tfile in the console:

The templater script, in a file named "Log tFile.md"

<%* 
tR = ''; // this line makes templater ignore the frontmatter of this template file

const tfile = tp.file.find_tfile(tp.file.title);

console.log("Current tfile")
console.log(tfile)

-%>
<% tp.file.title %>

When inserted into a note named "You Remind Me Of The Button.md" via the templater modal or using the hotkey/command for that template or using a meta bind button using the command action the console logs the tfile for "You Remind Me Of The Button.md" and prints the file title at the cursor. All is well.

Here's the button using the command action:

```meta-bind-button
label: Log tFile - command
icon: ""
style: default
class: ""
cssStyle: ""
backgroundImage: ""
tooltip: ""
id: ""
hidden: false
actions:
  - type: command
    command: templater-obsidian:Testing Templater/Log tFile.md
```

However, if you instead run that script by using a button with the "Run Templater File" action, the tfile for "Log tFile.md" is logged into the console instead and absolutely nothing is printed in the note.

Here's the button using run template file action:

```meta-bind-button
label: Log tFile - runtemplaterfile
icon: ""
style: default
class: ""
cssStyle: ""
backgroundImage: ""
tooltip: ""
id: ""
hidden: false
actions:
  - type: runTemplaterFile
    templateFile: Testing Templater/Log tFile.md
```

I've also had templates entirely fail and error. I had this error occur when running a template file in my vault that works perfectly when using the same file as a command action instead of run templater file.

Steps to Reproduce

1. add Templater to the metabind example vault
2. set templates folder in templater settings
3. add the tfile logging script in post to your templates folder
4. add that template as a template to add a hotkey for in templater settings
5. create a new note
6. add a button that triggers the tfile logging script using the command action
7. add a button that triggers the tfile logging script using the run templater file action
8. click both buttons

Expected Behavior

I would expect command > insert template file and run templater file to work identically and that the run templater file action would be compatible with all templates that otherwise work when used by inserting via templater or hotkey etc.

[mProjectsCode]

This may be due to the target file being the template file

cc @reply2za

[DudeThatsErin]

I am running into this as well on iPadOS, iPhone, and Windows.

[DudeThatsErin]

@mProjectsCode What is the solution?

[mProjectsCode]

Setting the target file to the file with the button and not to the template file. (probably)

[DudeThatsErin]

Setting the target file to the file with the button and not to the template file. (probably)

How do you do that? Is that something that is in the button creation area that I am missing? I do not see a way to set the target file when creating a button.

[mProjectsCode]

It's something I changed in the plugin code. It will be part of the next release.

[DudeThatsErin]

Ah, sorry I didn't understand that.

[Void4m0n]

Hey @mProjectsCode!
I believe this logic change makes sense, but it might break some workflows like mine.

---

Context

In the project I'm building, users can create their own routines with specific workout days. Each workout day has its own template that was previously generated. I make use of the runTemplaterFile action to execute a template where the target file is the template.

I understand that using type: command, I could rely on another plugin like QuickAdd or use Templater hotkeys to point to a specific template. However, since both the templates and buttons are created dynamically, this would require to the final user to manually add a hotkey or create a command every time a new workout day is added.

Before the 1.4.0 update, I could simply use the runTemplaterFile action without any issues, because the target file was the template.

---

My Workflow

I use a dataviewjs block to dynamically create buttons based on the notes inside a certain folder.
The folder structure looks like this:

Routine Folder:
- A.md
- B.md
- C.md
- D.md

Each button corresponds to a template and uses this logic:

const tp = app.plugins.plugins["templater-obsidian"]?.templater?.current_functions_object;
const immutable_dirs = tp.user.Get_dirs(tp);
let current_page = dv.current()
let routine_name = current_page.Routine
let routine_name_clean = routine_name.replace(/ /g, '_');

const workout_session_name = app.vault.getFolderByPath(`${immutable_dirs?.custom_extra_routines_templates_dir}/${routine_name}`);
let cleanedWorkouts = tp.user.get_only_child_notes(workout_session_name, [], true) || [];
const header = `>[!multi-column]\n`
let final_days_buttons = "";

cleanedWorkouts.forEach((day, index) => {
    let button = `>>[!blank-container]  
>>\`\`\`meta-bind-button
>>label: New ${day} Workout
>>hidden: false
>>class: button-metabind-dashboard-new-exercise
>>tooltip: ""
>>id: testtest
>>style: default
>>actions:
>>  - type: runTemplaterFile
>>    templateFile: 03 Personal 🧍/04 Extra 🏗️/01 Templates 🤖/01 Routines 🗓️/${routine_name}/${day}.md
>>\`\`\`
>
`;
	final_days_buttons += button;
});
let final_colums = header + final_days_buttons
dv.paragraph(final_colums)

Output:

The result creates a dynamic button for each day. For example: New D Workout.

Each template references itself using frontmatter:

---
Routine: My Routine
Day: D
---
<%*
let routine_name = tp.frontmatter.Routine
let day = tp.frontmatter.Day
console.log(routine_name, day)
%>

❌ Breaking Change

Before 1.4.0, the output was:

My Routine D

After 1.4.0, the result is:

undefined undefined

This is because now the target file is where the button is located., where frontmatter like Routine and Day don’t exist.

---

✅ Suggestion

The fix does make sense. Previously, when I wanted the template to run in the context of the note with the button, I used insertIntoNote and made sure the template didn’t print anything.

However, I think it would be logical to add an option to runTemplaterFile that lets the user to choose the target file. For example:

targetCurrent: true

• This would make the target the current file (where the button is).

targetCurrent: false

• This would make the target the template file itself, as currently expected with runTemplaterFile.

---

Another possible approach could be defining two separate action types, but I believe the boolean targetCurrent is cleaner.

Thanks a lot for your work and consideration 🙌

[reply2za]

There is no true right or wrong answer as user workflows are highly subjective. I do believe the fix applied by @mProjectsCode does make more sense than the original implementation because it follows Templater's Open insert template modal command, which is the primary intent of runTemplaterCommand. Button locations are more dynamic and can move around and one may want their button to be dependent on the context it is in. Template files (which are more static in nature) can be referenced via tp.file.include or tp.file.find_tfile. Then again, like @Void4m0n points out, some do have a valid case of replicating the template file and using tp with that setup.

So I agree that having an option to choose what the target file is with such a flag astargetCurrent will allow people to use it how they see fit and thus make everyone happy instead of switching it so it would only work one way and not the other. The default setup now is targetCurrent would be true so instead a slightly more fitting name would be targetTemplate so people only override it when they want to make it true.

[Void4m0n]

Totally agree @reply2za. If runTemplaterCommand is based on the modal behavior of Open insert template modal, then I think this fix is the most appropriate behavior, and the targetTemplate flag is the best approach.

I just want to point out that using something like tp.file.include() wouldn’t work in this case, since it shares its context with the template. Because tp.file.include() is called via a button using runTemplaterCommand, it will inherit the button’s context and therefore, so will the template called through the include.

[DudeThatsErin]

This is not fixed. I have a button and it still does not work. Just attempted after checking for updates a few minutes ago.

@mProjectsCode can you advise?