Templates for co-working with obsidian, tested on zotero 7 release

[FeelLiao]

Description

Function

This template generates a note which could be recognize by obsidian, and you could write down your thoughts both in zotero and obsidian.

The template is able to automatic generate 4 sections according to the information of the paper : Metadata, Abstract, Zotero links and Personal Summary.

• Metadata: the basic information of the paper, including author, DOI link, Citekey generated from BibTex, Journal tags generated from Ethereal Style, PDF attachment link and etc.
• Abstract
• Zotero links: item links to zotero library
• Personal Summary: your thoughts reading this paper.

Preparation

This template is based on Better BibTex for Zotero v6.7.221,
Ethereal Style v4.7.6 and Translate for Zotero v2.0.0. Please install these plugins before you use this templalte.

How to use

1. Pin the citekey to the item, you could change citekey style in the settings of Better BibTex.
2. Generate a note using this template.
3. Export the note to the obsidian notes folder with sync on
4. write down your notes in obsidian.

Attention

This template is just tested on export and not tested on sync, you need to try out yourself.

Screenshots

Test on Zotero version

7.0.2

Test on Better Notes version

2.0.0

Template Type

Item

Template Share Code

# This template is specifically for importing/sharing, using better 
# notes 'import from clipboard': copy the content and
# goto Zotero menu bar, click Tools->New Template from Clipboard.  
# Do not copy-paste this to better notes template editor directly.
name: "[item]Paper Notes"
zoteroVersion: "7.0.11"
pluginVersion: "2.1.9"
savedAt: "2024-12-29T05:21:52.714Z"
content: |-
  <!-- Title -->
      <h1 style="color:#193c47; background-color:#eef9fd; padding:8px;">
        ${(() => {
          const date = topItem.getField("date").split('T')[0];
          const title = topItem.getField("title");
          const titleTranslation = topItem.getField("titleTranslation");
          if (date && titleTranslation) {
    		return `${title}`;
          } else if (date) {
    		return `${title}`;
          } else {
            return `${title}`;
          }
        })()}
      </h1>
    
    
    <!-- Meta Data -->
    
    <h2 style="color:#e0ffff; background-color:#66cdaa;">⚙️ Metadata</h2>
    
    <ul>
      <li><b>Item Type:</b>
      ${topItem.itemType}
      </li>
    
      <li><b>Author:</b> 
      ${{
    	let author=topItem.getCreators().slice(0, 10).map((v) => v.firstName + " " + v.lastName).join("; ") + (topItem.getCreators().length > 10 ? "; et al." : ";");
    	let names = String(author);
    	if (names.endsWith(';')) {
        names = names.slice(0, -1);
      }
    	names=names.split(/;\s*/)
      	let wrappedNames = names.map(name => `[[${name.trim()}]]`);
      	return wrappedNames.join(', ');
      }}$
      </li>
    
    
      <li><b>Date Added:</b>
      ${new Date().toLocaleString()}
      </li>
    
      <li> 
      ${(() => {
              const doi = topItem.getField("DOI");
              if (doi) {
                return `<b>DOI: </b> <a href="https://doi.org/${topItem.getField('DOI')}">${topItem.getField('DOI')}</a>`;
              } else {
                return `<b>URL: </b><a href="${topItem.getField('url')}">${topItem.getField('url')}</a>`;
              }
            })()}
      </li>
    
      <li><b>Cite key: </b>
      ${(topItem.getField("extra").match(/Citation Key:\s*(.*?)($|\n)/) ? topItem.getField("extra").match(/Citation Key:\s*(.*?)($|\n)/)[0] : "").replace(/(\r\n)|(\n)/g, "").split(":").slice(1)}
      </li>
    
      <li><b>Journal: </b>
      ${topItem.getField('publicationTitle')}
      </li>
    
      <li><b>Journal Tags: </b> 
      ${{
        let separator = " | "; 
      	
      	let textContent = Array.prototype.map.call(
          Zotero.ZoteroStyle.api.renderCell(topItem, "publicationTags").childNodes,
          e => separator + e.outerHTML
      	).join('');
      	
      	textContent = textContent.slice(separator.length);
      	return textContent;
      }}$
      </li>
    
    <li><b>Publication Date: </b> 
      ${topItem.getField("date").split('T')[0]}
      </li>
    
      <li><b>Tags:</b> 
      ${{
    	let str=topItem.getTags().map(tagObj=>tagObj.tag);
    	let templatestr=", zotero";
    	let words=(String(str)+templatestr).split(/,\s*/);
    	let hashtaggedWords = words.map(word => `#${word.trim()}`);
    	return hashtaggedWords.join(', ');
      }}$
      </li>
    
      <li> <b>PDF Attachments: </b>
      ${(() => {
              const attachments = Zotero.Items.get(topItem.getAttachments());
              const pdf = attachments.filter((i) => i.isPDFAttachment());
              if (pdf && pdf.length > 0) {
                return `<a href="zotero://open-pdf/library/items/${pdf[0].key}">${pdf[0].getFilename()}</a>`;
              } else if (attachments && attachments.length > 0) {
                return `<a href="zotero://open-pdf/library/items/${attachments[0].key}">${attachments[0].getFilename()}</a>`;
              } else {
                return ``;
              }
            })()}
      </li>
    </ul>
    
    <!-- Abstract -->
    
        <h2 style="color:#20b2aa; background-color:#afeeee;">📜 Abstract</h2>
    
            ${(() => {
              const abstractTranslation = topItem.getField('abstractTranslation');
              if (abstractTranslation) {
                return `${abstractTranslation}</i>`;
              } else {
                return `${topItem.getField('abstractNote')}`;
              }
            })()}
      
    <!-- Zotero Links -->
    
    <h2 style="color:#20b2aa; background-color:#afeeee;">📚 Zotero links</h2>
    
    <ul>
     <li>
      <a href="zotero://select/items/1_${topItem.key}">Local library</a>
      </li>  
    </ul>
    
    <!-- Main Content -->
    
    <h2 style="color:#004d99; background-color:#87cefa;">🤔 Personal Summary</h2>
    
      <h3>💭 Thought Inspiration</h3>
      <blockquote>Tips: What aspects did you question, how do you think it can be improved?</blockquote>
      <p></p>
    
      <h3>📜 Conclusion</h3>
      <blockquote>Tips: What was done, what problem was solved, innovations and shortcomings?</blockquote>
      <p></p>

Anything else

Additional Settings

Using citekey as the name of file.md
[ExportMDFileNameV2]

# This template is specifically for importing/sharing, using better 
# notes 'import from clipboard': copy the content and
# goto Zotero menu bar, click Edit->New Template from Clipboard.  
# Do not copy-paste this to better notes template editor directly.
name: "[ExportMDFileNameV2]"
content: |-
  @${(noteItem.parentItem && noteItem.parentItem.getField("citationKey")) || noteItem.key}.md

obsidian metadata standard format
[ExportMDFileHeaderV2]

# This template is specifically for importing/sharing, using better 
# notes 'import from clipboard': copy the content and
# goto Zotero menu bar, click Edit->New Template from Clipboard.  
# Do not copy-paste this to better notes template editor directly.
name: "[ExportMDFileHeaderV2]"
content: |-
  ${{
    let header = {};
    header.aliases =noteItem.parentItem && noteItem.parentItem.getField("citationKey") || noteItem.key;
    header.tags = "unread";
    header.rating= "⭐";
    header.share= false;
    header.ptype=noteItem.parentItem.itemType;
    header.comment="";
    return JSON.stringify(header);
  }}$

delete / in the note when exporting
[ExportMDFileContent]

# This template is specifically for importing/sharing, using better 
# notes 'import from clipboard': copy the content and
# goto Zotero menu bar, click Edit->New Template from Clipboard.  
# Do not copy-paste this to better notes template editor directly.
name: "[ExportMDFileContent]"
content: |-
   ${mdContent.replaceAll("\\[\\[", "[[")}

Reference

This template referenced many templates on this discussion page.

[advoropaev]

There is "The copied template is invalid" message for the template itself on Better notes 2.0.18 and Zotero 7.0.9. But anything else is very usefull itself, thanks.

[almarouk]

@Calorion It's hard to say from here.

Ensure that 'Item' is selected from the template type and that you clicked 'save'.

Did you install and enable the required plugins (in section 'Preparation' of this discussion)?

In Zotero, go to 'Tools > Developer > Error Console' from the menu bar, then select another template from the template editor and then select again the template in question. Are there any new errors that appear in the Error Console? Make sure to check 'Multiprocess' and all the log types as shown below:

For example, I get the following error because I haven't installed the Ethereal Style plugin (in my case, I modified the template to my needs to make it work):

Otherwise, what you can do is remove sections of the template one by one, save and see if you get a preview. If yes, then the section that you removed is causing the problem...

[FeelLiao]

Thank you, that worked.

Now I’m having another problem: The Template Editor is giving a “Preview not available for template” error, so I can’t see what I’m doing when I edit it.

And—when used, it just creates a blank note.

The template have been updated and could be directly copy to zotero without any error.
I have already tested it on the newest zotero and better notes.

Please try again.

[Calorion]

For example, I get the following error because I haven't installed the Ethereal Style plugin (in my case, I modified the template to my needs to make it work):

Oh, foo, I did disable Ethereal Style because I didn’t like it. I had forgotten it was required. That was the issue; thanks.

How did you modify it to make it work without Ethereal Style?

[FeelLiao]

The template use Ethereal Style for Journal Tags. If you don't want it, just remove that line.

This is the template without Ethereal Style.

# This template is specifically for importing/sharing, using better 
# notes 'import from clipboard': copy the content and
# goto Zotero menu bar, click Tools->New Template from Clipboard.  
# Do not copy-paste this to better notes template editor directly.
name: "[item]Paper Notes"
zoteroVersion: "7.0.11"
pluginVersion: "2.1.9"
savedAt: "2024-12-29T05:21:52.714Z"
content: |-
  <!-- Title -->
      <h1 style="color:#193c47; background-color:#eef9fd; padding:8px;">
        ${(() => {
          const date = topItem.getField("date").split('T')[0];
          const title = topItem.getField("title");
          const titleTranslation = topItem.getField("titleTranslation");
          if (date && titleTranslation) {
    		return `${title}`;
          } else if (date) {
    		return `${title}`;
          } else {
            return `${title}`;
          }
        })()}
      </h1>
    
    
    <!-- Meta Data -->
    
    <h2 style="color:#e0ffff; background-color:#66cdaa;">⚙️ Metadata</h2>
    
    <ul>
      <li><b>Item Type:</b>
      ${topItem.itemType}
      </li>
    
      <li><b>Author:</b> 
      ${{
    	let author=topItem.getCreators().slice(0, 10).map((v) => v.firstName + " " + v.lastName).join("; ") + (topItem.getCreators().length > 10 ? "; et al." : ";");
    	let names = String(author);
    	if (names.endsWith(';')) {
        names = names.slice(0, -1);
      }
    	names=names.split(/;\s*/)
      	let wrappedNames = names.map(name => `[[${name.trim()}]]`);
      	return wrappedNames.join(', ');
      }}$
      </li>
    
    
      <li><b>Date Added:</b>
      ${new Date().toLocaleString()}
      </li>
    
      <li> 
      ${(() => {
              const doi = topItem.getField("DOI");
              if (doi) {
                return `<b>DOI: </b> <a href="https://doi.org/${topItem.getField('DOI')}">${topItem.getField('DOI')}</a>`;
              } else {
                return `<b>URL: </b><a href="${topItem.getField('url')}">${topItem.getField('url')}</a>`;
              }
            })()}
      </li>
    
      <li><b>Cite key: </b>
      ${(topItem.getField("extra").match(/Citation Key:\s*(.*?)($|\n)/) ? topItem.getField("extra").match(/Citation Key:\s*(.*?)($|\n)/)[0] : "").replace(/(\r\n)|(\n)/g, "").split(":").slice(1)}
      </li>
    
      <li><b>Journal: </b>
      ${topItem.getField('publicationTitle')}
      </li>
    
    <li><b>Publication Date: </b> 
      ${topItem.getField("date").split('T')[0]}
      </li>
    
      <li><b>Tags:</b> 
      ${{
    	let str=topItem.getTags().map(tagObj=>tagObj.tag);
    	let templatestr=", zotero";
    	let words=(String(str)+templatestr).split(/,\s*/);
    	let hashtaggedWords = words.map(word => `#${word.trim()}`);
    	return hashtaggedWords.join(', ');
      }}$
      </li>
    
      <li> <b>PDF Attachments: </b>
      ${(() => {
              const attachments = Zotero.Items.get(topItem.getAttachments());
              const pdf = attachments.filter((i) => i.isPDFAttachment());
              if (pdf && pdf.length > 0) {
                return `<a href="zotero://open-pdf/library/items/${pdf[0].key}">${pdf[0].getFilename()}</a>`;
              } else if (attachments && attachments.length > 0) {
                return `<a href="zotero://open-pdf/library/items/${attachments[0].key}">${attachments[0].getFilename()}</a>`;
              } else {
                return ``;
              }
            })()}
      </li>
    </ul>
    
    <!-- Abstract -->
    
        <h2 style="color:#20b2aa; background-color:#afeeee;">📜 Abstract</h2>
    
            ${(() => {
              const abstractTranslation = topItem.getField('abstractTranslation');
              if (abstractTranslation) {
                return `${abstractTranslation}</i>`;
              } else {
                return `${topItem.getField('abstractNote')}`;
              }
            })()}
      
    <!-- Zotero Links -->
    
    <h2 style="color:#20b2aa; background-color:#afeeee;">📚 Zotero links</h2>
    
    <ul>
     <li>
      <a href="zotero://select/items/1_${topItem.key}">Local library</a>
      </li>  
    </ul>
    
    <!-- Main Content -->
    
    <h2 style="color:#004d99; background-color:#87cefa;">🤔 Personal Summary</h2>
    
      <h3>💭 Thought Inspiration</h3>
      <blockquote>Tips: What aspects did you question, how do you think it can be improved?</blockquote>
      <p></p>
    
      <h3>📜 Conclusion</h3>
      <blockquote>Tips: What was done, what problem was solved, innovations and shortcomings?</blockquote>
      <p></p>

[e-drazich-taylor]

This is great! Is there any way to have this template also insert the notes that you've already taken for each paper?

[Calorion]

This is very helpful; thanks.

One thing I noticed, though, is that the “Date Added” section shows the date the note was created, not the date the enclosing item was added to Zotero, which is what I would expect.

[jiangaq]

What's the meaning of pin citekey to the item?

How to sync the created better notes from zotero to obsidian?

I dont get it why and when is to use three Additional Settings code snippets? How to use, import from clipboard to execute the code?
could you please explain above further, thank you!

[ches]

Citekeys, and pinning them, are features of the Better BibTeX plugin for Zotero. That link explains what pinning means and how to do it—essentially it's a right-click menu item when you have the plugin installed. It's a good idea to pin the citekey of an item you're going to export so that it's stable, an ID that won't quietly change if you move items between Zotero collections and there's a clash. If the citekey regenerated and changed later, your references to it in your notes and from outside of Zotero would of course be broken.

Syncing to Obsidian is a function of this plugin we're discussing, Better Notes. See here. You will export a Zotero note to Markdown, choosing a file path that will be in your Obsidian vault location.

I believe the Additional Settings snippets shown are example values of builtin templates used by Better Notes.

[DDL095]

I noticed that the characters _ and [ are also being escaped when syncing to Obsidian. I observed this both in the template interface and in Obsidian itself, as shown in the screenshot.

To address this, I added additional code as a reference. Since I’m still using the older version of Obsidian (0.14.6) to maintain workflow compatibility (the newer features feel overwhelming, and the startup time is excessively long), I want to minimize unnecessary escaping. This serves as a reference for troubleshooting

# This template is specifically for importing/sharing, using better 
# notes 'import from clipboard': copy the content and
# goto Zotero menu bar, click Edit->New Template from Clipboard.  
# Do not copy-paste this to better notes template editor directly.
#这个模板是用于在BN当中在输出同步时对特殊符号的转义，原有一些语句的内容是仅转义一部分字符，但是实际上会有多种字符会被转义，不便于个人的obsidian文本同步，因此参考相关代码与问题，进行转义的修改。
name: "[ExportMDFileContent]"
content: |-
  ${{
    // 关闭所有转义：将 \=, \*, \- 还原为原始符号
    return mdContent
      .replace(/\\=/g, "=")    // 处理 \= → =
      .replace(/\\\*/g, "*")   // 处理 \* → *
      .replace(/\\-/g, "-")    // 处理 \- → -
      .replace(/\\_/g, "_")    // 处理 \_ → _
      .replace(/\\\[/g, "[")  // 处理 \[ → [
      //.replace(/^(\s*)\*/gm, "$1-"); //https://github.com/windingwind/zotero-better-notes/discussions/768
  }}$