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https://github.com/konodyuk/obsidian-text-expander

Text Expander plugin for Obsidian
https://github.com/konodyuk/obsidian-text-expander

Last synced: about 1 month ago
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Text Expander plugin for Obsidian

Host: GitHub
URL: https://github.com/konodyuk/obsidian-text-expander
Owner: konodyuk
Created: 2021-01-10T19:37:23.000Z (almost 4 years ago)
Default Branch: master
Last Pushed: 2023-11-30T17:01:34.000Z (about 1 year ago)
Last Synced: 2024-08-01T13:33:07.958Z (4 months ago)
Language: TypeScript
Homepage:
Size: 9.48 MB
Stars: 95
Watchers: 4
Forks: 8
Open Issues: 10
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md

Awesome Lists containing this project

my-awesome - konodyuk/obsidian-text-expander - 11 star:0.1k fork:0.0k Text Expander plugin for Obsidian (TypeScript)

README

        > ⚠️  UPDATE (NOV 2023): This plugin is not maintained. Do not install it, use supported alternatives.

> ⚠️ CM6-based editor (default option in Obsidian >= v13.0.0) is not supported. Consider using Legacy editor.

![demo](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/konodyuk/obsidian-text-expander/master/images/obsidian-text-expander-demo.gif)

# Text Expander Plugin

The plugin replaces shortcuts of format `{{}}` on Tab press. The replacement can be either static text or the result of execution of arbitrary commands.

> ⚠️ Currently, the plugin supports Windows only partially. See the Known Issues section.

## Use Cases

-   Shortcuts for static text templates: `{{trigger}}` -> `Some template text`

-   For dynamic values: `{{now}}` -> `14:23`, `{{date}}` -> `2021-01-15`

-   For python expressions: `{{eval:2**10}}` -> `1024`, `{{eval:len(open("").readlines())}}`, `{{py:from numpy import*;print(linalg.inv(triu([1,2,3,4])))}}`, ...

-   For shell commands: `{{shell:ls /attachments}}`

-   For custom tools: `{{mytool:extract_all_lines_starting_with_(#tag)}}` -> `#tag Text\n#tag ...`

## Installation

Open `Settings > Third-party plugins > Community Plugins > Browse`, then search for `Text Expander` and click `Install`.

## Settings

The shortcuts are defined as a JSON-list of entries, each containing three fields: `regex` (required), `replacement` (optional) and `command` (optional). 

-   `regex` field defines the trigger pattern. The entries are tried sequentially, until `regex` matches the input.

-   `replacement` simply replaces the shortcut, if provided.

-   `command` contains the command which is run in shell. The shortcut is replaced with its output.

### Default Shortcuts

Below is the default configuration that can be changed in `Settings > Plugin Options > Text Expander > Shortcuts`:

```json

[

    {

        "regex": "^trigger$",

        "replacement": "## Example replacement\n- [ ] ",

    },

    {

        "regex": "^now$",

        "command": "printf `date +%H:%M`",

    },

    {

        "regex": "^py:",

        "command": "echo  | cut -c 4- | python3"

    },

    {

        "regex": "^eval:",

        "command": "echo  | cut -c 6- | python3 -c 'print(eval(input()), end=\"\")'"

    },

    {

        "regex": "^shell:",

        "command": "echo  | cut -c 7- | sh"

    },

    {

        "regex": "^tool:",

        "command": "echo  | cut -c 6- | python3 /tool.py"

    },

    {

        "regex": "^sympy:",

        "command": "echo  | cut -c 7- | python3 /sympy_tool.py"

    }

]

```

### Variables

With `` you can insert the value of a variable into the `command` field before it is executed. The following variables can be used:

-   `` The contents of brackets, with escaped single-quotes. Recommended in most cases.

-   `` Same as ``, but nothing is escaped.

-   `` The absolute path of current vault.

-   `` The directory of the current note in obsidian file explorer. E.g. inside `/folder/folder2/note.md` its value will be `folder/folder2`.

-   `` The filename of the current note, i.e. `note.md` in the example above.

-   `` The shortcut for `/`.

-   `` The shortcut for `/.obsidian/scripts`.

### Example flows

#### Example #1

-   `{{trigger}}`Tab is entered

-   `^trigger$` matches `trigger` -> the first shortcut is used

-   `replacement` field of the first shortcut replaces `{{trigger}}`

#### Example #2

-   `{{now}}`Tab

-   `^trigger$` doesn't match `now` -> proceeding to the second shortcut

-   `^now$` matches `now` -> the second shortcut is used

-   `command` field is executed in the specified shell, then the output is used to replace `{{now}}`

#### Example #3

-   `{{sympy:latex(integrate(x, x))}}`Tab

-   Only the last shortcut's `regex` matches the input

-   Variables are processed: `echo  | cut -c 7- | python3 /sympy_tool.py` -> `echo 'sympy:latex(integrate(x, x))' | cut -c 7- | python3 /path/to/vault/.obsidian/scripts/sympy_tool.py`

-   The command is executed: `cut` cuts the `sympy:` prefix and `latex(integrate(x, x))` is passed as input to `sympy_tool.py`

-   `sympy_tool.py` outputs `\frac{x^{2}}{2}`, which replaces the `{{sympy:latex(integrate(x, x))}}`

### Custom Scripts

You can place any scripts to `/.obsidian/scripts` to use them in commands. The [examples](https://github.com/konodyuk/obsidian-text-expander/tree/master/examples/scripts) folder contains two sample scripts, enabling `{{tool:` and `{{sympy:` shortcuts.

## Security

As the plugin is shell-powered, one can easily run destructive commands just by typing `{{shell:rm -rf ...}}`Tab. Think twice before pressing Tab when your cursor is on something like `{{shell:...}}`. I also strongly discourage using the `{{shell:...}}` pattern, which was added mostly for demonstration purposes, and recommend writing python scripts instead.

## Future Work

-   `` placeholder, defining the cursor position after replacement. Example usage: `{{texenv:cases}}` -> `\begin{cases}\n\t\n\end{cases}`. In case if multiple `` placeholders are used in single shortcut, then Tab will switch the cursor position between them until all are visited.

-   Special syntax (something like `{*{}}`) for preview-time rendering instead of instant replacement.

-   Static-only support for Windows.

## Known Issues

-   Long-running commands can cause issues. E.g. if you type `{{shell:sleep 10 && echo 1}}`Tab and before it finishes type `{{now}}`Tab, then `{{now}}` will be replaced with `1`.

-   Windows support is currently limited:

    -   Shortcuts with `replacement` field are processed correctly

    -   To use `command` field on Windows you need to have a [WSL Subsystem](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install-win10) installed and set `Settings > Plugin Options > Text Expander > Shell executable` to `.exe`(`ubuntu.exe` for Ubuntu), also make sure any python packages you use are installed

    -   or set `Settings > Plugin Options > Text Expander > Shell executable`  to `powershell` and use Powershell syntax in your commands.

## Credits

The project was inspired by the [PoC text expander implementation](https://github.com/akaalias/text-expander-plugin). I also used certain ideas from the [Run Snippets plugin](https://github.com/cristianvasquez/obsidian-snippets-plugin).

## Release Notes

### 1.1.0

-   Added support for `:now` syntax. Use `{{py: long command}}` syntax for triggers containing whitespace characters and `:trigger` for short triggers without whitespace

-   Shell executable is now automatically respawned on "Shell executable" value change

### 1.0.1

-   Fixed errors caused by incorrect "Shell executable" value