Description

Category: Coding & Technical Tools

The User Plugins plugin allows advanced users to leverage the Obsidian Plugin API within JavaScript snippets or modules, enabling custom modifications to Obsidian's behavior without the complexity of creating full-fledged plugins. Users can add commands, test plugin ideas, or execute any desired functionality with Obsidian's API. The plugin supports multiple script types, including plugins, modules, and snippets, and provides a Helper API for easier development. This tool is ideal for users seeking flexible, script-based customizations.

Obsidian User Plugins

Lets you use the Obsidian plugin API in your snippets or JavaScript files to modify the behavior of Obsidian, just as if you created a plugin, but without the hassle.

Stop and read

:warning: This plugin is for advanced users only: DO NOT use code in scripts you do not fully understand. It can delete your notes or worse. See legal notice.

Caveats

Obsidian API compatibility

:warning: Do not assume user scripts can run any Obsidian API functions other than what is shown in the examples. Creating settings is especially not supported, but it is on the roadmap.

Versioning

Newer versions of this plugin will usually require the newest Obsidian version due to its API changes. Consider this plugin "bleeding edge" for now.

Use cases

Adding custom commands
Testing an idea for a plugin
Using Obsidian plugin API to do anything you want

Motivating example

Add command Create new note in folder that allows you to choose a folder before creating a note:

module.exports = {
    async onload(plugin) {
        plugin.addCommand({
            id: "new-note-in-folder",
            name: "Create new note in a folder",
            callback: async () => {
                const api = plugin.api;
                const folders = api.getAllFolders();
                const folder = await api.suggest(folders, folders);
                const createdNote = await plugin.app.vault.create(folder + "/Hello World.md", "Hello World!");
                api.openFile(createdNote);
            },
        });
    },
    async onunload() {
        // optional
        console.log("unloading plugin");
    },
};

Command in palette

Quick start

Installation

You can easily add this plugin from Community Plugins panel. Alternatively, here's a manual way:

Clone this repository into the <YOUR VAULT>/.obsidian/plugins folder and then execute:

npm install
npm run build

Usage

You can add scripts either by manually adding snippets or enabling each individual file in the defined scripts directory in your vault.

To use scripts, specify a scripts folder in settings, hit the reload button to search for scripts in the specified path, then enable each script found using a toggle button.

There are a few types of scripts that you can use.

Obsidian plugin type

Has the basic structure of an Obsidian plugin:

import { Plugin } from "obsidian";

export default class MyPlugin extends Plugin {
	async onload() {
        // code here
	}
}

Written in either Typescript or Javascript flavour.

You have access to Helper API by getting obsidian-user-plugins via this.app.plugins.getPlugin.

Module type

A JavaScript module that exports at least an async onload(plugin): void method and optionally an async onnunload(): void method. It has access to the global function require to get the obsidian module. The plugin parameter is an instance of obsidian-user-plugins with the Helper API.

See example.

Snippet

A snippet is a JavaScript block of code that has access to the global plugin variable. It also has access to the global function require to get the obsidian module. Snippets are executed during the plugin initialization phase in onload(). You can also access Helper API via the plugin.api object.

See example.

Helper API

This plugin exposes an api object with handy methods. Check them out here.

Roadmap

Custom configuration per script file
Additional functions in the Helper API

Obsidian Plugin API

The Obsidian plugin API is declared here.

The Obsidian Developer platform contains extensive documentation for the various plugin methods and interfaces, e.g. for the Command interface or the Plugin class.

Notice

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.

User Plugins