This is how I set up and use Obsidian for University and Programming note taking
- If you download this repository, you will be able to open it with Obsidian.
- The vault already has all the plugins that you need to use it.
These are my customs or frequently used hot keys.
| Key | Description |
|---|---|
cmd + p |
Open command palette |
cmd + s |
Search in all files |
cmd + shift + s |
Show file explorer |
cmd + shift + f |
Search and replace in current file |
cmd + f |
Search current file |
cmd + d |
Toggle right side bar |
cmd + shift + d |
Toggle left side bar |
cmd + r |
Load workspace layout |
cmd + shift + r |
Save and load workspace layout |
cmd + i |
Toggle reading view |
control + w or cmd + w |
Close current tab |
control + shift + w |
Undo close tab |
control + shift + ← |
Navigate back |
control + shift + → |
Navigate forward |
control + tab |
Go to the next tab |
control + shift +tab |
Go to the previous tab |
These are all the Community Plugins that I use.
| Plugins | Description | Config | Work Flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Folder Note | Adds a description note to folders | ||
| Latex Suite | Typesetting LaTeX math as fast as handwriting | link | |
| Relative Line Numbers | Adds relative line numbers to the editor | ||
| Obsidian Git | Vesion control and back up your Obsidian vault using Git | ||
| Quick Add | Powerful combination of four tools: templates, captures, macros ... | link | |
| Style Settings | Customisation settings for obsidian themes | link | |
| Tab Switcher | alt-tab style switching between tabs |
- Modularity:
- I want all my notes to divided in folder by category (example: university notes, Coding and technical notes, Journaling ...).
- This is important because i can treat them as separated vaults (example: one day i could decide to remove all my university notes from my main vault and make the in a new separate one).
- Easily maintainable: Creating new notes and organising them should be easy and fast.
Index:
This folder has no rules, i usually save here:
- Small notes that i don’t know where to save.
- Random thoughts and ideas.
This folder has only one rule, the notes need to be long and well written. I usually save here:
- Long and articulated notes that i don’t know where to save.
- Books/Films/Games summaries.
- Elaborations of the notes that are in the "Easy Notes" folder.
This is my main and most important folder, It contains other folders (subfolders), and every subfolder has is own topic.
Note
I have here only groups of notes that i want to treat as separated vaults.
Every subfolder as a precise structure:
sub_folder
- sub_moc.md
- sub_foler_archive
- sub_folder_storage
- sub_moc.md: a map of content (index) where you can link notes related the the main topic of the folder.
- sub_folder_archive: folder where you can save all the notes related to the topic.
- sub_folder_storage: folder where you can save all the files and attachments related to the notes in the archive folder (example: images, pdfs, ...).
This is a general folder where i store all the files, media and templates of the vault that don't fit in the categories of the Mocs folder.
- Folder set as default location for all the new notes and attachments, (read: how to set a default folder for new notes and attachments.
- This folder also contains a note called To_Do.md, in this note a write all the things that a have to do/write/adjust in the vault.
Read: Managing new notes and files for more information.
All new note, files and media are initially saved in the To-Do folder, and later can be sorted in the right folders.
Base metods:
| Key | Description |
|---|---|
cmd + n |
Create new note |
cmd + shift + n |
Create new note to the right |
Note
- In the settings you can change the default location for new notes (read: )
Advanced method: Creating a new note from a not existing but already defined note (using quickadd plugin).
- Highlight the note name.
- Press
cmd+t. - Select the template.
Note
- This method is implemented using the quickadd plugin , you can add new templates going to the settings of this plugin.
- You can also specify the folder where you want to create the new note in the plugin settings (example: "uni note" template creates a note in the "uni_archive" folder).
Example:
NewNote.mov
New Notes:
-
As seen in Creating New Notes all the notes created with the
cmd+thot-key are already created in the right folder so you don't have to manage them. -
If you create a note without using the
cmd+tmethod or you have crated a random note that doesn’t fit any of your templates, it will be saved in the To-Do Folder.
New Files:
- All new files when imported in the vault are saved in the To-do folder.
When you have some spare time you can open this folder and move all the files in the right folders (example: if you have a university related image you can move it to the "uni_storage" folder).
To use this workflow you have to turn on the
Workspaces pluginin the core-plugins settings.
Create a new workspace layout:
- Presa
cmd+pto open command palette. - Search
Workspace: Manage workspaces layouts. - Create and save a new workspace layout.
Load an existing layout:
- Press
cmd+rand choose the layout.
Save and load another layout:
If you have already opened a layout, you can:
- Save it: press
cmd+shift+r, than choose the layout that you have already open. - Save and load a different one: press
cmd+shift+r, than choose the layout that you want to open.
Example:
Obsidian-workspaces-layouts.mov
Custom Snippets
// My Snippets (math mode)
//Entering math mode
{trigger: "$", replacement: "$$0$", options: "tA"},
{trigger: "$", replacement: "$\n$0\n$", options: "mA"},
//Style
{trigger: "box", replacement: "\\boxed{$0}$1", options: "mA"},
//Text
{trigger: "te", replacement: "\\text{$0}$1", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "tc", replacement: "\\textcolor{orange}{\\text{$0}}$1", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "cl", replacement: "\\textcolor{orange}{$0}$1", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "not", replacement: "\\not $0", options: "mA"},
//Operation
{trigger: "po", replacement: "^{$0}$1", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "rt", replacement: "\\sqrt[$0]{$1}$2", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "^", replacement: "^{$0}$1", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "sul", replacement: "\\sum\\limits", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "lil", replacement: "\\lim\\limits_{ ${0:n} \\to ${1:\\infty} } $2", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "bin", replacement: "\\binom{$0}{$1} $2", options: "mA", priority:1},
//Symbols
{trigger: "oo", replacement: "\\infty ", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "cd", replacement: "\\cdot ", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "to", replacement: "\\to ", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "ver", replacement: "\\vert ", options: "mA"},
//Logic Simbols
{trigger: "and", replacement: "\\wedge ", options: "mA", priority:1 },
{trigger: "or", replacement: "\\vee ", options: "mA", priority:1},
{trigger: "xor", replacement: "\\oplus ", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "ne", replacement: "\\neg ", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "ov", replacement: "\\overline{$0}$1", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "for", replacement: "\\forall $0 ", options: "mA", priority: 1},
{trigger: "ex", replacement: "\\exists ", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "imp", replacement: "\\implies ", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "iff", replacement: "\\iff ", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "eq", replacement: "\\equiv ", options: "mA"},
//Set Theory
{trigger: "bb", replacement: "\\mathbb{$0}$1", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "set", replacement: "\{ $0 \}$1", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "emp", replacement: "\\emptyset ", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "sub", replacement: "\\subset ", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "\esub", replacement: "\\subseteq ", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "in", replacement: "\\in", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "uu", replacement: "\\cup ", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "nn", replacement: "\\cap ", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "tim", replacement: "\\times ", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "dif", replacement: "\\setminus ", options: "mA", priority:1},
{trigger: "car", replacement: "{ \\lvert $0 \\rvert } $1 ", options: "mA"},
//Function
{trigger: "fx", replacement: "f( ${0:x} )", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "fy", replacement: "f( ${0:y} )", options: "mA"},
//Series and succession
//{trigger: "an", replacement: "a_{ ${0:n} }$1", options: "mA"},
//{trigger: "sn", replacement: "S_{ ${0:n} }$1", options: "mA"},
//Derivative
{trigger: "fd1", replacement: "f^{'}($0)$1", options: "mA", priority:0},
{trigger: "fd2", replacement: "f^{''}($0)$1", options: "mA", priority:0},
{trigger: "1d", replacement: "^{'}$0", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "2d", replacement: "^{''}$0", options: "mA"},
{trigger: "D", replacement: "[\\left ${VISUAL} \\right]^{'}", options: "m"},
{trigger: "DD", replacement: "[\\left ${VISUAL} \\right]^{''}", options: "m"},
//Visual Operations
{trigger: "O", replacement: "\\overline{ ${VISUAL} }", options: "m"},
{trigger: "BOX", replacement: "\\boxed{ ${VISUAL} }", options: "m"},
//MY SNIPSETS (text mode)
//base
{trigger: "info", replacement: ">[!info]", options: "t"},
{trigger: "tip", replacement: ">[!tip]", options: "t"},
{trigger: "note", replacement: ">[!note]", options: "t"},
{trigger: "danger", replacement: ">[!danger]", options: "t"},
{trigger: "warning", replacement: ">[!warning]", options: "t"},
{trigger: "?", replacement: ">[!question]", options: "t"},
//custom
{trigger: "def", replacement: ">[!note] Definition", options: "t"},
{trigger: "oss", replacement: ">[!warning] oss", options: "t"},
{trigger: "teo", replacement: ">[!danger] Teorem", options: "t"},
{trigger: "exx", replacement: ">[!example] Example:", options: "t"},
{trigger: "exs", replacement: ">[!example] Examples:", options: "t"},
{trigger: "cek", replacement: ">[!check]", options: "t"},
{trigger: "tod", replacement: ">[!todo]", options: "t"},
{trigger: "col", replacement: ">[!column|flex] \n>\n>>[!NOTE]\n>>\n>>content\n>\n>>[!NOTE]\n>>\n>>content\n", options: "t"},
{trigger: "to", replacement: "-->", options: "t"},
// CODE
{trigger: "python", replacement: "```python\n$0 \n```", options: "t"},
{trigger: "java", replacement: "```java\n$0 \n```", options: "t"},
{trigger: "c", replacement: "```c\n$0 \n```", options: "t"},
{trigger: "cc", replacement: "```c++\n$0 \n```", options: "t"},
{trigger: "rust", replacement: "```rust\n$0 \n```", options: "t"},
]⚒️ -- work in progress -- ⚒️