BibDesk Integration Plugin for Obsidian

This plugin integrates BibTeX libraries with the PDF++ plugin in Obsidian, enabling you to manage and open PDFs associated with bibliography entries directly from Obsidian. It works with external BibTeX files, parsing them in the background for a seamless experience.

[!NOTE] This plugin works with any standard BibTeX library. However, some features are designed specifically for libraries maintained with BibDesk on macOS, such as resolving bdsk-file-<NUMBER> fields — macOS bookmarks that allow seamless file access even if files are renamed or moved.

Unlike most BibTeX plugins for Obsidian, this plugin is designed to handle large libraries with 10,000+ papers:

• parsing runs on a dedicated background thread to keep the UI responsive (no freezing, not even for an instant)
• using a custom high-performance parser built with Peggy makes parsing large BibTex files faster than any TypeScript-based BibTeX parsers I could test, and even BibDesk's own parser.

Additional Features

• Automatic reloading: The BibTeX library is also watched for changes and re-parsed automatically in the background whenever the bib file is updated
• External Library Support: Your BibDesk library does not need to reside within your Obsidian vault, making it ideal for large libraries (several GBs).
• Integration with PDF++: Opens PDFs stored outside your Obsidian vault via the PDF++ plugin.

Screenshots

Configuration Pane

Fuzzy Search Modal for Paper Selection

Recommended Hotkeys

Installation

To install the plugin manually, follow these steps:

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/alberti42/obsidian-bibdesk-integration.git
   

2. Install Node.js Packages:

   npm install
   

3. Generate the Parser for BibTeX Files:

   npm run grammar
   

4. Build the macOS Bookmark Resolver:

   npm run bookmark_resolver
   

   Ensure you have the swiftc compiler available via the command line. Refer to Xcode’s documentation if needed.

5. Transpile the Plugin:

   npm run build
   

6. Verify Output: Ensure that the dist folder contains styles.css, bookmark_resolver, main.js, and manifest.json.

7. Copy or Link Plugin Files to Obsidian:

   • Create the plugin folder in your vault:

     mkdir -p <YOUR_VAULT_FOLDER>/.obsidian/plugins/bibdesk-integration
     

   • Copy or create symbolic links from the dist folder to the plugin folder created in step 7. This is helpful if you plan to further develop the plugin.

Support the Project

If you find this plugin helpful, consider supporting its development:

About the Author

• Author: Andrea Alberti
• GitHub: alberti42
• Donations:

Please feel free to contribute or report any issues in the GitHub repository.