Template Forms (WIP)

Template Forms is an upcoming Obsidian plugin that will allow users to create notes through custom HTML/CSS form interfaces instead of sequential prompt dialogs.
The goal is to replace prompt-based workflows (e.g., Templater await ask() chains) with clean, user-defined interfaces containing inputs, buttons, tabs, and validation.

⚠️ The plugin is currently in early development.
Most features are not implemented yet.

---

🚧 Project Goals (Planned)

• Add a sidebar icon that opens a dedicated UI inside Obsidian

• Display a list of available form templates

• Selecting a template opens its associated HTML/CSS form

• Support multiple modes inside a single template (e.g. “family / friend / work”)

• Provide built-in validation for required fields

• Provide Cancel / Validate buttons

• On validation:

  • Check inputs
  • Create a new note
  • Apply properties (YAML)
  • Use dynamic filename patterns
  • Move note to a required target folder

• Allow automatic creation of new templates:

  • Generates template.html
  • Generates template.css
  • Generates meta.json

---

📦 Current Status

At this stage, the plugin includes:

• Basic project setup (TypeScript, Obsidian API)
• Manifest configuration
• Skeleton plugin activation
• Development environment ready for expansion

Available features

• Create templates with text, number, textarea, and date fields
• Insert field values in the markdown body with the syntax ${id}
• Define automatic variables that can reuse other fields (example: nomPrenom with value ${nom} ${prenom})
• Built-in variables available everywhere:
  • ${date} (YYYY-MM-DD)
  • ${time} (HH:mm)
  • ${datetime} (ISO string)
  • These variables can also be used for filenames and destination folders, with optional formatting such as ${date:YY-MM-DD}
  • Formatting also supports French month names with MMM (Janv.…Déc.) and MMMM (Janvier…Décembre), allowing patterns like ${date:MM-MMMM} → 12-Décembre
• Set a default filename pattern per template (for example journal-${date:YY-MM-DD})

More features will be added gradually.

---

🛠️ Development Setup

Clone this repository into:

<your-vault>/.obsidian/plugins/template-forms

Install dependencies:

npm install

Build in watch mode:

npm run dev

Enable the plugin in:

Settings → Community plugins

🤝 Contributing

This project is currently developed by a single author, but contributions and suggestions are welcome as the plugin evolves.

---

📄 License

MIT License.