feat: option to insert template or capture links into the frontmatter of active note

docs/docs/Choices/CaptureChoice.md

@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ If you have a tag called `#people`, and you type `#people` in the _Capture To_ f
     -   **After selection** - Preserves selected text and places the link after it
     -   **End of line** - Places the link at the end of the current line
     -   **New line** - Places the link on a new line below the cursor
+    -   **In frontmatter property** - Adds the link to a frontmatter property
 
 ## Canvas Capture Notes
 

docs/docs/Choices/TemplateChoice.md

@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ When either enabled mode is selected, you can choose where the link is placed:
 - **After selection** - Preserves selected text and places the link after it  
 - **End of line** - Places the link at the end of the current line
 - **New line** - Places the link on a new line below the cursor
+- **In frontmatter property** - Adds the link to a frontmatter property
 
 
 **If the target file already exists**. Choose whether QuickAdd should ask what to do, update the existing file, create another file, or keep the existing file.

src/gui/ChoiceBuilder/captureChoiceBuilder.ts

@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import type { LinkPlacement, LinkType } from "../../types/linkPlacement";
 import {
 	normalizeAppendLinkOptions,
 	placementSupportsEmbed,
+	placementSupportsFrontmatter,
 } from "../../types/linkPlacement";
 import { getAllFolderPathsInVault } from "../../utilityObsidian";
 import { sortFolderPathsByTree } from "../../utils/folder-sorting";
@@ -819,6 +820,7 @@ export class CaptureChoiceBuilder extends ChoiceBuilder {
 					dropdown.addOption("afterSelection", "After selection");
 					dropdown.addOption("endOfLine", "End of line");
 					dropdown.addOption("newLine", "New line");
+					dropdown.addOption("inFrontmatter", "In frontmatter property");
 
 					dropdown.setValue(normalizedOptions.placement);
 					dropdown.onChange((value: LinkPlacement) => {
@@ -875,6 +877,35 @@ export class CaptureChoiceBuilder extends ChoiceBuilder {
 						});
 					});
 			}
+
+			if (placementSupportsFrontmatter(normalizedOptions.placement)) {
+				const linkTypeSetting: Setting = new Setting(this.contentEl);
+				const current = typeof this.choice.appendLink !== "boolean" ? this.choice.appendLink.frontmatterProperty : '';
+				linkTypeSetting
+					.setName("Frontmatter property")
+					.setDesc("Choose the frontmatter property to insert the link into.")
+					.addText((text) => {
+						text.setValue(current ?? '')
+						text.onChange((value: string) => {
+							const currentValue = this.choice.appendLink;
+							const requireActiveFile =
+								typeof currentValue === "boolean"
+									? normalizedOptions.requireActiveFile
+									: currentValue.requireActiveFile;
+							const placement =
+								typeof currentValue === "boolean"
+									? normalizedOptions.placement
+									: currentValue.placement;
+
+							this.choice.appendLink = {
+								enabled: true,
+								placement,
+								requireActiveFile,
+								frontmatterProperty: value,
+							};
+						});
+					});
+			}
 		}
 	}
 

src/gui/ChoiceBuilder/templateChoiceBuilder.ts

@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import type { LinkPlacement, LinkType } from "../../types/linkPlacement";
 import {
 	normalizeAppendLinkOptions,
 	placementSupportsEmbed,
+	placementSupportsFrontmatter,
 } from "../../types/linkPlacement";
 import { getAllFolderPathsInVault } from "../../utilityObsidian";
 import { sortFolderPathsByTree } from "../../utils/folder-sorting";
@@ -364,6 +365,7 @@ export class TemplateChoiceBuilder extends ChoiceBuilder {
 					dropdown.addOption("afterSelection", "After selection");
 					dropdown.addOption("endOfLine", "End of line");
 					dropdown.addOption("newLine", "New line");
+					dropdown.addOption("inFrontmatter", "In frontmatter property");
 
 					dropdown.setValue(normalizedOptions.placement);
 					dropdown.onChange((value: LinkPlacement) => {
@@ -419,6 +421,35 @@ export class TemplateChoiceBuilder extends ChoiceBuilder {
 						});
 					});
 			}
+
+			if (placementSupportsFrontmatter(normalizedOptions.placement)) {
+				const linkTypeSetting: Setting = new Setting(this.contentEl);
+				const current = typeof this.choice.appendLink !== "boolean" ? this.choice.appendLink.frontmatterProperty : '';
+				linkTypeSetting
+					.setName("Frontmatter property")
+					.setDesc("Choose the frontmatter property to insert the link into.")
+					.addText((text) => {
+						text.setValue(current ?? '')
+						text.onChange((value: string) => {
+							const currentValue = this.choice.appendLink;
+							const requireActiveFile =
+								typeof currentValue === "boolean"
+									? normalizedOptions.requireActiveFile
+									: currentValue.requireActiveFile;
+							const placement =
+								typeof currentValue === "boolean"
+									? normalizedOptions.placement
+									: currentValue.placement;
+
+							this.choice.appendLink = {
+								enabled: true,
+								placement,
+								requireActiveFile,
+								frontmatterProperty: value,
+							};
+						});
+					});
+			}
 		}
 	}
 

src/types/linkPlacement.test.ts

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {
 	normalizeAppendLinkOptions,
 	isAppendLinkEnabled,
 	placementSupportsEmbed,
+	placementSupportsFrontmatter,
 } from "./linkPlacement";
 
 describe("LinkPlacement", () => {
@@ -126,6 +127,7 @@ describe("LinkPlacement", () => {
 				"afterSelection",
 				"endOfLine",
 				"newLine",
+				"inFrontmatter"
 			];
 
 			for (const placement of placements) {
@@ -145,6 +147,17 @@ describe("LinkPlacement", () => {
 			expect(placementSupportsEmbed("afterSelection")).toBe(false);
 			expect(placementSupportsEmbed("endOfLine")).toBe(false);
 			expect(placementSupportsEmbed("newLine")).toBe(false);
+			expect(placementSupportsEmbed("inFrontmatter")).toBe(false);
+		});
+	});
+
+	describe("placementSupportsFrontmatter", () => {
+		it("should return true only for inFrontmatter placement", () => {
+			expect(placementSupportsFrontmatter("replaceSelection")).toBe(false);
+			expect(placementSupportsFrontmatter("afterSelection")).toBe(false);
+			expect(placementSupportsFrontmatter("endOfLine")).toBe(false);
+			expect(placementSupportsFrontmatter("newLine")).toBe(false);
+			expect(placementSupportsFrontmatter("inFrontmatter")).toBe(true);
 		});
 	});
 });

src/types/linkPlacement.ts

@@ -5,14 +5,19 @@ export type LinkPlacement =
 	| "replaceSelection"  // Replace the current selection with the link
 	| "afterSelection"    // Insert the link after the current selection
 	| "endOfLine"         // Insert the link at the end of the current line
-	| "newLine";          // Insert the link on a new line
+	| "newLine"           // Insert the link on a new line
+	| "inFrontmatter";	  // Insert the link into a frontmatter field
 
 export type LinkType = "link" | "embed";
 
 export function placementSupportsEmbed(placement: LinkPlacement): boolean {
 	return placement === "replaceSelection";
 }
 
+export function placementSupportsFrontmatter(placement : LinkPlacement) : boolean {
+	return placement === "inFrontmatter";
+}
+
 function sanitizeLinkType(
 	linkType: LinkType | undefined,
 	placement: LinkPlacement,
@@ -41,6 +46,10 @@ export interface AppendLinkOptions {
 	 * Defaults to "link" for legacy settings.
 	 */
 	linkType?: LinkType;
+	/**
+	 * Controls the frontmatter property the link is added to. Only used when placement is inFrontmatter.
+	 */
+	frontmatterProperty? : string
 }
 
 /**
@@ -73,6 +82,7 @@ export function normalizeAppendLinkOptions(appendLink: boolean | AppendLinkOptio
 			placement,
 			requireActiveFile: appendLink.requireActiveFile ?? true,
 			linkType: sanitizeLinkType(appendLink.linkType, placement),
+			frontmatterProperty: appendLink.frontmatterProperty
 		};
 	}
 

src/utilityObsidian.ts

@@ -553,9 +553,9 @@ export function insertLinkWithPlacement(
 	app: App,
 	text: string,
 	mode: LinkPlacement = "replaceSelection",
-	options: { requireActiveView?: boolean; } = {},
+	options: { requireActiveView?: boolean; frontmatterProperty?: string} = {},
 ) {
-	const { requireActiveView = true } = options;
+	const { requireActiveView = true, frontmatterProperty = '' } = options;
 	const view = app.workspace.getActiveViewOfType(MarkdownView);
 	if (!view) {
 		const message = "Cannot append link because no active Markdown view is available.";
@@ -584,6 +584,33 @@ export function insertLinkWithPlacement(
 		editor.replaceSelection(text);
 		return;
 	}
+
+	//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+	//  FRONTMATTER-SELECTION
+	//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+	if (mode === "inFrontmatter") {
+		if(!frontmatterProperty) {
+			const message = "Invalid frontmatter property: " + frontmatterProperty;
+			throw new Error(message);
+		}
+		const file = view.file;
+		if(!file) {
+			const message = "Could not find file of active view";
+			throw new Error(message);
+		}
+		app.fileManager.processFrontMatter(file, (frontmatter) => {
+			if (frontmatter[frontmatterProperty] === undefined) {
+				frontmatter[frontmatterProperty] = []
+			}
+			if (!Array.isArray(frontmatter[frontmatterProperty])) {
+				const message = "Could not add into non array property:" + frontmatterProperty;
+				throw new Error(message)
+			}
+			frontmatter[frontmatterProperty].push(text)
+		})
+		return
+	}
 
 	//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 	//  ALL OTHER MODES NEED EXPLICIT POSITION CALCULATION
@@ -735,7 +762,7 @@ export function insertFileLinkToActiveView(
 		app,
 		linkText,
 		linkOptions.placement,
-		{ requireActiveView: false },
+		{ requireActiveView: false, frontmatterProperty : linkOptions.frontmatterProperty },
 	);
 
 	return true;