Backlinks filter not working on tiddler references in fields?

#1

[Reposted from the original message I mistakenly posted on the old TW5 list]

Hello,

I am trying to put together a very minimal project mngt system for my personal use and I am having troubles getting the backlinks[] filter to work. Here is my problem:

  • Let’s say I have a tiddler tagged Project and a series of tiddlers tagged Task

  • I want a list with all the Tasks belonging to a given Project showing up in said Project page

  • I thought I could solve the problem by looking for all the tiddlers tagged Task with backlinks to the Project.

  • IOW, I would (automatically) put something like the following in a Project tiddler:

<$list filter=[[all[current]backlinks[]tag[Task]]>
<$link/>
</$list>

  • This approach works if I explicitly insert a link to a Project into the body a Task, i.e. if I have a tiddler “someTask”, for instance, whose body contains the text “This task is needed by [[someProject]]”

  • It does NOT work however, if someTask has a field 'project" with value “[[someProject]]” or “someProject”, NOR does it work if I transclude into the body of someTask the content of the field “project”.

What am I doing wrong? I am trying to have the backlink to Project created automatically when a Task is created, instead of having to insert it manually into the body of the Task.

Help greatly appreciated,

Stefano

1 Like
#2

With many thanks to Springer for the suggestion to use the Search operator, which solved (partially) my problem

2 Likes
#3

Backlinks are presently only titles found in a text field. To include tiddler titles named inside other fields, such as “list fields” you need to take additional steps. It is however possible to do effectively the same, I did propose being able to “rule in” additional fields however the work arounds are almost as good, you no longer use backlinks though.

Over here in my Flags Proof of concept https://flags.tiddlyhost.com I do exactly that with the flag-list field found on and defining “flag tiddlers” to find which flags are on the current tiddler.

#4

Thanks, I checked it lout and ooks like an interesting addition to TW5.
I also think my approach through fields was wrong—I guess I am still thinking in database terms when approaching relationship between tiddlers, whereas Tags (or Flags) are the idiomatic solution. Gotta get used to “structure through lack of structure,” I guess!