New journal buttons - an improved approach to Journaling

#1

In response to this discussion "New journal here" not creating unique tiddlers I have redeveloped my new journal and new journal here buttons, I have shared in the past and share them here.

  • This is not a plugin but a bundle of tiddler in a JSON file, drop on or import into your wiki. I will provide a bookmarklet tiddler to install if asked.

This package provides alternatives to the existing journal buttons, without replacing them

  • All new journals will still use the title, text and tags defined in $:/ControlPanel > Info > Basics
  • However when creating a new tiddler it will also create the journal-date field
    • This allows you to use any title for a journal, even rename tiddlers and still let you list them in the desired order.
  • Further the new journal here button allows you con optionally configure a prefix to add to the automatic title generation so you can have a new tiddler “title” every minute hour etc…

new-journals.json (7.3 KB)

Please thumbs up if you use it.

  • I want to know if the effort was worth it :nerd_face:
  • Feedback welcome.
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"New journal here" not creating unique tiddlers
#2

I have a wiki with a lot of same-name tiddlers, so set my titles default for both types to

<<now “YYYY.0MM.0DD.0hh.0mm.0ss”>>

And do my titles as a prefix to that default (For searching etc), Then I set captions and use the Display caption instead of title - view template, think it is.

That way I never have to think about keeping my titles unique :slight_smile:

#3

Nor do I of course. In the solution I gave you it is specifically for one journal a day with new journal here relating to the tiddler made unique.

However you are free to choose the Journal tittles as usually with an extra prefix option using new here.

#4

@TW_Tones…As usual I am late to the party / table and having finally arrived I am having problems. Just tried testing this on a brand new clean 5.3.1 version of TW and it’s not adding the new journal-date field to the tiddlers

Details from tiddler info…(am i doing something wrong?)

`

created 20241028162306482
modified 20241028162408632
tags [[2024-10-28 Monday]] Journal
title 2024-10-28 Monday

28th October 2024 at 4:24pm

282024-10-28 Monday

28Journal

This is a test `

#5

I just dropped the above JSON package on TiddlyWiki.com and it seems to work as advertised. Try importing again and check if all the tiddlers will be imported.

On a new journal tiddler the info > Fields tab shows the new field.

  • This solution continues to use the Journal settings in Control Panel > Info > Journal Title & text

To work and by default we use some replacement buttons that look the same

Perhaps describe what you can and cant see, and how you create a new journal entry.

#6

Thanks @TW_Tones. The problem it seems isn’t in the json rather the method of copying it to my wiki. If I drag the file from above to my locally hosted wiki the tiddlers are not transported BUT if I do the normal route (download and install) it works. Might be my browser? Firefox?

Btw the effort (IMO) was worth it! These little quality of life things make a huge difference. Thank you!

#7

@TW_Tones, plus with your changes I can do some reverse engineering and get to know TW a bit better.

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