Plugin request: Backlinks and tagging to in-focus tiddler appear in sidebar tab

#1

After watching the description of Obsidian’s right sidebar in this video that Mohammad shared (link to minute and second in Youtube), I realized that I have never seen anything quite like this: a sidebar tab that displays the references (backlinks, tagging) from other tiddlers to that tiddler (as link and transclude text). And maybe a viewtoolbar button to focus on that tiddler.

In Stroll, Drift, Mehregan, Soren’s Zettelkasten, etc, we have been displaying backlinks and other references at the bottom of the tiddler. But there is a definite advantage to seeing them in sidebar tab: you can keep the focused tiddler in place and compare its text side by side with the text of the tiddlers that reference it.

I have no idea how to do such a thing. But I get the impression that it could be done.

This would be a great plugin to enhance TiddlyWiki and offer users something similar to what they get in Obsidian (and maybe Roam?).

Who is up to creating a cool plugin?

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#2

echart has something you described. If you can show backlinks to the bottom, I think it is not a huge deal to move them to a sidebar.

#3

Aint no “in-focus” tiddler. We have currentTid which is not the same. BUT FelixHayashi of TiddlyMap fame has indeed created an in-focus mechanism for TiddlyMap. Maybe it is a separeate plugin or otherwise extractable. Actually, I think there should be many use cases for it.

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#4

Yes, by in-focus I meant currentTid. Cool echart idea!

#5

I have already done this, In fact the focus tiddler idea is already available in {{$:/HistoryList!!current-tiddler}}

This displays the last focused tiddler in the sidebar segments;
$ _PSaT_focus-tiddler_sideBarSegment.json (609 Bytes)

The above is included in this package which includes

  • Display and edit icon for focused tiddler
  • View toolbar button to display and change focus
  • A sidebar tab with a green target icon that displays info about the focused tiddler. This is where you can list your backlinks, it already show tagging and fields)
  • A sidebar target and list icon tab, that lists the history of focused tiddler in this session, allows it to open in a window and more.

focus-tiddler.json (23.3 KB)

Regards
Tones

#6

Hi Tones

I see I did not explain myself well. What I am after is transcluding the title and the text of the tiddlers that link or tag to the current or focused tiddler.

#7

@DaveGifford I think you were clear, perhaps I was not?.

If you import my package above the tiddler $:/PSaT/focus-tiddler/focusTab is displayed in the sidebar and uses the focused tiddler.

  • it already shows the tags of the focused tiddler and its fields/values. It sets the focused tiddler to the current Tiddler.
  • you just need to add something for backlinks and anything else you want displayed for the focused tiddler eg; titles only{{||$:/core/ui/TiddlerInfo/References}}
  • You could clone $:/core/ui/TiddlerInfo/References and edit it to include the text or allow the text field to be displayed with the other fields, all to your own taste.
#8

As @twMat explained, the tiddler in focus plugin is belong to FelixHayashi and is used in TiddlyMap and echart plugins! It uses a variable for tiddler in focus! So, you it may be a starting point for you!

#9

Are you trying to have something similar to your BLT setup? I modified it slightly so it appears as part of the regular $:/tags/SideBar

TabBLT.json (1.5 KB)

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#10

So no misunderstanding; The above quote refers to the currentTiddler whereas, presumably, Dave refers to the tiddler currently seen in the viewport. If one scrolls, then currentTiddler remains the same but another tiddler is now “in focus”.

#11

…ah, you do mean the current Tiddler after all. Sorry for my misunderstanding.

#12

I suppose the issue here is our terminology especialy talking about something we do not usualy refer to. The currentTiddler is usualy a variable in macros set as rendered. We often have this variable change in our list and other widgets. We also have the storyTiddler variable set as each tiddler is rendered.

For convinence I write most of my macros and transclusions to operate on the currentTiddler variable.

I have learned that it is useful to define something as best as possible and follow it up with a practical implementation. In my package the focus tiddler is effectivly the last one you navigated to OR clicked a red view focus here toolbar button on a visible tiddler too make it the focus.

If its possible to detect the tiddler that we scroll to in the view window we could equaly call this the focused tiddler as well, presumaby this simply is equivalent to my definition the last navigated to much of the time but also detecting when you scroll to it. In effect like pressing the focus here button automatically.

It would be posible to use similar methods to name other tiddlers like the storyTiddler, selectedTiddler, targetTiddler subject lastEdited lastOpened …

#13

Thanks Tones, Mat, Mohammad, minjaep and Mark for your help! I will tinker with Tones’ thing to see if I can get it to work.

#14

Do tell us what you want. For example list backlinks/references can be added to $:/PSaT/focus-tiddler/focusTab (perhaps after {{||$:/core/ui/ViewTemplate/tags}})

Eg; stolen from the Info > Backlinks
{{||$:/core/ui/TiddlerInfo/References}}