Bases Demo

Database-like views over your notes. Filter, sort, and display notes in tables.

What Are Bases?

Query notes by properties (tags, folders, dates, frontmatter), display results in tables, sort by columns, filter with expressions.

Base Files

Bases are .base files created in your Obsidian vault alongside your notes. This app reads them and generates the views.

Example projects.base:

views:
  - type: table
    name: Active Projects
    filters:
      and:
        - file.hasTag("project")
        - 'status == "active"'
    order:
      - file.name
      - status
      - priority
      - file.mtime

The app automatically creates a page at /base/projects/active-projects for each view.

Filtering Basics

Simple Filters

Filter by tag:

filters:
  and:
    - file.hasTag("guide")

Filter by folder:

filters:
  and:
    - file.inFolder("concepts")

Filter by property:

filters:
  and:
    - 'status == "complete"'
    - 'priority > 3'

Logical Operators

AND - All conditions must match:

filters:
  and:
    - file.hasTag("project")
    - 'status == "active"'
    - 'priority >= 5'

OR - Any condition must match:

filters:
  or:
    - file.hasTag("urgent")
    - 'priority > 8'
    - 'deadline < today()'

NOT - None of the conditions should match:

filters:
  not:
    - file.hasTag("archived")
    - 'draft == true'

Nested Logic

Combine operators for complex queries:

filters:
  and:
    - file.inFolder("projects")
    - or:
        - 'status == "active"'
        - and:
            - 'status == "paused"'
            - 'priority > 7'
    - not:
        - file.hasTag("archived")

Available Properties

File Properties

Access with file. prefix:

Note Properties

Access directly from frontmatter:

filters:
  and:
    - 'status == "published"'
    - 'author == "John Doe"'
    - 'priority >= 5'

Any frontmatter field can be used: title, description, author, status, priority, etc.

Built-in Functions

File Functions

file.hasTag(tag) - Check for tag (includes nested tags):

filters:
  and:
    - file.hasTag("project")

file.inFolder(folder) - Check folder location:

filters:
  and:
    - file.inFolder("guides")

file.hasProperty(name) - Check if property exists:

filters:
  and:
    - file.hasProperty("author")

file.hasLink(path) - Check if note links to another:

filters:
  and:
    - file.hasLink("index")

Comparison Operators

Use in filter expressions:

• == - Equals
• != - Not equals
• > - Greater than
• < - Less than
• >= - Greater than or equal
• <= - Less than or equal

Date Functions

now() - Current date and time today() - Current date (time = 00:00:00)

filters:
  and:
    - 'file.mtime > today()'  # Modified today

Multiple Views

One base can have multiple views:

views:
  - type: table
    name: All Projects
    order:
      - file.name
      - status
      - priority

  - type: table
    name: Active Only
    filters:
      and:
        - 'status == "active"'
    order:
      - priority
      - file.name

  - type: table
    name: High Priority
    filters:
      and:
        - 'priority >= 8'
    order:
      - priority
      - file.mtime

Each view gets its own tab and URL:

• /base/projects/all-projects
• /base/projects/active-only
• /base/projects/high-priority

Ordering Columns

The order field controls which columns appear and their sequence:

order:
  - file.name        # Note title (linked)
  - status           # Frontmatter property
  - priority         # Another property
  - file.tags        # Tags as badges
  - file.mtime       # Modified date
  - description      # Description field

Columns are displayed left to right in the specified order.

View Types

Table View

views:
  - type: table
    name: My Table
    order:
      - file.name
      - status
      - file.mtime

Other View Types

Only table is currently implemented. Planned: cards, list, map.

Configuration Examples

Documentation Hub

views:
  - type: table
    name: All Docs
    filters:
      or:
        - file.hasTag("guide")
        - file.hasTag("reference")
        - file.hasTag("documentation")
    order:
      - file.name
      - file.tags
      - file.mtime

  - type: table
    name: Guides
    filters:
      and:
        - file.hasTag("guide")
    order:
      - file.name
      - description

Project Tracker

views:
  - type: table
    name: Active Projects
    filters:
      and:
        - file.hasTag("project")
        - 'status == "active"'
    order:
      - priority
      - file.name
      - status
      - deadline

  - type: table
    name: Completed
    filters:
      and:
        - file.hasTag("project")
        - 'status == "complete"'
    order:
      - file.mtime
      - file.name

Reading List

views:
  - type: table
    name: To Read
    filters:
      and:
        - file.hasTag("book")
        - 'status == "unread"'
    order:
      - priority
      - author
      - file.name

  - type: table
    name: Finished
    filters:
      and:
        - file.hasTag("book")
        - 'status == "read"'
    limit: 20
    order:
      - file.mtime
      - rating
      - file.name

Limiting Results

Use limit to show only top N results:

views:
  - type: table
    name: Recent Updates
    limit: 10  # Only show 10 most recent
    order:
      - file.mtime
      - file.name

Results are limited AFTER filtering.

Tips and Tricks

Tag Hierarchies

file.hasTag() matches nested tags:

file.hasTag("project")  # Matches "project/web", "project/mobile", etc.

Property Existence

Check if a field exists before comparing:

filters:
  and:
    - file.hasProperty("status")
    - 'status == "active"'

Case-Sensitive Comparisons

String comparisons are case-sensitive:

'status == "Active"'   # Won't match "active"

Normalize your property values for consistency.

Empty Filters

Omit filters to show all notes:

views:
  - type: table
    name: Everything
    order:
      - file.name
      - file.mtime

Combining Global and View Filters

Global filters apply to ALL views:

filters:
  and:
    - file.inFolder("projects")  # Global: only project folder

views:
  - type: table
    name: Active
    filters:
      and:
        - 'status == "active"'  # View: only active ones

Global and view filters are combined with AND.

Examples

All Notes - All notes in a table

Showcase Base - Filtered by tag

Recent Updates - 20 most recent

How It Works

1. .base files parsed at build time
2. Filters evaluated against all notes
3. Results sorted by specified properties
4. Static HTML pages generated
5. No client-side processing required

Troubleshooting

Base Not Showing

Check:

1. File has .base extension
2. File is in your vault (which should be symlinked to /src/content/vault/)
3. YAML is valid (use a validator)
4. At least one view is defined
5. Dev server restarted

No Results

Check:

1. Filters might be too restrictive
2. Property names are correct (case-sensitive)
3. Notes have the expected properties/tags
4. Use filters: {} to see all notes first

Expression Errors

Common issues:

• Missing quotes around strings: status == "active" ✓
• Wrong operators: Use == not =
• Invalid property names: Check frontmatter
• Typos in function names: file.hasTag not file.hasTag()

Build Errors

If build fails:

1. Check YAML syntax (indentation matters)
2. Verify view types are valid: table, cards, list, map
3. Ensure views is an array
4. Check for circular references

Planned Features

• Formula properties (computed values)
• Cards view (gallery layout)
• List view (bulleted/numbered)
• Map view with coordinates
• Advanced functions (dates, strings, lists)
• Custom property display config
• Export to CSV/JSON

Usage

1. Create a .base file in your Obsidian vault
2. Define views with filters and ordering
3. Build generates pages at /base/yourbase/viewname