3.8.1. Preferences > WikiLinks > Update name of item links automatically

Thanks for (yet another) amazing “minor” release :slight_smile:

I have the question on the usage of “WikiLinks > Update name of item links automatically”.

How is this feature supposed to work?

I created two docs:
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Inside Doc2 I am referencing Doc1:
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Now, my expectation of the feature was, if I rename Doc1 to something else, this name will be (automatically?) updated.

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But this is not the case:

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I am sure I misunderstand the feature. Thanks for the help.

Indeed you do :smiley:

Starting here: “WikiLinks > Update name of item links automatically”

Continuing here in the Help > Documentation > Documents > Document Linking

Ah, interesting. That a fine catch, I did not read so deep between the lines (item links) :slight_smile: As this setting sits under “Wikilinks” that is what I assumed.

I was already under the impression that wiki links would update automatically (I am still using Obsidian for exactly that operation).

That’s why I documented it specifically in the Help that WikiLinks are not item links. :slight_smile:

@jooz We are soulmates: like you I’m using Obsidian only for this feature and I also went crazy when the new DT version seemed to catch up :smiley:

@BLUEFROG Even with the clarification in the help section it’s very misleading to place this option in the WikiLinks section as it has nothing to do with WikiLinks (while all other options are not related to item links).

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hehe :slight_smile: fingers crossed we will see the WikiLinks renaming feature in the future :slight_smile: We are getting to the ultimate #PKMnirvana with DT3 step by step :slight_smile:

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You’d have to discuss that with Development. :wink:

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@cgrunenberg Christian - it would be cool if you could consider offering WikiLinks > Update name of item links automatically for wikilinks in addition to item links.

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Well, at least considering is easy… :slight_smile:

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Does anyone know: is there a way to adjust this setting so that item links don’t update if the name is one of the item’s aliases?

And similarly, when wikilinks are based on an alias and then automatically updated to item links, is it possible to make them not change the text?

Or is this a feature request?

For example, I have a file named Inca which has the alias “Incan,” I do want every instance of “Incan” to link back to that file, and I want it as an item link for permanence. But I don’t want those instances to change to “Inca.”

Welcome @gpd

No there are no user controls for this. Development would have to assess the feasibility and broader appeal of this request.

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Gotcha, thanks for the response! I’ll put in my vote, but understand if it’s not a top priority :wink:

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You’re welcome and thanks for the understanding attitude! :smiley:

Is it still NOT possible to have wiki-links update automatically. I see it doesn’t work, but was thinking that maybe it was because I was missing a setting.

Afaik that’s still the case. Not astonishing given that DT is not a Wiki system.

OK. That’s fine if it is the case. I just go a rename them by hand. But…

What’s the difference? Why isn’t a wiki-link in DT an item link? What is the difference between them?

A Wiki link can point to something that is not there (yet), an item link can’t. And in a Wiki (! – which DT is not), a Wiki links can be updated. Item links are not updated. A Wiki link is something like a “promise” (not in the programming sense): If the document it is referring to exists, the link points to it. Otherwise, the link is there but points nowhere. And if the title of the pointed-to document is modified, the references are modified, too. In a Wiki, which DT is not.

Got it. I was thinking it was simply because a wiki-link is a special kind of link, one that links to another document of the same type (or always a text document?). Whereas item-links can link to anything DT can hold. And an item-link probably does exist the moment the wiki-link is clicked. The problem, I imagine, is the lack of a concrete bidirectional connection.

Ima skip over your repetition of the fact DT is not Wiki. I think everybody knows that. But the documents I create linking to DT items sure is a wiki!!

That’s planned for a future release but only for Wiki links in double square brackets.

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Makes sense. Thanks.