I’ve got a series of files that are being marked as duplicates, they aren’t as the content is different. I have a daily note template for a Markdown file that has YAML front matter with a date property. In this particular case I created daily notes for 3 days in a row without doing anything to the files so the content is nearly identical. The difference is the date property in the front matter which is different in all 3 files. I can’t imagine that YAML front matter would be ignored in the duplicate detection so trying to understand why these are marked as duplicates when the content isnt. “Stricter” detection isn’t turned on but would make little difference as the files are the same type and size anyhow.
OK after writing this I found a discussion on the hidden pref IndexRawMarkdownSource and tried that suggestion and it worked. Problem solved.
I can’t imagine that YAML front matter would be ignored in the duplicate detection so trying to understand why these are marked as duplicates when the content isnt.
Indeed it in’t indexed by default since (1) the average user isn’t using YAML or even MultiMarkdown metadata, and (2) the average user is only concerned with the rendered content, not what’s under-the-hood in the source. That’s why IndexRawMarkdownSource is a hidden preference. 
You guys certainly know your user base better than I do but I’d have to think that the average user isn’t using Markdown at all let alone worrying about front matter. That said it seems odd to me that DT just wouldn’t be indexing the whole document as front matter generally isn’t adding all that much on to the doc and when people are using it they probably expect like I did that it would be indexed for being able to search right from the get-go.
I hope the devs decide to surface some of these hidden prefs as advanced at some point.
but I’d have to think that the average user isn’t using Markdown at all let alone worrying about front matter.
It hasn’t supplanted rich text or proprietary formats, but Markdown is very broadly used nowadays. There are people using it who don’t know what a stylesheet does but like the simplicity of writing plain text and seeing a pretty result.
That said it seems odd to me that DT just wouldn’t be indexing the whole document as front matter generally isn’t adding all that much on to the doc and when people are using it they probably expect like I did that it would be indexed for being able to search right from the get-go.
Development would have to assess this but indexing non-visible content could easily lead to false positives in searching.
Aha. Yes I get you now. I wasn’t even thinking of the preview not showing the front matter. At any rate, please put that index all markdown source as an option in the Markdown prefs at some point.
Or, at the very least, a section in the documentation that thoroughly explains what checks are done/not done when looking for duplicates. Looking through the forums it seems that has not been exactly clear over the years.
At any rate, glad I found your answer on the indexing thing in the other thread. figured it would be worth a shot and I was not disappointed.
Your comments and suggestion are noted.