Recognize links in Markdown WYSIWYG editor

When using the WYSIWYG editor for Markdown links are recognized when written like <https://www.devontechnologies.com> or [link](https://www.devontechnologies.com). I’m using links in the frontmatter metadata fields (like: url: https://www.devontechnologies.com or item: x-devonthink-item://AAA-BBB-CCC) which can’t be formatted further to identify them as a link. Could the WYSIWYG editor also recognize those links and make them clickable? It would highly improve the usefulness of the WYSIWYG editor. I’ve tried using Smart Links but links are only recognized while typing.

What you are using does not appear to be a (Multi)Markdown standard link format.

Please post a screencap of what you’re referring to.

I’m using Markdown with frontmatter as per the MMD spec (fields with a colon between --- separators).

There’s no definition of what content frontmatter fields hold, but they often contain metadata like URLs or links. It would be very helpful if the same URL recognition for links would also apply to the value of metadata fields. I’m not asking to change anything in the interpretation of MMD spec in DT - but consider the value of metadata fields. This would not break or conflict with any MMD spec.

So instead of this:

It would become this:

It would be very helpful if the same URL recognition for links would also apply to the value of metadata fields.

Helpful in what practical way?
Those are hidden references and meant for assigning arbitrary metadata about the file.

Live use of the metadata can happen in the body of the document via [%metadataName%].

PS: Why are you setting tags in square brackets? Are you not enabling DEVONthink to convert those into tags?

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In a practical way: when viewing an annotation (either via the normal think window or the inspector) clicking a link to a url, itemurl or annotationurl would bring me directly to the relevant document. The Inspector pane is only showing the Edit view, so there’s no other way to follow links in metadata via the inspector pane. The ‘solution’ would be copying them by hand or going to the annotation, showing the formatted view and clicking the link… Including MMD-tags like [%metadataName%] only changes the formatted view, which makes no difference in the inspector pane / WYSIWYG editor.

It’s the format I use in Obsidian, but it’s very forgiving, so it could also be written as tags: none, more, three. I’m not using DEVONthink to convert those into tags (that’s not what I want for my annotation files - I add/change them via Applescript and Smart Rules)

In a practical way: when viewing an annotation (either via the normal think window or the inspector) clicking a link to a url, itemurl or annotationurl would bring me directly to the relevant document.

I see your point but I also think you may again be doing something very specific to your own process.
Development would have to assess the change in behavior.

Thanks. I think using metadata for URLs or references isn’t too specific, but I understand of course every idea has to be weighed :wink:

As an addition why it might make sense, is that it’s already configurable through switching WYSIWYG edition on/off. It’s likely that those interested in a more ‘usable’ edit view would like to be able to click links (which is why DT is making styled links clickable I’d guess).

The next release will support this.

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Awesome. Thanks!

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