Obsidian Bases

Obsidian Bases

Workflow

1. Read the existing .base file before editing it.
2. Define global scope with filters.
3. Add computed values under formulas only when needed.
4. Configure property display names and one or more views.
5. Validate YAML, formula references, quoting, and date/duration operations.
6. Open or query the Base in Obsidian when the CLI is available.

Schema

filters:
  and:
    - 'file.ext == "md"'
    - 'status != "archived"'

formulas:
  days_until_due: 'if(due, (date(due) - today()).days, "")'

properties:
  status:
    displayName: Status
  formula.days_until_due:
    displayName: "Days Until Due"

summaries:
  mean_rounded: 'values.mean().round(2)'

views:
  - type: table
    name: Active
    limit: 50
    filters:
      and:
        - 'status != "done"'
    order:
      - file.name
      - status
      - formula.days_until_due
    groupBy:
      property: status
      direction: ASC
    summaries:
      formula.days_until_due: Average

Views may be table, cards, or list. A map view depends on compatible map support.

Filters and properties

Filters may be a single expression or recursively nested and, or, and not objects. Property namespaces are:

• note properties: status or note.status
• file metadata: file.name, file.path, file.folder, file.ctime, file.mtime, file.tags, file.links, and file.backlinks
• formulas: formula.days_until_due

Use file.hasTag(), file.hasLink(), file.hasProperty(), and file.inFolder() for indexed file relationships. The this value refers to the Base itself, the embedding note, or the active file depending on where the Base is rendered.

Formula rules

• Guard optional properties with if().
• Date subtraction returns a Duration, not a number. Access .days, .hours, or another numeric field before calling number methods such as .round().
• Every formula.X used by a view or property configuration must have a matching X entry under formulas.
• Wrap formulas containing double quotes in YAML single quotes.
• Quote YAML strings containing special characters, especially colons and leading punctuation.

Read Functions reference for function and type-specific operations, and Examples for complete task-tracker and daily-notes Bases.

Validation checklist

• The document parses as YAML and has a views list.
• View order, groupBy, and summaries reference defined note, file, or formula properties.
• Formula quoting is balanced and duration math accesses a numeric field.
• Embedded view names match exactly: ![[My Base.base#View Name]].

Attribution

Adapted from kepano/obsidian-skills at revision a1dc48e68138490d522c04cbf5822214c6eb1202. See LICENSE.