Create and edit Obsidian Bases (.base files) with views, filters, formulas, and summaries. Use when working with .base files, creating database-like views of notes, or when the user mentions Bases, table views, card views, filters, or formulas in Obsidian.
npxskills add davepoon/buildwithclaude--skill obsidian-basesLoading…
This skill enables Claude Code to create and edit valid Obsidian Bases (.base files) including views, filters, formulas, and all related configurations.
Obsidian Bases are YAML-based files that define dynamic views of notes in an Obsidian vault. A Base file can contain multiple views, global filters, formulas, property configurations, and custom summaries.
Base files use the .base extension and contain valid YAML. They can also be embedded in Markdown code blocks.
# Global filters apply to ALL views in the base
filters:
# Can be a single filter string
# OR a recursive filter object with and/or/not
and: []
or: []
not: []
# Define formula properties that can be used across all views
formulas:
formula_name: 'expression'
# Configure display names and settings for properties
properties:
property_name:
displayName: "Display Name"
formula.formula_name:
displayName: "Formula Display Name"
file.ext:
displayName: "Extension"
# Define custom summary formulas
summaries:
custom_summary_name: 'values.mean().round(3)'
# Define one or more views
views:
- type: table | cards | list | map
name: "View Name"
limit: 10 # Optional: limit results
groupBy: # Optional: group results
property: property_name
direction: ASC | DESC
filters: # View-specific filters
and: []
order: # Properties to display in order
- file.name
- property_name
- formula.formula_name
summaries: # Map properties to summary formulas
property_name: Average
Filters narrow down results. They can be applied globally or per-view.
# Single filter
filters: 'status == "done"'
# AND - all conditions must be true
filters:
and:
- 'status == "done"'
- 'priority > 3'
# OR - any condition can be true
filters:
or:
- file.hasTag("book")
- file.hasTag("article")
# NOT - exclude matching items
filters:
not:
- file.hasTag("archived")
# Nested filters
filters:
or:
- file.hasTag("tag")
- and:
- file.hasTag("book")
- file.hasLink("Textbook")
- not:
- file.hasTag("book")
- file.inFolder("Required Reading")
| Operator | Description |
|---|---|
== | equals |
!= | not equal |
> | greater than |
< | less than |
>= | greater than or equal |
<= | less than or equal |
&& | logical and |
|| | logical or |
! | logical not |
note.author or just authorfile.name, file.mtime, etc.formula.my_formula| Property | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
file.name | String | File name |
file.basename | String | File name without extension |
file.path | String | Full path to file |
file.folder | String | Parent folder path |
file.ext | String | File extension |
file.size | Number | File size in bytes |
file.ctime | Date | Created time |
file.mtime | Date | Modified time |
file.tags | List | All tags in file |
file.links | List | Internal links in file |
file.backlinks | List | Files linking to this file |
file.embeds | List | Embeds in the note |
file.properties | Object | All frontmatter properties |
this KeywordFormulas compute values from properties. Defined in the formulas section.
formulas:
# Simple arithmetic
total: "price * quantity"
# Conditional logic
status_icon: 'if(done, "check", "pending")'
# String formatting
formatted_price: 'if(price, price.toFixed(2) + " dollars")'
# Date formatting
created: 'file.ctime.format("YYYY-MM-DD")'
# Complex expressions
days_old: '((now() - file.ctime) / 86400000).round(0)'
| Function | Signature | Description |
|---|---|---|
date() | date(string): date | Parse string to date |
duration() | duration(string): duration | Parse duration string |
now() | now(): date | Current date and time |
today() | today(): date | Current date (time = 00:00:00) |
if() | if(condition, trueResult, falseResult?) | Conditional |
min() | min(n1, n2, ...): number | Smallest number |
max() | max(n1, n2, ...): number | Largest number |
number() | number(any): number | Convert to number |
link() | link(path, display?): Link | Create a link |
list() | list(element): List | Wrap in list if not already |
file() | file(path): file | Get file object |
image() | image(path): image | Create image for rendering |
icon() | icon(name): icon | Lucide icon by name |
html() | html(string): html | Render as HTML |
escapeHTML() | escapeHTML(string): string | Escape HTML characters |
Fields: date.year, date.month, date.day, date.hour, date.minute, date.second, date.millisecond
| Function | Signature | Description |
|---|---|---|
date() | date.date(): date | Remove time portion |
format() | date.format(string): string | Format with Moment.js pattern |
time() | date.time(): string | Get time as string |
relative() | date.relative(): string | Human-readable relative time |
isEmpty() | date.isEmpty(): boolean | Always false for dates |
# Duration units: y/year/years, M/month/months, d/day/days,
# w/week/weeks, h/hour/hours, m/minute/minutes, s/second/seconds
# Add/subtract durations
"date + \"1M\"" # Add 1 month
"date - \"2h\"" # Subtract 2 hours
"now() + \"1 day\"" # Tomorrow
"today() + \"7d\"" # A week from today
# Subtract dates for millisecond difference
"now() - file.ctime"
# Complex duration arithmetic
"now() + (duration('1d') * 2)"
Field: string.length
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
contains(value) | Check substring |
containsAll(...values) | All substrings present |
containsAny(...values) | Any substring present |
startsWith(query) | Starts with query |
endsWith(query) | Ends with query |
isEmpty() | Empty or not present |
lower() | To lowercase |
title() | To Title Case |
trim() | Remove whitespace |
replace(pattern, replacement) | Replace pattern |
repeat(count) | Repeat string |
reverse() | Reverse string |
slice(start, end?) | Substring |
split(separator, n?) | Split to list |
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
abs() | Absolute value |
ceil() | Round up |
floor() | Round down |
round(digits?) | Round to digits |
toFixed(precision) | Fixed-point notation |
isEmpty() | Not present |
Field: list.length
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
contains(value) | Element exists |
containsAll(...values) | All elements exist |
containsAny(...values) | Any element exists |
filter(expression) | Filter by condition (uses value, index) |
map(expression) | Transform elements (uses value, index) |
reduce(expression, initial) | Reduce to single value (uses value, index, acc) |
flat() | Flatten nested lists |
join(separator) | Join to string |
reverse() | Reverse order |
slice(start, end?) | Sublist |
sort() | Sort ascending |
unique() | Remove duplicates |
isEmpty() | No elements |
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
asLink(display?) | Convert to link |
hasLink(otherFile) | Has link to file |
hasTag(...tags) | Has any of the tags |
hasProperty(name) | Has property |
inFolder(folder) | In folder or subfolder |
views:
- type: table
name: "My Table"
order:
- file.name
- status
- due_date
summaries:
price: Sum
count: Average
views:
- type: cards
name: "Gallery"
order:
- file.name
- cover_image
- description
views:
- type: list
name: "Simple List"
order:
- file.name
- status
Requires latitude/longitude properties and the Maps plugin.
views:
- type: map
name: "Locations"
| Name | Input Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
Average | Number | Mathematical mean |
Min | Number | Smallest number |
Max | Number | Largest number |
Sum | Number | Sum of all numbers |
Range | Number | Max - Min |
Median | Number | Mathematical median |
Stddev | Number | Standard deviation |
Earliest | Date | Earliest date |
Latest | Date | Latest date |
Checked | Boolean | Count of true values |
Unchecked | Boolean | Count of false values |
Empty | Any | Count of empty values |
Filled | Any | Count of non-empty values |
Unique | Any | Count of unique values |
filters:
and:
- file.hasTag("task")
- 'file.ext == "md"'
formulas:
days_until_due: 'if(due, ((date(due) - today()) / 86400000).round(0), "")'
is_overdue: 'if(due, date(due) < today() && status != "done", false)'
priority_label: 'if(priority == 1, "High", if(priority == 2, "Medium", "Low"))'
properties:
status:
displayName: Status
formula.days_until_due:
displayName: "Days Until Due"
formula.priority_label:
displayName: Priority
views:
- type: table
name: "Active Tasks"
filters:
and:
- 'status != "done"'
order:
- file.name
- status
- formula.priority_label
- due
- formula.days_until_due
groupBy:
property: status
direction: ASC
summaries:
formula.days_until_due: Average
- type: table
name: "Completed"
filters:
and:
- 'status == "done"'
order:
- file.name
- completed_date
filters:
or:
- file.hasTag("book")
- file.hasTag("article")
formulas:
reading_time: 'if(pages, (pages * 2).toString() + " min", "")'
status_icon: 'if(status == "reading", "reading", if(status == "done", "done", "to-read"))'
year_read: 'if(finished_date, date(finished_date).year, "")'
properties:
author:
displayName: Author
formula.status_icon:
displayName: ""
formula.reading_time:
displayName: "Est. Time"
views:
- type: cards
name: "Library"
order:
- cover
- file.name
- author
- formula.status_icon
filters:
not:
- 'status == "dropped"'
- type: table
name: "Reading List"
filters:
and:
- 'status == "to-read"'
order:
- file.name
- author
- pages
- formula.reading_time
filters:
and:
- file.inFolder("Projects")
- 'file.ext == "md"'
formulas:
last_updated: 'file.mtime.relative()'
link_count: 'file.links.length'
summaries:
avgLinks: 'values.filter(value.isType("number")).mean().round(1)'
properties:
formula.last_updated:
displayName: "Updated"
formula.link_count:
displayName: "Links"
views:
- type: table
name: "All Projects"
order:
- file.name
- status
- formula.last_updated
- formula.link_count
summaries:
formula.link_count: avgLinks
groupBy:
property: status
direction: ASC
- type: list
name: "Quick List"
order:
- file.name
- status
filters:
and:
- file.inFolder("Daily Notes")
- '/^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}$/.matches(file.basename)'
formulas:
word_estimate: '(file.size / 5).round(0)'
day_of_week: 'date(file.basename).format("dddd")'
properties:
formula.day_of_week:
displayName: "Day"
formula.word_estimate:
displayName: "~Words"
views:
- type: table
name: "Recent Notes"
limit: 30
order:
- file.name
- formula.day_of_week
- formula.word_estimate
- file.mtime
Embed in Markdown files:
![[MyBase.base]]
<!-- Specific view -->
![[MyBase.base#View Name]]
'if(done, "Yes", "No")'"My View Name"filters:
and:
- file.hasTag("project")
filters:
and:
- file.inFolder("Notes")
filters:
and:
- 'file.mtime > now() - "7d"'
filters:
and:
- 'status == "active"'
- 'priority >= 3'
filters:
or:
- and:
- file.hasTag("important")
- 'status != "done"'
- and:
- 'priority == 1'
- 'due != ""'
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Work with Obsidian vaults (plain Markdown notes) and automate via obsidian-cli.
Set up and use 1Password CLI (op). Use when installing the CLI, enabling desktop app integration, signing in (single or multi-account), or reading/injecting/running secrets via op.
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Work with Obsidian vaults (plain Markdown notes) and automate via obsidian-cli.
Set up and use 1Password CLI (op). Use when installing the CLI, enabling desktop app integration, signing in (single or multi-account), or reading/injecting/running secrets via op.