Obsidian is the best tool of the year!

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As an en Engineer and as a self-driven person, I was a little frustrated with the notes that I was taking since I wasn’t able to find the right app for my coding notes. After a while and after 7 years of knowing how to code, I finally found a way to write, play, and save my notes.

This application is called Obsidian, you can download this tool by using this link https://obsidian.md/. This app can be installed on all of your computers and mobile devices “iOS, or Android”. Obsidian is a markdown note-taking app that has quickly become a favorite among developers and programmers for its simplicity and flexibility. Here are a few reasons why Obsidian is the best tool for taking coding notes:

1. Markdown support: Obsidian is built on top of markdown, a lightweight markup language that makes it easy to format text and insert code snippets. This means that you can easily create headings, lists, tables, and more, all while keeping your notes organized and readable.
2. Code blocks: Obsidian allows you to easily insert code blocks into your notes, making it a great tool for keeping track of code snippets and examples. The app supports syntax highlighting for a variety of programming languages, which makes it easy to identify different elements of your code.
3. Linking: Obsidian supports linking between notes, this feature is called “backlinks” which means you can link your note to other notes that it relevant to. This means that you can easily connect related notes together, making it easy to navigate your notes and find the information you need.
4. Customizable: Obsidian is highly customizable, you can adjust the layout, appearance, and functionality. You can use different themes, fonts, layouts, and also use plugins. Obsidian supports many plugins to help you improve productivity, automate tasks, and even create a personal wiki.
5. Version control: Obsidian allows you to access version control software (like git) directly from the app, this is especially useful for developers. This allows you to track changes in your notes over time and easily revert to an earlier version if needed.

This is just a scenario of how it looks:

The best way to get you up and running with Obsidian:

1. Download and install Obsidian: You can download the latest version of Obsidian from the official website: https://obsidian.md/
2. Create a vault: A vault is a location where all your notes will be stored, once you open Obsidian, it will prompt you to create a new vault or open an existing one. Once you create it, you will be able to access all your notes and folders from the sidebar on the left.
3. Create a new note: To create a new note, you can click on the “New Note” button on the sidebar or press Ctrl + N (on Windows or Linux) or Cmd + N (on Mac). You can also right-click on a folder in the sidebar to create a new note.
4. Start taking notes: Once you’ve created a new note, you can start typing in your notes. Obsidian supports markdown syntax, so you can format your text using headings, lists, tables, and more.
5. Add links and attachments: Obsidian allows you to link to other notes, attachments and web pages, this is particularly useful for creating connections between related notes. To link a note, you can use the [[]] syntax, for example, [[my-other-note]].
6. Customize and explore plugins: Obsidian has a vast collection of plugins that allow you to extend the functionality and automate tasks, you can install them from the built-in plugin manager, and you can also explore the different themes and adjust the appearance of the app to your preference.

You can use access version control features directly from the app and keep track of your notes and changes over time. The guide to doing this is the following:

1. Make sure you have git installed: You can check if git is installed by opening a terminal window and running the command git --version. If git is not installed, you can download it from the official website: https://git-scm.com/
2. Initialize a git repository in your vault’s location: Open a terminal window, navigate to your vault’s location, and run the command git init to initialize a new git repository.
3. Add your vault to the repository: Run the command git add . to add all the files in the vault to the repository.
4. Commit your changes: Run the command git commit -m "Initial commit" to commit your changes and save them to the repository.
5. Connect your repository to a remote: You can link your local repository to a remote repository on a Git hosting platform such as GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket by using the command git remote add origin <remote-repository-url>
6. Push your changes to the remote: Run the command git push -u origin master to push your initial commit to the remote repository.

Once you have connected your git repository to Obsidian, you can start using version control features like branching, merging, and rolling back changes directly from the app. You can also use Git from the command line to review history, revert changes, or collaborate with others. Keep in mind that Obsidian’s built-in version control features are just a simple UI for git, you can also use other git clients or terminals for more advanced usage.

How can I add extensions? Here’s how you can add extensions to Obsidian:

1. Open Obsidian: Start the Obsidian app and open the vault if you want to add the extension to.
2. Access the plugin manager: Click on the settings icon in the top right corner of the Obsidian window, then click on “Plugins” to open the plugin manager.
3. Browse the available plugins: You can browse the list of available plugins by category, or search for a specific plugin by name. You can also see the detail of each plugin by clicking on its name.
4. Install a plugin: To install a plugin, click on the “Install” button next to the plugin you want to add. Obsidian will then download and install the plugin for you.
5. Enable and configure the plugin: After installing the plugin, you can enable it and adjust the settings by clicking on the “Enabled” toggle in the plugin manager. Some plugins might have additional settings that you can configure by clicking on the gear icon next to the plugin name.
6. Use the plugin: Once you have installed and enabled a plugin, you can use it right away. Some plugins might add new functionality to the Obsidian interface, while others might add new commands or keybindings.

Note that some plugins need additional dependencies to be installed or other configurations, please check the plugins’ documentation before installing them. Obsidian’s community is constantly creating new plugins and updating existing ones, so you can check for updates frequently to get the latest functionality.

In my opinion, for developers and programmers, Obsidian is the perfect tool for taking notes and keeping track of code snippets and examples. The flexibility and the ability to customize make it a personalized tool for every user.