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Flash Navigator

iyiooniyioon39 downloads

Flash-style label-based navigation with Vim workflows.

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  • Scorecard
  • Updates4

Flash-style label navigation inspired by folke/flash.nvim.

Flash Nav demo

Fast flow:

  1. Trigger Start jump (or mapped s in Vim normal mode).
  2. Type a search pattern.
  3. Press the label character to jump.

Features

  • Start flash mode from command palette: Start jump
  • Type a pattern, see label hints, press label to jump
  • Controls: Backspace edit pattern, Enter jump current target, Esc cancel
  • Vim-friendly workflow via Obsidian hotkeys or .obsidian.vimrc
  • Configurable settings:
    • label alphabet
    • label reuse mode (none/lowercase/all)
    • label current match toggle
    • label color and current label color (with reset to current accent)
    • search direction (closest/forward/backward)
    • search scope (viewport/current line/document)
    • case sensitive and smart-case matching
    • auto-jump on single match
    • backdrop dim opacity

Setup (Development)

Based on the official Obsidian build workflow: https://docs.obsidian.md/Plugins/Getting+started/Build+a+plugin

  1. Clone this repository.
  2. Run npm install.
  3. Run npm run dev (watch mode) or npm run build.
    • Run npm run test for matcher/labeler unit checks.
  4. Copy this repo into your vault plugin folder:
    • <Vault>/.obsidian/plugins/flash-navigator/
  5. In Obsidian, enable Community plugins and turn on Flash Navigator.

Vim Mapping (.obsidian.vimrc)

If you use obsidian-vimrc-support, add this to your vault root .obsidian.vimrc:

" Optional: release default 's' behavior
nunmap s
vunmap s

" Alias Obsidian command id to a short ex command
exmap flash obcommand flash-navigator:flash-nav-start

" Map normal mode and visual mode s to flash
nmap s :flash<CR>
vmap s :flash<CR>

Notes:

  • Command id is flash-navigator:flash-nav-start.
  • <CR> is required for ex command mappings in recent codemirror-vim versions.
  • Visual mode requires vmap s :flash<CR>; without it, Vim keeps default visual substitute behavior.
  • obcommand is provided by obsidian-vimrc-support and may change; fallback is direct Obsidian hotkey binding.
  • Run :obcommand to inspect available command ids.

Project

  • GitHub issues: https://github.com/iyioon/obsidian-flash-nav/issues
  • GitHub milestones: https://github.com/iyioon/obsidian-flash-nav/milestones
  • Release process: docs/RELEASING.md
  • Automated releases on tag push: .github/workflows/release.yml

Performance Profiling (Dev)

To enable compute profiling logs in the developer console:

globalThis.__FLASH_NAV_PROFILE__ = true

Disable it with:

globalThis.__FLASH_NAV_PROFILE__ = false

When enabled, slow refresh cycles (>= 8ms) are logged with pattern length, match count, scope, and direction.

Contributing

When opening a PR:

  1. Link the issue/milestone item.
  2. Mention relevant Obsidian docs used for implementation decisions.
  3. Include verification notes (mode tested, vault setup, expected behavior).

References

  • Obsidian build guide: https://docs.obsidian.md/Plugins/Getting+started/Build+a+plugin
  • Editor extensions: https://docs.obsidian.md/Plugins/Editor/Editor+extensions
  • View plugins: https://docs.obsidian.md/Plugins/Editor/View+plugins
  • State fields: https://docs.obsidian.md/Plugins/Editor/State+fields
  • Plugin guidelines: https://docs.obsidian.md/Plugins/Releasing/Plugin+guidelines
  • Submit plugin: https://docs.obsidian.md/Plugins/Releasing/Submit+your+plugin
  • flash.nvim: https://github.com/folke/flash.nvim
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About
Start flash-style label navigation to jump instantly by typing a search pattern, watching labeled hints, and pressing a label to go there. Use Vim-friendly hotkeys, control search scope/direction and case matching, and enable optional auto-jump on a single match for speedy, precise navigation.
NavigationSearchVim
Details
Current version
0.2.3
Last updated
2 months ago
Created
2 months ago
Updates
4 releases
Downloads
39
Compatible with
Obsidian 1.5.0+
Platforms
Desktop, Mobile
License
MIT
Report bugRequest featureReport plugin
Sponsor
Buy Me a Coffee
Author
iyiooniyioon
github.com/iyioon
GitHubiyioon
  1. Community
  2. Plugins
  3. Navigation
  4. Flash Navigator

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