TileLineBase

The Native Plain-Text Database for Obsidian

Build multidimensional tables right inside your Markdown notes. Zero Frontmatter. Zero code.

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Features

A Powerful & Intelligent Table

Create structured data tables directly within your Markdown notes, flexibly supporting various scenarios.

Flexible Views: Table, Kanban, Gallery & Slides

One set of records, four powerful ways to interact:

• Filtered Table: Freely combine Filter and Sort rules into saved views. Slice your data by project or status, and enjoy full multiline text editing support.

• Kanban Board: Map any Select or List field to lanes—not just Status. Easily regroup your data by Priority, Tags, or Author to see a different dimension of your notes.

• Gallery View (Beta): Visualize notes as fully customizable cards. Design custom layouts with the Template Engine, and streamline organization via View Groups and Right-click actions.

• Slide View: Turn rows into focused slides—perfect for distraction-free thinking or simple presentations. Easily customize layouts, with built-in support for inline images and live previews.

Smart Fields

Basic inline formulas (simple arithmetic), intelligent date/time parsing, and automatic linking of notes and references—all seamlessly integrated and continuously refined.

Built-in GTD Workflow

Comes with built-in task status fields (Todo, In Progress, Done, On Hold, Someday, Canceled), providing corresponding filtered view groups and Kanban views by default, enabling immediate and easy task management.

A Database Native to Text

Fully text-based, free from complex data formats and extra markup, intuitively supporting structured content.

Single Note as Database

Aggregate all related structured records tightly within a single .md note. This maintains contextual associations, reduces management overhead, and effectively facilitates overall review and thinking.

Implicit Structuring

No Frontmatter, no code markup. The data structure is implicitly contained within plain text, providing a human- and machine-friendly data representation that lets you read and write naturally.

Open Data Interaction

Supports convenient data interaction and movement across various internal and external platforms, enabling more flexible organization and utilization of information.

Text Import Wizard

Quickly transform text blocks into valid TileLineBase records. Define simple patterns to map content to fields, instantly generating the required structure without manual formatting.

Seamless Obsidian Integration

Records can move flexibly across different table notes or be converted into standalone Obsidian notes; table notes can also be migrated across Vaults with all configurations intact.

Easy Spreadsheet Sync

Supports CSV import/export, compatible with mainstream spreadsheet software, allowing batch editing and data organization.

Efficient LLM Communication

Uses a clear, self-contained plain-text format that can interact seamlessly with Large Language Models (LLM) without additional processing

Safety & Architecture

• Isolation: The plugin only processes the specific file where you switch to the TileLineBase view. It never scans your other notes.
• Decoupling: Your data stays in the .md file. View settings stay in the plugin. Your notes remain standard Markdown, even if you uninstall the plugin.
• Protection: Built-in auto-backup keeps a history of file snapshots, preventing accidental data loss.

Installation

TileLineBase is currently in Early Beta and is not yet available via Obsidian's Community Plugins list. You can install it via BRAT or manually:

Via BRAT (Recommended)

1. Install BRAT from Community Plugins.
2. Run command BRAT: Add a beta plugin for testing.
3. Enter URL: https://github.com/campfirium/obsidian-tile-line-base

Development

For local development, install dependencies with npm ci.

Use npm install <package> only when you are intentionally adding, removing, or upgrading a dependency and need to refresh package-lock.json.

After dependency changes, run npm run deps:hardening:check.

Tips & Tweaks

• Status Icon and Row Background Customization

Feedback & Discussion

We welcome feedback, suggestions, questions, and bug reports — wherever you prefer to discuss.

You can:

• Join or start a conversation on the Obsidian Forum thread.
• Open an Issue on GitHub if you want to track something more formally.
• Or hang out on my personal forum, Campfirium, where broader ideas and side discussions are also welcome.

Feel free to use whichever space works best for you.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to AG Grid for providing excellent grid functionalities, which significantly enhanced the table interactions in TileLineBase.

License

TileLineBase is released under the MIT License.