Add support for daily notes template

README.org

@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ Emacs front-end for [[https://obsidian.md/][Obsidian Notes]].
   - [[#searching-notes][Searching notes]]
   - [[#finding-all-notes-with-a-tag][Finding all notes with a tag]]
   - [[#move-note-to-another-folder][Move note to another folder]]
+  - [[#templates][Templates]]
 - [[#why-obsidianel-and-not][Why obsidian.el and not...]]
   - [[#obsidian-app-itself-athens-research-or-any-other-great-app][Obsidian App itself, Athens Research or any other great app?]]
   - [[#org-roam-or-any-other-great-emacs-libraries][Org-roam or any other great Emacs libraries?]]
@@ -48,6 +49,11 @@ Put this in your ~init.el~:
   ;(setq obsidian-wiki-link-create-file-in-inbox nil)
   ;; You may want to define a folder for daily notes. By default it is the inbox.
   ;(setq obsidian-daily-notes-directory "Daily Notes")
+  ;; Directory of note templates, unset (nil) by default
+  ;(setq obsidian-templates-directory "Templates")
+  ;; Daily Note template name - requires a template directory. Default: Daily Note Template.md
+  ;(setq obsidian-daily-note-template "Daily Note Template.md")
+
 
   ;; Define obsidian-mode bindings
   (add-hook
@@ -90,6 +96,10 @@ Put this in your ~init.el~:
     ;(obsidian-wiki-link-create-file-in-inbox nil)
     ;; The directory for daily notes (file name is YYYY-MM-DD.md)
     (obsidian-daily-notes-directory "Daily Notes")
+    ;; Directory of note templates, unset (nil) by default
+    ;(obsidian-templates-directory "Templates")
+    ;; Daily Note template name - requires a template directory. Default: Daily Note Template.md
+    ;(setq obsidian-daily-note-template "Daily Note Template.md")
     :bind (:map obsidian-mode-map
     ;; Replace C-c C-o with Obsidian.el's implementation. It's ok to use another key binding.
     ("C-c C-o" . obsidian-follow-link-at-point)
@@ -247,6 +257,11 @@ Use ~obsidian-move-file~ to move current note to another folder:
   M-x obsidian-move-file RET
 #+end_src
 
+** Templates
+
+Obsidian.el has a basic template support, where the Obsidian app's template placeholders can be used,
+without customization. {{title}}, {{date}}, and {{time}} can be used. {{title}} is the name of the file without the extension.
+
 *** Development tasks
 - [X] Specify Obsidian folder and save it in variables
 - [X] Enumerate files in the Obsidian folder and save a list

obsidian.el

@@ -86,6 +86,16 @@
   "Subdir to create daily notes with `obsidian-daily-note'. Default: the inbox directory"
   :type 'directory)
 
+(defcustom obsidian-templates-directory nil
+  "Subdir containing templates"
+  :type 'directory
+)
+
+(defcustom obsidian-daily-note-template "Daily Note Template.md"
+  "Daily notes' template filename in templates directory"
+  :type 'file
+)
+
 (eval-when-compile (defvar local-minor-modes))
 
 (defun obsidian--directory-files-pre28 (orig-func dir &optional full match nosort ignored)
@@ -492,6 +502,10 @@ in `obsidian-directory' root.
          (clean-filename (s-replace "//" "/" filename)))
     (find-file (expand-file-name clean-filename) t)
     (save-buffer)
+    (if (and obsidian-templates-directory obsidian-daily-note-template (eq (buffer-size) 0))
+      (progn
+        (obsidian-apply-template (s-concat obsidian-directory "/" obsidian-templates-directory "/" obsidian-daily-note-template))
+        (save-buffer)))
     (add-to-list 'obsidian-files-cache clean-filename)))
 
 ;;;###autoload
@@ -686,6 +700,24 @@ See `markdown-follow-link-at-point' and
          (_ (-map (lambda (f) (puthash f (obsidian--expand-file-name f) dict)) coll)))
     dict))
 
+(defun obsidian-apply-template (template-filename)
+  "Apply the template for the current buffer. Template vars: {{title}}, {{date}}, and {{time}}"
+  (let* ((title (file-name-sans-extension (file-name-nondirectory buffer-file-name)))
+         (date (format-time-string "%Y-%m-%d"))
+         (time (format-time-string "%H:%M:%S"))
+         (m (point))
+         (template-content (with-temp-buffer
+                             (insert-file-contents template-filename)
+                             (buffer-string)))
+         (output-content (replace-regexp-in-string "{{title}}" title template-content))
+         (output-content (replace-regexp-in-string "{{date}}" date output-content))
+         (output-content (replace-regexp-in-string "{{time}}" time output-content))
+         (output-size (length output-content)))
+         (goto-char (point-min))
+         (insert output-content)
+         (message "Template variables replaced and inserted to the buffer")
+         (goto-char m)))
+
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun obsidian-backlink-jump ()
   "Select a backlink to this file and follow it."