obsidian-bases

Obsidian Bases Skill

Workflow

1. Create the file: Create a .base file in the vault with valid YAML content
2. Define scope: Add filters to select which notes appear (by tag, folder, property, or date)
3. Add formulas (optional): Define computed properties in the formulas section
4. Configure views: Add one or more views (table, cards, list, or map) with order specifying which properties to display
5. Validate: Verify the file is valid YAML with no syntax errors. Check that all referenced properties and formulas exist.
6. Test in Obsidian: Open the .base file in Obsidian to confirm the view renders correctly.

Schema

Base files use the .base extension and contain valid YAML.

# Global filters apply to ALL views in the base
filters:
  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"

# Define one or more views
views:
  - type: table | cards | list | map
    name: "View Name"
    limit: 10
    groupBy:
      property: property_name
      direction: ASC | DESC
    filters:
      and: []
    order:
      - file.name
      - property_name
      - formula.formula_name

Filter Syntax

# 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")'

Formula Syntax

formulas:
  status_icon: 'if(done, "✅", "⏳")'
  days_old: '(now() - file.ctime).days'
  days_until_due: 'if(due_date, (date(due_date) - today()).days, "")'

YAML Quoting Rules

• Use single quotes for formulas containing double quotes: 'if(done, "Yes", "No")'
• Use double quotes for simple strings: "My View Name"

Troubleshooting

Duration math: Subtracting dates returns a Duration, not a number. Always access .days, .hours, etc.

# CORRECT
"(now() - file.ctime).days.round(0)"

Missing null checks: Use if() to guard optional properties.

References

• Bases Syntax
• Functions
• Views