In this post, I'll introduce Obsidian, the note-taking app I use for both my professional work and Personal Knowledge Management (PKM).

Personally, I use it for idea organization and knowledge management. In work, I use it as a tool to organize brainstorming, analyze requirement, and solve problem step-by-step.

Intro

What is Obsidian?

Obsidian is a local-first note-taking application that uses Markdown files to help you build a systematic knowledge base.

Key Features of Obsidian

Linking: By connecting individual notes with links, you can build a network of complex ideas and information.
Personal Knowledge Management (PKM): It is perfectly suited for building a PKM system, which aimed at enhancing productivity and facilitating creative problem-solving.
Local-First: All files are stored locally on your machine, making the app lightweight and providing a significant security advantage.
Customizable: With a rich ecosystem of plugins and templates, you can customize Obsidian to fit your specific workflow.

Obsidian's Philosophy

Obsidian's philosophy is to "build a second brain outside of your own."
It aims to function as a tool that helps users connect, expand, and restructure their knowledge.

Basic Markdown Syntax

Obsidian renders Markdown syntax in real-time for the user. Below is a summary of frequently used Markdown syntax. You can write more conveniently using keyboard shortcuts or the "Editing Toolbar" plugin.

Heading: Use the # symbol to display headings.
The number of # symbols determines the heading level.
- # Heading 1
- ## Heading 2
- ### Heading 3
- #### Heading 4
- ##### Heading 5
Ordered List: Use the 1. , 2. , 3. format to display an ordered list
```
 1. first
 2. second
 3. third
```
Unordered List: Use the - format to create a bullet point.
Emphasis: Bold, Italic, Highlight
- Bold: **Text**
- Italic: *Text*
- Highlight: ==Text==
Inserting a URL Link: Write links in the format [Display Text](URL).
- Example: [Google](https://www.google.com)
Inserting an Image: Insert images in the format ![Alt Text](Image URL).
- The ! symbol is used to embed the content directly.
Inserting Inline Code: Use single backticks(` ) to display inline code.
- Example: [](int x, int y){ return x+y; }
Inserting a Code Block: Use triple backticks to display a code block.
```
 class Widget {
 public:
     ...
 private:
     ...
 };
```
Horizontal Rule: Use --- to insert a horizontal rule.

Basic Obsidian usage

Creating a vault

A Vault is the primary workspace in Obsidian. To begin working, you must first create a Vault.
A Vault contains all the files stored within a specific directory.
How to Create a Vault
1. Launch Obsidian and select ‘Create a new Vault’.
2. Enter a name for your Vault and choose a folder location to save it.
3. Click the ‘Create’ button to generate the new Vault.

Files and Folders

Obsidian supports a folder-based structure.
To create a new note, click the ‘New note’ button in the top-left corner of the Obsidian screen, or use the shortcut Ctrl + n.
Folders and notes can be moved using drag and drop.

In my workflow, when I start working on a JIRA ticket,

I first create a corresponding folder (can be named with the JIRA identifier or a more descriptive name.)
Then I create a main note (usually named 'dashboard') to manage the overall progress of the task. As the work progresses, I create additional notes and folders.

Editing and Reading View

You can toggle between Editing and Reading view using the shortcut Ctrl + e.

Editing view: The mode for writing directly using Markdown syntax.
Reading view: Allows you to see how the Markdown document is rendered; editing is restricted in this mode.

Links

One of Obsidian's core features is connecting information by linking different notes.

How to create links
- Link to another note
  - Use the format [[Note Name]].
  - If the corresponding note does not exist, a new note will be created.
- Link to a specific part of a note
  - Link to a header
    - By adding a # after the note name, you can link to a specific header.
    - Example: [[Note Name#Header Name]]
  - Link to a block
    - By adding #^ after the note name, you can link to a specific block (paragraph).
- Assigning an Alias
  - You can make links more concise by assigning an alias.
  - To assign an alias, use the | symbol to the right of the link and enter your desired alias.
  - Example: [[Note Name#Header Name|Alias]]

In my workflow, when I have a problem to solve,

I break it down into steps and create linked notes for each step to track progress.
Add checkboxes by entering ctrl + t twice

This helps me ensure all requirements are met without missing anything.

Backlinks

Obsidian provides a Backlinks feature that allows you to see how a specific note is referenced by other notes, supporting effective navigation between parent and child notes.

How to check backlinks
- You can view them in the ‘Backlinks’ panel at the top of a note.
- By going to Settings > Core plugins > Backlinks, you can configure it to display backlink information at the bottom of the note.

Embed

Embedding is a feature in Obsidian that allows you to insert other notes, images, or files directly into a note for immediate content reference.

Embed a note
- You can embed another note using the format ![[Note Name]].
Embed an image
- You can embed an image using the format ![Alt Text](Image Path).

In Obsidian's preferences, you can specify the path where new attachments (added via drag-and-drop or pasting) will be located. For ease of management, I have set the default location to be in the same folder.

Search Function

Obsidian provides a search function to quickly find specific words or phrases within your notes.

You can access it by clicking the magnifying glass icon or using the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + f

Command Palette

The Command Palette in Obsidian allows you to quickly execute various commands.

You can open the Command Palette using the shortcut Ctrl + p.
You can type the name of a command to search

Hotkeys

You can configure hotkeys in Settings > Hotkeys.

Here are a few settings I use:
- ctrl + b : Bold (default setting)
- ctrl + i : Italic (default setting)
- alt + ↑/↓ : Move line up/down
- alt + h : Highlight
- alt + d : Strikethrough
- ctrl + t : Cycle bullet/checkbox

Graph View

Obsidian has a Graph View feature that visually displays the connections between your notes.

How to open
- Click the ‘Open graph view’ icon in the left sidebar.
- Use the shortcut Ctrl + g

Plugins

Core Plugins

Core plugins are features that allow you to enable or disable some of Obsidian's built-in functionalities.

You can manage settings for Core Plugins in the Settings > Core Plugins.

Community Plugins

Obsidian has community plugins, like extensions in VSCode.
You can download, enable, or disable them in Preferences > Community plugins.

Here are the plugins I recommend starting with:

Recent files
- Displays recently opened files in the sidebar.
Editing toolbar
- Adds a ribbon menu to the top of the note with useful editing tools.
File Explorer Note Count
- Shows the number of notes within each folder in the sidebar.
Excalidraw
- A tool for sketching. It's useful for drawing simple diagrams.
- You can use Obsidian features within the canvas, such as

Boosting Productivity : How I Use Obsidian as an Engineer