[Feature request] Automaton is not planned?

[Mistmage]

Are there plans for automaton? It is probably possible to somehow bodge it, but it would be nice if there build in functionality.
What i need personally is assigning status based on tag within a note, but there many ways it can go,

[Mistmage]

Current bodge,
because of the current frontmatter structure only works on defined values, and i have no idea how to make it work with regex.

It searches note for all the tags, and then changes status property to the value of the topmost found tag from tagToStatus.
As i have said it only works if the status property exist, is not undefined and is set to any of the knownStatuses

<%*
const file = app.workspace.getActiveFile();
let content = await app.vault.read(file);
let lines = content.split("\n");

// Define allowed current values to match
const knownStatuses = ["draft", "active", "pending", "idea", "To Do", "In Progress", "Waiting", "Complete"];

// Define tag to new status mapping
const tagToStatus = {
  "#todo": "To Do",
  "#draft": "In Progress",
  "#done": "Complete",
  "#waiting": "Waiting"
};

// Extract tags
const tagMatches = [...content.matchAll(/#([\w/-]+)/g)];
const tags = tagMatches.map(m => `#${m[1]}`);

// Determine new status from tag
let newStatus = null;
for (const tag in tagToStatus) {
  if (tags.includes(tag)) {
    newStatus = tagToStatus[tag];
    break;
  }
}

if (!newStatus) {
  console.log("No matching tag found.");
  return;
}

// Find and replace obsidian-note-status in lines
for (let i = 0; i < lines.length - 1; i++) {
  if (lines[i].trim() === "obsidian-note-status:") {
    const nextLine = lines[i + 1]?.trim();
    if (nextLine?.startsWith("- ")) {
      const value = nextLine.slice(2).trim();
      if (knownStatuses.includes(value)) {
        lines[i + 1] = `  - ${newStatus}`;
        break;
      }
    }
  }
}

await app.vault.modify(file, lines.join("\n"));
%>

[soler1212]

Thank you @Mistmage for the detailed feature request! I really appreciate you taking the time to share your use case and even providing a working workaround.

Automation is definitely an interesting feature that could add significant value to the plugin. While it's not currently on the immediate roadmap, I can see how automatically assigning statuses based on various criteria would benefit many users.

Regarding the frontmatter format you mentioned - I've noticed your question and will address it in detail on issue #11 where you raised it specifically.

For a native automation feature, I'm considering several potential approaches:

1. Tag-based rules: Automatically assign status when specific tags are detected
2. Date-based rules: Change status based on creation/modification dates or deadlines
3. Content pattern rules: Match regex patterns to assign statuses
4. Event-based triggers: Status changes triggered by specific Obsidian events

To help shape this feature, I'd love to hear more about your specific needs:

• Which triggers would be most valuable for your workflow?
• Do you need simple tag-to-status mapping, or would more complex conditional rules be helpful?
• Should automation run continuously in the background, or would on-demand/scheduled execution work better?

I'm adding this to the feature consideration list. Since this is a relatively new plugin, I'm currently prioritizing core stability and bug fixes to ensure a robust foundation. Once the base functionality is solid, I'll evaluate automation features for future releases.

Your feedback is invaluable in shaping the plugin's direction. Thanks again for contributing!

[Mistmage]

My workflow, is outdated, and therefore mostly dependant on tags in the note.
I do things to improve it, and that why i really like "Note statuses" as it allows to add visible status on top of tag inside.

Because of that my use case is probably not standard.

1. Tag-based rules: Automatically assign status when specific tags are detected
   I personally need that the most. - as whole data of my note is tag based.
   I will highlight the fact that what i need is tags in the note, not frontmatter tags.

2. Date-based rules: Change status based on creation/modification dates or deadlines
   It is a nice feature someone, probably need, but it is not me. I have nothing to do with dates

3. Content pattern rules: Match regex patterns to assign statuses
   It is incredibly powerful, but in reality i am not sure what it can be used for.
   It depends on optimisation of course, but i do feel that, everything can be solved with tags

4. Event-based triggers: Status changes triggered by specific Obsidian events
   It is probably too much? It would be really really good to have an actual plugin that can do that properly
   But it is probably overkill to add it here.

5. Properties based rules: assigning status based on different property.
   I am mentioning it mostly just to say that such option exist. I myself have no use for it.
   But the idea is that it can be used to attach status changes to some other plugin that works with properties and work together.
   It seems as more open ended version of Date-based rules.

• Which triggers would be most valuable for your workflow?
  As i said, tag based rules is what I need the most.

• Do you need simple tag-to-status mapping, or would more complex conditional rules be helpful?
  I suppose? I am not sure what type of rules you are talking about. Defining tags as half reg-ex?
  Actually, yes it is really nice if it can be set to change status only from certain status or number of statuses to other.
  For me, it is just allows to have certain status unchanged by automatic system.
  But in general it allows complex system based on work flow.

• Should automation run continuously in the background, or would on-demand/scheduled execution work better?
  It depends on optimisation.
  On demand command, that can be activated by anything is nice.
  But if it can work in background and not stall everything into the ground, sure.
  Still i am pretty sure it is impossible.

Main reason is that for me, it is really important that it worked on background notes.

Automatically change property of the open note, can be done, even if with some effort.
changing property of a not open note is seems to be impossible right now.

I am not sure if it is a some sort of innate obsidian limitation, but there should be way to bypass that if so.

Main reason i need it, as i create notes with content, without actually opening them.

Here "Event-based triggers"
Can be useful too of course, like listening to a note creation or something.
But it is probably too much.

Schedule + Command activation is more reasonable to implement then whole listen thing.
At least that's how i see it - i am no programmer.

Any way, your plugin is really cute! And like it a lot.
Even in manual mode, it have its uses, just by dumping extra tabs into it!

Good luck in the development!