Protesilaos Stavrou

Emacs: first look at query links for Denote version 4.0.0

The next version of Denote is shaping up to be a huge one. One of the newest features I am working on is the support for “query links”. Those use the same denote: link type infrastructure but exhibit a different behaviour than the direct links we have always had. Instead of pointing to a file via its unique identifier, they initiate a search through the contents of all files in the denote-directory. This search uses the built-in Xref mechanism and is the same as what we have already been doing with backlinks (basically, a grep).

In short:

  • Direct links: Those point to a file via its unique identifier. For example, denote:20250324T074132 resolves to a file path. Clicking on the link opens the corresponding file. Org export will also take care to turn this into a file path.
  • Query links: Those do not point to any file per se. They are a string of one or more words or regular expression which is matched against the contents of files. For example, denote:this is a test produces a buffer listing all matches for the given query. Clicking on the matching line in that buffer opens the file at that point (just how our backlinks work when they show context—I am generalising this mechanism).

Direct links can point to any file, including PDFs, videos, and pictures (assuming it is renamed to use the Denote file-naming scheme). Whereas query links are limited to text files.

Development discussion and screenshots

This is a work-in-progress that lives on its own branch as of this writing. I will not elaborate at length right now as the implementation details may change. I have, nonetheless, created an issue on the GitHub repository where interested parties can provide their feedback. It also includes some screenshots I took: https://github.com/protesilaos/denote/issues/561. The code includes other changes which pertain to how we handle backlinks and constitutes a simplification of the code base.

The idea is to add the functionality to the main branch in the coming days or weeks. Then I will do a video about it and/or explain more.

That granted, do not forget that the official manual is the most up-to-date reference and the single source of truth.

Denote sources

Denote is a simple note-taking tool for Emacs. It is based on the idea that notes should follow a predictable and descriptive file-naming scheme. The file name must offer a clear indication of what the note is about, without reference to any other metadata. Denote basically streamlines the creation of such files while providing facilities to link between them.

Denote’s file-naming scheme is not limited to “notes”. It can be used for all types of file, including those that are not editable in Emacs, such as videos. Naming files in a consistent way makes their filtering and retrieval considerably easier. Denote provides relevant facilities to rename files, regardless of file type.

[ Further down on this list I include more of my Denote-related packages. ]

Previous:
See all: Code blog entries