Obsidian Code Sync

Convert your code files into beautifully formatted Markdown documents with syntax highlighting. While primarily designed for Obsidian vaults, this extension works as a general-purpose code-to-markdown converter for any markdown-based documentation system, knowledge base, or note-taking app.

Features

📝 One-Click Save to Markdown

Save any code file as a formatted Markdown document with a single keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+Alt+O / Cmd+Alt+O) or click the save button in the editor toolbar.

🔄 Auto-Sync on Save

Enable automatic syncing to keep your markdown documentation always up-to-date. Every time you save a file in VS Code, it's automatically converted to markdown.

📁 Organized Structure

Your code files are automatically organized in a configurable subfolder (default: "Code"), keeping everything tidy and structured.

✨ Key Features:

• Universal Markdown Output: Works with Obsidian, Notion, GitHub wikis, Jekyll blogs, or any markdown-based system
• Syntax Highlighting Preserved: Code blocks maintain proper language-specific syntax highlighting
• Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+Alt+O (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Alt+O (Mac) for quick saving
• Editor Toolbar Button: Quick access button in the editor title bar
• Timestamps: Optional timestamps to track when code was last synced
• Smart Language Detection: Automatically detects programming language for proper syntax highlighting (30+ languages)
• Custom Subfolder: Configure where files are saved
• File Path Preservation: Original file paths are documented in the markdown
• LaTeX Compatible: Generated markdown works perfectly with LaTeX processors and academic note-taking tools

Use Cases

🎯 Primary Use: Obsidian Vaults

Originally built for Obsidian users to build a searchable code knowledge base with all of Obsidian's powerful features like backlinks, graph view, and tags.

📚 General Markdown Documentation

• Technical Documentation: Convert code samples to markdown for documentation sites
• Academic Notes: Include code snippets in LaTeX documents or research notes
• Blog Posts: Prepare code examples for Jekyll, Hugo, or other static site generators
• GitHub Wikis: Create formatted code documentation for repositories
• Learning Journals: Track your coding journey in any markdown-based note app
• Team Knowledge Bases: Share code snippets in Confluence, Notion, or other collaboration tools

Requirements

• VS Code version 1.75.0 or higher
• A target directory for saving markdown files (Obsidian vault or any folder)
• Write access to the target directory

Extension Settings

This extension contributes the following settings:

• obsidianSync.obsidianPath: Path to your target directory (automatically set on first use)
• obsidianSync.autoSync: Enable/disable automatic syncing when files are saved (default: false)
• obsidianSync.subfolder: Subfolder name within target directory to save code files (default: "Code")
• obsidianSync.addTimestamp: Add timestamp to the markdown file showing last sync time (default: false)

How to Configure:

1. Open VS Code Settings (Ctrl+, or Cmd+,)
2. Search for "Obsidian"
3. Configure your preferences

Note: Despite the "Obsidian" naming in settings, this works for any markdown destination.

Usage

First Time Setup:

1. Open any code file in VS Code
2. Press Ctrl+Alt+O (or Cmd+Alt+O on Mac)
3. Select your target folder (Obsidian vault or any directory)
4. Your file is now saved as markdown!

Commands:

• Obsidian: Save Current File to Obsidian - Save the active file as markdown
• Obsidian: Set Vault Path - Change or set your target directory location

Example Output:

A Python file calculator.py becomes calculator.md:

# calculator.py

> Last synced: 1/15/2025, 10:30:00 AM

**File:** `/home/user/projects/calculator.py`

```python
def add(a, b):
    return a + b

def subtract(a, b):
    return a - b

This markdown format is compatible with:

• Obsidian
• GitHub/GitLab markdown
• Pandoc (for conversion to LaTeX, PDF, HTML)
• MkDocs and other documentation generators
• Jupyter notebooks
• Most markdown editors and viewers

Known Issues

• Only works with local directories (not cloud-only or encrypted vaults)
• Large files (>10MB) may take a moment to convert
• Some special characters in filenames may need escaping

Release Notes

0.1.0

Initial release with core features:

• Code to markdown conversion
• Auto-sync capability
• Configurable settings
• Keyboard shortcuts and toolbar button
• Timestamp support
• Smart language detection for 30+ programming languages
• Universal markdown output compatible with various platforms

Contributing

Found a bug or have a feature request? Please open an issue on GitHub.

Pull requests are welcome! Ideas for contributions:

• Additional output formats
• Custom markdown templates
• Integration with more note-taking systems
• Batch conversion features

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details

Credits

Created by Finn Lehmann

Enjoy converting your code to markdown! 🚀

While this extension was originally created for Obsidian users, it serves as a versatile tool for anyone needing to convert code files to well-formatted markdown documents.