Note with VS

A Markdown note manager for VS Code with local file support and reminder support.

Features

• Local Note Management: Store your notes as standard Markdown files in a local folder of your choice.
• Labels as Folders: Organize your notes using subfolders, which act as "Labels".
• Reminders & Follow-ups: Add reminders to your notes using a simple syntax (- [ ] Task @due(YYYY-MM-DD)).
• Dedicated Side Bar: Access your notes and reminders easily from the custom Side Bar view.
• Cross-Platform: Works seamlessly on Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Getting Started

1. Install the extension.
2. Default Storage: By default, notes are stored in Documents/NoteForVS.
3. Custom Storage: You can configure a custom folder in Settings:
   • Open VS Code Settings (Ctrl+,).
   • Search for notewithvs.notesFolderPath.
   • Enter the absolute path to your desired folder.
4. The "Note with VS" icon will appear in the Activity Bar. Click it to start creating notes!

Reminder Syntax

To create a reminder, simply add a task list item in any note with the @due(date) tag:

- [ ] Call Alice about the project @due(2023-12-01)
- [ ] Review PR [#123](https://github.com/sarivoli/vscodenote/issues/123) @due(2023-11-25)

The extension will automatically detect these and list them in the "Reminders" view, grouped by:

• Overdue
• Today
• Upcoming

Managing Notes

Creating Notes

You can create a new note by:

• Clicking the + (Create Note) button in the "Notes" view title bar.
• Running the command Note with VS: Create Note.
• Right-clicking on a folder or note in the "Notes" view and selecting Create Note.

Context-Aware Creation: When you create a note while a folder or note is selected in the Notes view, the new note will be created in that location:

• If a folder is selected, the note is created inside that folder.
• If a note is selected, the new note is created in the same folder as the selected note.
• If nothing is selected, the note is created in the root notes folder.

This makes it easy to organize your notes without manually navigating to different folders.

Creating Labels (Folders)

You can create a new label (folder) by:

• Clicking the folder icon in the "Notes" view title bar.
• Running the command Note with VS: Create Label.
• Right-clicking on a folder or note in the "Notes" view and selecting Create Label.

Context-Aware Creation: Similar to notes, labels are created based on your current selection:

• If a folder is selected, the new label is created as a subfolder inside it.
• If a note is selected, the new label is created in the same folder as the selected note.
• If nothing is selected, the label is created in the root notes folder.

Deleting Notes

To delete a note:

• Right-click on the note in the "Notes" view and select Delete.
• Or use the command Note with VS: Delete Note.

Renaming Notes

To rename a note:

• Right-click on the note in the "Notes" view and select Rename.
• Or use the command Note with VS: Rename Note.

Copy to Clipboard

You can copy the content of any active editor to a new note in the Clipboard folder by:

• Running the command Note with VS: Copy Notes.
• Right-clicking in the editor and selecting Copy Notes.

The new note will be created with a filename format: <source_filename>_CLP_<timestamp>.md. If the source is untitled, it defaults to Clipboard_<timestamp>.md.

Git Sync

You can sync your notes to a remote Git repository (e.g., GitHub, GitLab) directly from VS Code.

1. Initialize Git: Ensure your notes folder is a valid Git repository (git init) and has a remote configured (git remote add origin <url>).
2. Configure .gitignore (Optional): To keep certain folders local-only (like the Clipboard folder), create a .gitignore file in your notes folder:

   # Keep clipboard notes local only
   Clipboard/
   

3. Sync: Run the command Note with VS: Save and Sync Notes.
   • This will stage all changes, commit them with a default message, and push to the current branch.
   • Note: You must have your Git credentials configured (e.g., via a credential helper or SSH keys) as the extension does not currently prompt for passwords.
   • After syncing, all panels (Notes, Reminders, and Templates) will automatically refresh to reflect the latest state.

Git Status Indicators

The extension provides visual indicators for the Git status of your notes directly in the Notes view:

• Modified (🟡): Notes that have been modified but not yet committed are shown with a yellow modified icon.
• Untracked (🟢): New notes that haven't been added to Git are shown with a green untracked icon.
• Added (🟢): Notes that have been staged for commit are shown with a green added icon.
• Deleted (🔴): Notes that have been deleted are shown with a red deleted icon.
• Conflict (⚠️): Notes with merge conflicts are shown with a warning icon.

These indicators help you quickly identify which notes need to be synced or have pending changes.

Keeping Folders Local-Only

The extension automatically excludes the Clipboard folder from git sync operations. This means:

• ✅ Clipboard notes created via "Copy to Clipboard" feature remain local-only
• ✅ No manual .gitignore configuration needed
• ✅ Works out-of-the-box for all users

If you want to exclude additional folders from git sync, create a .gitignore file in your notes folder:

1. Navigate to your notes folder (e.g., ~/Documents/NoteForVS)
2. Create a file named .gitignore
3. Add the folders you want to keep local:

   # Additional folders to keep local
   Private/
   Drafts/
   Temp/
   

4. Save the file

Template Syntax

You can define templates within your notes using HTML comments. This allows you to quickly insert reusable snippets.

<!-- @template(Daily Standup) -->
### Daily Standup
- **Yesterday**: 
- **Today**: 
- **Blockers**: 
<!-- @endtemplate -->

The extension will detect these templates and list them in the "Templates" view. Clicking a template will copy its content to your clipboard.

Hiding Templates

If you want to define a template but hide it from the "Templates" view (e.g., for a base template you don't use directly), you can add the hidden attribute:

<!-- @template(Base Template, hidden) -->
...
<!-- @endtemplate -->

You can also hide a template by right-clicking it in the "Templates" view and selecting Hide Template.

Requirements

• VS Code 1.80.0 or higher.

Extension Settings

• notewithvs.notesFolderPath: The absolute path to your local notes directory. Defaults to ~/Documents/NoteForVS.

Release Notes

1.0.1

• Improved Refresh: Clicking "Refresh" now automatically clears any active search in the Notes panel.
• Enhanced Clipboard Filenames: Notes created via "Copy to Clipboard" now include the source filename in their name (e.g., MyNote_CLP_2023-10-27...md) for better traceability.

1.0.0

• Update clipboard note to capture source of the content
• Include/Exclude options for sync clipboard notes as default in settings window
• Improved performance by using caching along with progress indicator
• Added over all counts in each sections for better visibility

0.1.4

• Addressed minor issues

0.1.3

• Sync via Git (total control over your data)
• Copy to Clipboard feature (temporary notes - Excluded from sync)
• Added Templates feature (reusable snippets)
• Context aware creation of notes and labels
• Search notes across folders

0.1.2

• Added panel for notes, reminders and templates

0.1.0

• Added default storage folder (Documents/NoteForVS).

0.0.1

• Initial release with Note and Label management.
• Added Reminder system.