Create File from template, then move it to a specified folder

[Gewerd-Strauss]

Hello,

after a long break from touching templater I need to change up a few templates, specfically what happens when I create from them.

I have a simple file for my internal knowledge base I am slowly building, and which has been adapting over the past year or so. Currently, I use the following as a template:

---
creation date:<% tp.file.creation_date() %>
modification date:<% tp.file.creation_date("dddd Do MMMM YYYY HH:mm:ss") %>
type:#knowledge #todo
alias:
---
# <% tp.file.title %>
[Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/<%tp.file.title %><% tp.file.cursor() %>)

---
> >> 


---
## Details



---
# Tags


---
# Mentions
``` dataview
list
FROM [[]]
Sort file.ctime Asc
```
# Wikipedia
<iframe 
border=true
height=800
width=800
src="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/<%tp.file.title %>"></iframe>


****

And then I trigger the above template exclusively* via the following file:

<% tp.file.create_new(tp.file.find_tfile("100_Template_Knowledge"), await tp.system.prompt("Set FileName"), true) %>
<% tp.file.move("000 Output/tp.file.title")%>

Now, the first line of that script-file works perfectly. Asks for name and populates the respective spaces where it's supposed to go.
The second very evidently does not.
I have spent the last few hours trying to get the file to be automatically moved to the folder "000 Output", where all my wiki files land when they are initially created. But I can't figure out how to get the script file to move it there. The way I've tried results in a file called "tp.file.title" within the output folder, containing the textstring "[object Object]nn". The intended file is created, but remains in the templates-folder where the template and script both reside.
The filder 000 Output resides in the vault's root.

How do I fix this?

Thank you,
Sincerely,
~Gw

[welpdx]

Sound similar to #318

[Gewerd-Strauss]

Oh......

Oh god.

I always used "create from template"//Alt+N, because intuitively that is what I am trying to do, right? Create a new file as per the terms of the template.

So if I first create a blank file, then trigger template via Alt+E to populate that newly created file?
Would that be the reason as to why it didn't appear to work on my end so far? I wonder if it creates "Untitled"-files when using Alt+N on your end as well?

Because for Alt-N it creates them.
If I create an empty file first and then populate it via Alt+E , no Untitled-file is created.
If I just press Alt+E wherever and trigger the script, a corrrectly populated file is created and then moved to the output folder.

Seems kinda counterintiutive if I am honest.

In hindsight this however feels like the worst case of "How did I never specify that one critial step?!" ._.
Especially because while I can't say I understand most lines I should have gotten suspsicious at this.app.vault.create() interfering with the "create new file from template modal". Although I would personally see that as a very weird and non-intuitive interaction that should probably be accounted for - and if it is, please tell me so I can feel ashamed at not finding that :P

Unfortunately still can't point it at ≥2-deep folder locations :/

[welpdx]

Yes, Alt + N creates an untitled file on my end as well.

LOl we kinda talked passed each other :

• the prompt for Alt + N is the same as Alt + E.
• your use of modal suggested to me Alt + E Open Insert Template modal.
• in the beginning, you wanted to use tp.file.create_new, which is redundant if you are using Alt + N.
• In one of my clarifications, I said "1. Create a new file" meant via tp.file.create_new. But I think you thought of it as Alt + N lol

All of the above and the fact that I use Alt + E alot just lead me to assumed that is it what you are using as well. Sorry!

---

Btw, my understanding of Alt + N is that it create a new file and insert 100_Template_Knowledge into this new file all in one go. What we are doing is using Alt + E to run js code that does what you want via obsidian and templater api. (for example, To create new file: We use tp.file.create_new or this.app.vault.create).

Now technically, we can add our long <%* %> script to our 100_Template_Knowledge file. And use Alt + N to add this combined template to automatically created new file. But fair warning, there may be issues.

---

Edit: added my understanding of Alt + N Create new note from template

[welpdx]

About "point it at ≥2-deep folder locations":

Don't add path, just add the folder name.

const files = this.app.vault.getAllLoadedFiles()
var folder
files.forEach((file) => {
if (file.name == "000 Output") {return folder=file};
})

This section of the script finds all files and folders in vault, and checks if the name is 000 Output. This means that if you have the folde nested somewhere, the script will find it. To make this work, just add 00 Internships in the check section.

I made it like this because before you showed me your vault, I did not know where 000 Output was. A previous script only found 000 Output at the base of the vault. I quickly fixed that with the above script to find 000 Output anywhere.

---

A downside

The only downside with finding a folder via name this is that it can only find folders with unique names. If you have a path like 00 Internships > 00 Internships > 00 Internships, the script may find the first 00 Internships folder.

Another script to remove downside

I've made another script that checks both path and name.
So for folders with unique names you can just assign the name to var folderPathOrName. (e.g., var folderPathOrName = "000 Output")
If you want to add a path, go ahead. It will work too. (e.g., var folderPathOrName = "00 Internships/00 Internships/00 Internships")

Another script

<%* 
var folderPathOrName = "00 Internships/00 Internships/00 Internships" // Change this for your use
const files = this.app.vault.getAllLoadedFiles()
var folder

var folderPath = tp.obsidian.normalizePath(folderPathOrName)
files.forEach((file) => {
if (file.path == folderPath) {return folder=file};
if (file.name == folderPathOrName) {return folder=file};
})
if (folder == undefined) {new Notice("can't find folder", 5000);return}

const template = tp.file.find_tfile("100_Template_Knowledge")
const template_content = await this.app.vault.read(template)
var title = await tp.system.prompt("Set FileName")

var newfile = await this.app.vault.create(folder.path+ "/" + title + ".md", template_content)

const active_leaf = this.app.workspace.activeLeaf;
if (!active_leaf) {new Notice("No active leaf", 5000);return;}
await active_leaf.openFile(newfile, {state: { mode: "source" },});
%>

Note: script is designed for Alt + E Open Insert Template modal

Demo

[Gewerd-Strauss]

Alright, it has to be said:

Thank you for your continued, multi-day help across a heaps of bullshit and rewriting this time and again for some guy who doesn't manage to get it done themselves ;) This kind of extensive help is rarer than it should be.

I will mark this as accepted now, as we have resolved the last mystery - originally I would have kept it open (or left the decision to SilentVoid13) for cross-ref once someone else would come up with symptoms similar to mine, but now there is relatively little need for that. I might edit my first post to get a bit more attention to the solution for future clueless people, but tht's about it.

Thank you.

Edit: Aah, I found a single thing that is still given issues, but I will choose to ignore that:

Cancelling the script while entering the filename still creates "Null"-files :P

I don't think I can care enough anymore. That's an edgecase I can stand dealing manually with.

[welpdx]

Cancelling the script while entering the filename still creates "Null"-files :P

Script no more `Null` files

<%* 
var folderPathOrName = "000 Output"
//var folderPathOrName = "00 Internships/00 Internships/00 Internships" // Change this for your use
const files = this.app.vault.getAllLoadedFiles()
var folder, title

var folderPath = tp.obsidian.normalizePath(folderPathOrName)
files.forEach((file) => {
if (file.path == folderPath) {return folder=file};
if (file.name == folderPathOrName) {return folder=file};
console.log()
})
if (folder == undefined) {new Notice("can't find folder", 5000);} else {

const template = tp.file.find_tfile("100_Template_Knowledge")
const template_content = await this.app.vault.read(template)
//var title = await tp.system.prompt("Set FileName")

if (title = await tp.system.prompt("Set FileName")) {
var newfile = await this.app.vault.create(folder.path+ "/" + title + ".md", template_content)

const active_leaf = this.app.workspace.activeLeaf;
if (!active_leaf) {new Notice("No active leaf", 5000);} else {
await active_leaf.openFile(newfile, {state: { mode: "source" },});}
}}
%>

The problems was return don't stop the rest from executing. And await tp.system.prompt("Set FileName") if exited, the rest of the script executes with title being empty null.

Demo

---

Thank you.

You're welcome! It is my pleasure! Also, it is issues and questions like these that inspires me for my own use too!

[dredhorse]

you can't move the file you created, you move the current note you are in with tp.file.move.

But you can create the new file directly at the right place

<%*
let title = await tp.system.prompt("Set FileName")
let file = "000 Output/" + title
-%>
<% tp.file.create_new(tp.file.find_tfile("100_Template_Knowledge"),file, true) %>

[welpdx]

<% tp.file.create_new(tp.file.find_tfile("100_Template_Knowledge"),title, true) %>

I think you meant:

<% tp.file.create_new(tp.file.find_tfile("100_Template_Knowledge"), file, true) %>

Silly mistake

But I think you got what the OP wanted.

[dredhorse]

thanks, changed it

[Gewerd-Strauss]

For this code:

<%*  
let title = await tp.system.prompt("Set FileName")  
let file = "/000 Output/" + title  
-%>  
<% tp.file.create_new(tp.file.find_tfile("100_Template_Knowledge"),file, true) %>

The following happens:

1. Query for filename opens → enter filename
2. File gets created in the folder %currentFolder%/000 Output/%title%.md
3. File is populated with the template's content.

There are three issues here:

1. The new file's output folder is relative to the current note's folder, instead of the file being created in "root/000 Output/" as intended. Meaning if I work on "root/200 University/Semester Abroard.md", the file is created in "root/200 University/000 Output/", instead of "root/000 Output/"
2. the created file's (the one located at root/200 University/000 Output/) is resolved based upon the filename of whatever file I was active in upon calling the script. Refer to this comment and welpdx's answer for what I mean by that. - Although not resolved, I think welpdx has understood what I intend.
   Meaning when I trigger the script "root/200 University/Semester Abroard.md", the created file's tp.file.title/equivalents are resolved to "Semester Abroard", instead of the file's title itself.
3. We once again create an "Untitled"-File at "root/200 University/Untitled". Interestingly, if I repeat this process, I create "Untitled 1", "Untitled 2" and so on, with the contents
   ´n[object Object], where "´n" indicates a newline. Note that this is similar to the file created in the original post, although now we have the newline before the [object Object]-line, and not after it as initially.

[AB1908]

I can't really follow what's happening here but there are two ways of going about this. The first is to create the file directly in the correct destination. create_new supports a TFolder argument for this. The other way is to use tp.file.move as you've done, which supports a path string if I remember correctly.