# Windows Path Links

[简体中文](README_CN.md)

An Obsidian desktop plugin for working with Windows filesystem paths.

Windows Path Links is not tied to Q-Dir. Folder links are opened with the Windows default folder handler. An optional process-name setting can activate the folder manager window after opening it.

## Features

- Convert one or more pasted Windows paths directly into Markdown links.
- Keep the original Windows path readable in both the link label and target.
- Preserve Chinese characters and other readable path text in the Markdown source.
- Open folder links with the Windows default folder handler.
- Follow file links and ordinary Obsidian links with Obsidian's native `editor:follow-link` command.
- Create a folder named after the current note and insert its link at the cursor.

## Paste conversion

Pasting:

```text
D:\Projects\work
D:\Projects\work\Reports\visit-20260907.pptx
```

produces:

```markdown
[D:\Projects\work](D:\Projects\work)
[D:\Projects\work\Reports\visit-20260907.pptx](D:\Projects\work\Reports\visit-20260907.pptx)
```

No confirmation dialog is shown. Ordinary text is pasted unchanged.

## Commands

- `Windows Path Links: Follow link (folders use default folder handler)` (`windows-path-links:follow-link`)
- `Windows Path Links: Create folder from current note name and insert link` (`windows-path-links:create-note-folder-link`)

The follow-link command opens an existing folder with the configured folder handler. File links, internal links, web links, and other non-folder links are delegated to Obsidian's native follow-link behavior.

The create-folder command creates a child folder named after the current note inside the configured work directory, then inserts a Markdown link at the current cursor position.

## Settings

- **Work directory**: The root directory used by the create-folder command.
- **Folder manager process name**: An optional Windows process name used to activate the folder manager window. Wildcards such as `*` are supported. Leave it empty to only open the folder.

For example, a Q-Dir user may enter:

```text
Q-Dir*
```

The plugin does not require Q-Dir; other folder managers can be used when they are configured as the Windows default folder handler.

## Privacy and permissions

This plugin is intended for Obsidian Desktop on Windows. It reads Windows paths outside the vault to check whether a linked path is a file or folder, opens folder paths with the Windows default folder handler, and can create a child folder in the configured work directory. If a folder manager process name is configured, it also starts PowerShell to activate that process window. The plugin does not use network services, collect telemetry, or upload file contents.

## Installation

### Community plugins

Install **Windows Path Links** from Obsidian's Community Plugins settings.

### Manual installation

Copy `main.js`, `manifest.json`, and `versions.json` into:

```text
<Vault>/.obsidian/plugins/windows-path-links/
```

Then enable the plugin in Obsidian's Community Plugins settings.

## Development

The repository contains the plugin entrypoint at the repository root:

```text
main.js
manifest.json
versions.json
```

Edit `main.js` during local development and reload the plugin in Obsidian after changes. Keep local `data.json` settings out of version control.

## License and attribution

MIT License. The paste-to-link behavior was inspired by [Obsidian Open in File Explorer](https://github.com/disciple-dev/obsidian-plugin-open-file-explorer), which is also MIT-licensed. This project uses a different implementation and keeps readable Windows paths in Markdown.