# WikiFlash

An [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md) plugin that briefly flashes a wikilink's
`[[ ]]` brackets — the same momentary cue Xcode gives when you close a `{}` block
and it flashes the matching brace.

It fires in two situations:

- **When you create a link** — the instant you type `[[` and Obsidian auto-adds
  the closing `]]`, the brackets flash.
- **When you navigate into a link** — moving the cursor into an existing
  `[[wikilink]]` (arrow keys or a click) flashes its `[[` and `]]`, leaving the
  link text untouched.

The flash pops to full colour, holds briefly, then fades smoothly back to the
brackets' resting colour — no jarring snap.

| Link creation | Link navigation |
|---|---|
| ![Creating a wikilink flashes only the brackets](assets/demo1.gif) | ![Moving into a wikilink flashes only the brackets](assets/demo2.gif) |

It also supports Obsidian pop-out windows, so the flash keeps the same appearance
in secondary windows as it does in the main workspace.

## Settings

Everything is customizable under **Settings → WikiFlash**:

| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Enable flash** | Turns the editor flash on or off without uninstalling or disabling the plugin. |
| **Box colour (light / dark)** | Colour of the highlight box, set separately for light and dark mode (default: a vivid yellow, like Xcode). The matching pair is chosen automatically and updates live when you switch theme. |
| **Bracket text colour (light / dark)** | Colour of the `[[ ]]` characters during the flash, per theme. Use white for a dark box, black for a light one. |
| **Light / dark previews** | Show separate sample flashes for the light and dark colour pairs. |
| **Preview controls** | Replay both preview animations without changing settings. |
| **Opacity** | Starting intensity before the fade. |
| **Duration** | How long the flash lasts, in milliseconds. |
| **Corner radius** | Roundness of the highlight box. |
| **Reset defaults** | Restores the default enabled state, colours, opacity, duration, and corner radius. |

Respects your system **Reduce motion** setting (no animation when enabled).

## Command

WikiFlash adds one command:

| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Test flash** | Flashes the brackets of the `[[wikilink]]` under the cursor without changing the note. |

## How it works

WikiFlash adds a small CodeMirror 6 editor extension: a `StateField` holds an
ephemeral set of highlight decorations, and a `ViewPlugin` detects link creation
(a doc change producing an empty `[[]]`) and link navigation (a cursor move into
an existing link). It never modifies your note content — the highlight is a
purely visual overlay that is added and then removed on a timer.

It works in **Live Preview** and **Source** editing modes. It does not hook
Obsidian's link suggester, so there's no reliance on private APIs.

## Privacy and safety

WikiFlash is local-only. It does not use network requests, telemetry, filesystem
access, shell commands, dynamic code execution, or raw HTML injection. It stores
only its own visual settings through Obsidian's plugin data API, and it never
modifies note content.

## Installation

### From the Community Plugins browser (once published)

Settings → Community plugins → Browse → search for **WikiFlash** → Install →
Enable.

### Manual

1. Download `main.js`, `manifest.json`, and `styles.css` from the
   [latest release](../../releases/latest).
2. Copy them into `<your vault>/.obsidian/plugins/wikiflash/`.
3. Reload Obsidian, then enable **WikiFlash** under Settings → Community plugins.

## Development

This plugin is hand-authored CommonJS — there is **no build step**. Obsidian
provides the `obsidian` and `@codemirror/*` modules at runtime, so `main.js` is
the source you edit directly. To work on it, copy `main.js`, `manifest.json`,
and `styles.css` into a vault's `.obsidian/plugins/wikiflash/` folder and use
**Reload plugin** while iterating.

## License

[MIT](LICENSE)