# simple-denote.nvim

This plugin provides a command `:Denote note` that prompts for a title and tags, then creates a new file in a flat notes directory using the [Emacs Denote package's file-naming scheme](https://protesilaos.com/emacs/denote#h:4e9c7512-84dc-4dfb-9fa9-e15d51178e5d):

`DATE==SIGNATURE--TITLE__KEYWORDS.EXTENSION`

For example:
1. `20240601T174946--how-to-tie-a-tie__lifeskills_clothes.md`
2. `20240601T180054--i-have-no-tags.md`
3. `20240601T193022__im_only_tags.md`
4. `20240601T200121.md`
5. `20240601T213392==1a1--i-have-a-signature__denote_coolstuff.md`

There is no frontmatter, linking, or any other features. I have overcomplicated my notes too many times with fancy Org Mode and Zettelkasten systems and this is my minimalist endgame.

You can use this on its own or with more featureful plugins like [neorg](https://github.com/nvim-neorg/neorg), [wiki.vim](https://github.com/lervag/wiki.vim), or [Marksman](https://github.com/artempyanykh/marksman), but if your plugin has built in templates you can probably just recreate the denote spec with those instead of using this.

# Installation / Config

Example config via [lazy.nvim](https://github.com/folke/lazy.nvim)

```lua
{
  "DefaultGen/simple-denote.nvim",
  opts = {
    ext = "md",             -- Note file extension (e.g. md, org, norg, txt)
    dir = "~/notes",        -- Notes directory (should already exist)
    add_heading = true,     -- Add a md/org heading to new notes
    retitle_heading = true, -- Replace the first line heading when retitling
  },
},
```

The heading options automatically support Markdown (#) and Org/Norg (*) headings.

## Keymaps

Maybe you want to set keymaps for the commands as well

```lua
vim.keymap.set({'n','v'}, '<leader>nn', "<cmd>Denote note<cr>",      { desc = "New note"         })
vim.keymap.set({'n','v'}, '<leader>nt', "<cmd>Denote title<cr>",     { desc = "Change title"     })
vim.keymap.set({'n','v'}, '<leader>nk', "<cmd>Denote tag<cr>",       { desc = "Change tags"      })
vim.keymap.set({'n','v'}, '<leader>nz', "<cmd>Denote signature<cr>", { desc = "Change signature" })
```

## Manual Install

To install without a package manager:

```bash
mkdir -p ~/.local/share/nvim/site/pack/simple-denote.nvim/start
cd ~/.local/share/nvim/site/pack/simple-denote.nvim/start
git clone https://github.com/DefaultGen/simple-denote.nvim
```

Add the following to `~/.config/nvim/init.lua`

```lua
require('simple-denote').setup({
  ext = "md",
  dir = "~/notes",
  add_heading = true,
  retitle_heading = true,
})
```

### Manual upgrade

```bash
cd ~/.local/share/nvim/site/pack/simple-denote.nvim/start/simple-denote.nvim
git pull
```

# :Denote Command

```vim
" Creates a new note in the `dir` directory with `ext` extension
" Tags are space delimited. The title or tags can be blank.
:Denote note

" Renames the current note with the new title
" If `retitle_heading` is true, overwrites the first line heading as well
:Denote title

" Renames the current note with the new list of tags (space delimited)
:Denote tag

" Rename the current note with a signature
" This has a user-defined meaning and no particular purpose
:Denote signature
```

# Credits

* [HumanEntity/denote.nvim](https://github.com/HumanEntity/denote.nvim) - This project was based on denote.nvim and modified to suit my personal preference or closer adhere to the original Denote spec.
* [denote.el](https://protesilaos.com/emacs/denote) - The original Emacs package

# License

MIT