Allow inserting of todays date or date and time

[louisc]

A feature I miss from my other MD editor as i move over to using Typora is the ability to quickly enter todays date (and / or a time).

Something like writemonkeys 'replacement' features would be a great way to implement this as it has no additional "clutter". Currently in writemonkey I have: /now -> [date] (Add the date) /t -> '- [ ] ' (Create a new task) ...etc which is actually really powerful when using markdown as a scientific journal.

Really loving Typora, keep up the great work!

[AlexPasternak]

For expanding snippets into fuller text or values, I don't think the editor needs to have support for this. There are many other 3rd party solutions, e.g.,

• Keyboard Maestro, which is what I personally would use to set up what you describe: https://www.keyboardmaestro.com/documentation/6/tokens.html
• Alfred has snippets: https://www.alfredapp.com/help/features/snippets/
• Part of Setapp: https://witt-software.com/rockettypist/
• The old standby https://smilesoftware.com/textexpander

This is on Mac, but I'm sure Windows has similar options.

[abnerlee]

I could also suggest to use 3rd party apps for this -> https://alternativeto.net/software/textexpander/

they are more pro, and you can use it in other apps, like mail client, etc as well

[louisc]

Thank you for your suggestions and fast replies. I appreciate that there are other ways around this but this is something I have tried in the past with very little luck, I simultaneously use both Linux and Windows machines (as do nearly all my colleagues)... Same at home, laptop is windows, desktop on Ubuntu. Finding a solution that ports across seamlessly is hard and clunky.

The reason I first discovered Typora was for a cross platform solution!

(Also, for textpander, it looks great but yet more software subscriptions!!)

The dream is to have one place for logging, ideas and writing tasks so really have no need for anything more.

I wouldn't stop using Typora but, currently in front of me, my logbook is open in WMonkey, everything else in Typora on Ubuntu, just for this feature. So for my use case it would be a very valuable addition, I would appreciate if we left this up for a bit to see if other users feel the same :)

[boan-anbo]

Second the op. Would very much appreciate it. Being able to insert date/time with a shortcut key without third-party apps makes using Typora for journal writing, for example, infinitely more efficient. Even Windows Notepad has this function builtin.

[nikorn]

I also join the previous speakers. Hotkeys Ctrl+d and Ctrl+t would be great!

[delphi-cloud]

I agree completely with the previous two speakers

[mmmllf]

I agree with the previous speakers, while self-contained that do not need to add third-parties is an advantage.

[jnsrikanth]

It would be great to have this feature. To insert a date timestamp either via menu or a keyboard shortcut would be invaluable.

[GAZ082]

Want this as well.

[DutchPete]

No need to add bloat to Typora. As is mentioned above, there are good 3rd party apps for this.

[GAZ082]

Well, for many of us is a core feature, not bloat. And doubt it's a huge hassle to implement.

[DutchPete]

@GAZ082 : it may not be a huge hassle to implement, but there are many feature requests, which, when taken together, can amount to bloat. @abnerlee has to make choices all the time, and I agree with him and @AlexPasternak above that this is not the kind of feature that deserves implementation. But that's just my opinion, it certainly is not my call.

FWIW: in Windows I was using an excellent app called AutoHotKey (AHK) to execute with a keyboard shortcut a simple script to insert a date/date & time in anything, whether that be Word, Excel, Typora, etc. AHK, by the way, is capable of a lot more automation, so it really is worth looking into, even if you still find the date insertion should be a core feature of Typora.

Having made the transfer to Linux, I am now using Autokey for the same purpose. @AlexPasternak mentions a few more apps to do just that.

[GAZ082]

@DutchPete: I see your workaround. In linux i just fire off a terminal and run date --iso-8601=seconds but again, would be nice to have this, embedded and multi platform.

Looks the project is closed source and the repos are for trivial stuff otherwise I'd look into it or other programmer could do it.

[rossdonald97]

Is this still being considered? I'd like to add that I'm another who would really appreciate this feature, along with a handful of people I know who also use Typora and don't want to install any hotkey-esque / text expansion software.

[storyjesse]

I would really like this feature too. I understand the work around suggested and will try that since being able to add today's date with a keyboard shortcut is very important to me. I'd like to suggest that being able to reassign keyboard shortcuts, even if only through an API or config file, would be extremely useful and could be combined with this feature. Two birds with one piece of code ;-)

[jose]

+1 for

• /today space to include today's date, e.g., June 25, 2020
• /tomorrow space to include tomorrow's date, e.g., June 26, 2020
• /time space to include current hour, e.g., 10:16 AM

Also related to this, it would be nice to have a 'due date' option/command for tasks. For example, for the following source code

- [ ] Implement `/today` command/shortcut @due(/today)

Typora could produce something like

• [ ] Implement /today command/shortcut @due(June 25, 2020)

or have a calendar icon next to a task so that anyone could choose the date when a task is due, aka Dropbox Paper task manager.

Looking forward for this.

[storyjesse]

+1 for jose's idea. However, I can see how this adding of shortcuts/shortcode has the potential to keep getting bigger and bigger. I think implementing a simple API of some sort to allow for an entered string to be reprocessed by an external script/program and returned would be the best solution since it would allow for ALL of these sort of requests to be completed by those who really want them and then made available as "plugin" type addons.

I understand that the a Lot of work must have gone into Typora and the creator want's to commercialize it. I'll be buying a copy for sure. But I do really hope that they'll be able to add an API so that others can add to the functionality without detracting from the commercial side of the project.

[abnerlee]

relates #3021

[ahmedelq]

+1 for the idea.

[poke1024]

I'm quite surprised that even quite esoteric markdown features are often considered core features in editors, whereas simple diary features are not. I consider switching from Typora to Obsidian, they have a nice date plugin.

IMHO Typora should offer some sort of diary mode that completely does away with filenames (much in the style of Ulysses and Day One on the Mac). You create files, and they are named automatically, and you have a list of them, sorted by time. This would make Typora much more minimalistic and elegant, not less.

[storyjesse]

IMHO Typora should offer some sort of diary mode that completely does away with filenames (much in the style of Ulysses and Day One on the Mac). You create files, and they are named automatically, and you have a list of them, sorted by time. This would make Typora much more minimalistic and elegant, not less.

Just want to flag that I would hate this functionality. I use Typora for several different projects and none of them are a diary. My filesystem and the naming of files is something I consider close to sacred and for an app to take control of that is feels akin to my my secretary making my bed or doing my washing.

I think jose's suggestion:

/today space to include today's date, e.g., June 25, 2020 /tomorrow space to include tomorrow's date, e.g., June 26, 2020 /time space to include current hour, e.g., 10:16 AM

Is great but the ability to create custom strings like the above which can be translated to anything e.g. similar to AutoText in libreOffice/OpenOffice/etc would make everyone's use scenarios possible.

The reason I use Typora over LibreOffice is because it is free from formatting distractions and allows me to focus on the content. .md files also take up very little space on disk (in terms of Kb).

[wjidea]

I found a mac solution.

Remember to give permission to Typora in Accessibility.

Applescript:

on run {input, parameters} set thedate to (current date) as string tell application "System Events" keystroke thedate end tell end run

[abnerlee]

merge into #3021