Codeblock Customizer Plugin

[!important] Version 1.2.6 changes

New:

• Option to set colors language specifically. This means, you can customize now (almost) every color for Python, and totally different colors for C. Please read more below
• Added option to highlight text, not just lines. Please read more below
• It is possible now to automatically update links, if a file is renamed. Please read more below

Modified:

• Settingstab reorganized a little, because there are a lot of settings now
• Every parameter works now with "=" or ":" (Example: hl:7 or hl=7)
• All sorts of links work now (markdown link, wiki link, normal http or https), BUT they only work if they are marked as comments. You have to mark them as comment according to the current code block language (For example // in C/C++, # in Python etc.). This change was necessary as the processing of the HTML in Reading mode was too resource intensive
• Fixed indented code blocks
• Fixed minimal theme incompatibility
• Moved Copy code and delete code buttons to the header (if it is present)
• Improved performance in edit mode and reading mode as well
• Fixed a case where in reading mode the syntax highlighting was incorrect

This is a plugin for Obsidian (https://obsidian.md).

Since I didn't find any plugin, where I could customize code blocks, which works reliable, and works in editor and reading mode as well, I created my own. I am not a designer, so if you have created a cool theme, send me the color codes, and I might include it as a default theme in the next release :-)

This plugin works in editor mode and in reading mode!

The plugin lets you customize the code blocks in the following way:

• Default Obsidian and Solarized theme. You can create your own themes as well.
• Enable editor active line highlight. The active line in Obsidian (including code blocks) will be highlighted (you can customize the color).
• Enable code block active line highlight. The active line inside a code block will be highlighted (you can customize the color).
• Exclude languages. You can define languages separated by a comma, to which the plugin will not apply. You can also define exclude for specific code blocks to exclude them.
• Set background color for code blocks.
• Lets you highlight specific lines.
  • Customize highlight color
• Lets you define multiple highlight colors to highlight lines.
• Display filename
  • If a filename is defined a header will be inserted, where it is possible to customize the text (color, bold, italic), and the header (color, header line) itself as well
• Fold code
  • If the header is displayed (either by defining filename or other way explained below), you can click on the header to fold the code block below it
• Display code block language. This displays the language (if specified) of the code block in the header.
  • Customize text color, background color, bold text, italic text for the language tag inside the header.
  • By default the language tag is only displayed, if the header is displayed, and a if a language is defined for a code block. You can however force, to always display the code block language, even if the header would not be displayed.
• Display code block language icon (if available for the specified language) in the header.
• Add line numbers to code blocks
  • Customize if the line number should also be highlighted, if a line is highlighted
  • Customize background color, and color of the line numbers
• and much more...

Themes

The plugin comes with a default Obsidian and a Solarized theme. The default theme is Obsidian.

Default Solarized theme (dark mode):

Default Solarized theme (light mode):

How the themes work:

• Every setting and color is saved in the theme, except the excluded languages.
• You can't modify or delete the default themes.
• When you switch themes, all unsaved changes are lost. Therefore it is recommended to create your own theme (unless you are happy with the default settings and will never change the theme), and always save your changes. If you made a change, and did not save it, the theme will not include it!
• Each theme has its own light and dark colors. To customize the light/dark colors, just switch Obsidian to light/dark mode, and you can change the colors for that mode.
• When creating a new theme the currently selected theme will be taken as a template for the new theme.
• After saving changes in a theme, these become the new default values. Example: You select a color (red) and save the theme. Now, this color is the default value. This means, that if you click the "restore default color" icon next to the color picker the color red will be restored.

Highlighting

Main highlight

To highlight lines specify hl: followed by line numbers in the first line of the code block.

• You can specify either single line numbers separated with a comma e.g.: hl:1,3,5,7.
• You can specify ranges e.g.: hl:2-5 This would highlight lines from 2 to 5.
• You can also combine the methods e.g.: hl:1,3,4-6 This would highlight lines 1, 3 and lines from 4 to 6.

Example:
```cpp hl:1,3,4-6

Alternative highlight

With version 1.1.0 this new feature is released. From now on, you can define multiple highlight colors. This means, that you have to define a name for the highlight color. This name will be used as a parameter, and you can use it just like with the hl parameter.

Example: You define three types of highlight colors (info, warn, error). After that set the colors. After that you can use it in the first line of code blocks: ```cpp info:2 warn:4-6 error:8

Example code block with multiple highlight colors:

Text highlight

It is possible now to highlight text instead of lines. To use this option you have to enable the Highlight words instead of lines option in the settingstab on the "Codeblock" settings page. You can still use the normal highlight as before, but the option got extended:

• If after the hl: parameter a string is defined, then the string is highlighted in every line it is present in the code block. Example: hl:extension
• If after the hl: parameter a number is defined, followed by a pipe "|", followed by a string, then the word is highlighted only in this line if it is present. Example: hl:9|print
• If after the hl: parameter a range is defined, followed by a pipe "|" character, followed by a string, then the word is highlighted only in these line ranges, if it present. Example: hl:6-7|print

[!note]

• You can use the text highlighting with alternative highlight colors as well!
• If the setting Highlight words instead of lines is disabled, then lines will be highlighted not words. Please note, that if you used multiple colors in one line, and the option Highlight words instead of lines is disabled, it may result in an unexpected line highlight, since obviously only one color can be used to highlight a line.

An example code block with text highlight, using three different colors is shown below:

Language specific coloring

In the settings, on the Language specific colors settings page it is now possible to define colors for languages. These colors will only apply to code blocks with the defined language. If you defined colors for "Python", then those colors will only apply to every Python code block. First, you have to add a language. Then you can select which color you want to set. Options are:

• Code block active line color
• Code block background color
• Header background color
• Header text color
• Header line color
• Header language text color
• Header language background color
• Gutter text color
• Gutter background color
• Gutter active line number color

An example is shown below, where the background color has been defined for "Python", "JavaScript" and "C++" languages.

Border colors

You can define colors for languages. This means, that if you want to show a border color on cpp code blocks then you have to add cpp to the list first. After adding it to the list you can set the color. You can also choose on which side (left/right) the border should be displayed. If you don't select a side, the colors will not be displayed.

Display filename

To display a filename specify file: or title: followed by a filename in the first line of the code block. If the filename contains space, specify it between "" e.g.: file:"long filename.cpp". title is basically an alias for file. If both are defined, then file will be used

Example:
```cpp file:test.cpp
```cpp title:test.py
```cpp file:"long filename.cpp"

Folding

Default fold

To specify an initial fold state when the document is opened, specify fold in the first line of the code block. If fold is defined in a code block, then when you open the document, the code block will be automatically collapsed, and only the header will be displayed. You can unfold the code block by clicking on the header.

Example:
```cpp fold

Semi-fold

You can enable semi-folding in settings tab:

After enabling it, you have to select the count of the visible lines (default is 5). Optionally you can also enable an additional uncollapse button, which will be displayed in the last line. Semi-fold works just like the normal fold with the following differences:

• If your code block doesn't have minimum required lines, then it will fold as until now.
• If your code block does have the minimum required line (count of visible lines + 4 for fading effect), then it will semi-fold.

The number of the "fade" lines is constant, and cannot be changed. Example: You set the count of visible lines to 5, and you have a code block with 10 lines. In this case semi-fold will be used. The first 5 lines remain visible, and the next 4 lines will "fade away".

[!note] There is a slight difference between editing mode and reading mode. In editing mode the first line of the code block (where you define the language and the parameters) also counts, in reading mode not, since it doesn't exist. This will probably change in the next release so it is the same between editing and reading mode.

Example semi-folded code block (light theme):

Example semi-folded code block (dark theme):

Example semi-folded code block with additional uncollapse button:

Icon

Version 1.1.0 introduces a new feature. It is possible from now on, to display an icon for the code blocks. There are currently around 170 icons available for different languages. You can enable the option in the settings page to display icons in the header. If you enable this option, and if the language specified in the code block has an icon, and the header is displayed, then the icon will be displayed. You can also force to always display the icon (which also means that the header will be also displayed) even if the header is not displayed, because the file parameter is not defined.

Header

The header is displayed in the following cases:

• You specified a file: or title:
• You specified fold. If you specified fold but did not specify file: or title: a default text Collapsed code will be displayed on the header
• You enabled the Always display codeblock language or the Always display codeblock language icon option in settings, but did not specify file: or title: or fold

If the header is displayed, folding works as well. If Always display codeblock language is enabled then the header will display the code block language as well.

Example:

• Header with fold only

• Header with code block language only

• Header with code block language and filename as well

• Header with code block language, filename and icon as well

Line numbers

To enable line numbers go to the plugin settings and enable the Enable line numbers option. After that the line numbers will be displayed before code blocks. Note: The method how line numbers were displayed before version 1.1.0 does not exist anymore. Line numbers are displayed from now on, as shown below.

Example:

Example for reading mode:

ln parameter

The ln: parameter can have 3 values: true, false, number

• If ln is set to ln:true, then for that specific code block only, the line numbers will be displayed, even if line numbers are not enabled in the settings.
• If ln is set to ln:false, then for that specific code block only, the line numbers will NOT be displayed, even if line number are enabled in the settings.
• If ln is set to a number, e.g. ln:5, then it sets the offset for the line numbers.

Commands

There are three commands available in the command palette. You can:

• fold all code blocks in the current document,
• unfold all code blocks in the current document,
• restore original state of code blocks

If you collapsed/uncollapsed all code blocks there is no need to restore them to their original state. When you switch documents they are automatically restored to their original state.

Inline code

If you want to style inline code, you have to enable it first. After that you can set the background color and the text color for inline code.

Print to PDF

By default, if you print a document the styling is not applied to it. You can enable it in the settings. By default, the light colors are used for printing, but if you want to force the dark colors, you can enable the second toggle.

Indented code blocks

Code blocks in lists, are now indented properly as shown below. Simply, mark the text in the code block, and press TAB. This will shift the code block right, by adding margin to the left side. Pressing TAB multiple times, indents the code block more. If you want to undo it, just select the text again, and press SHIFT+TAB.

Links

If you want to convert markdown, wiki and normal http/https link syntax to actual links inside code blocks, then you have to mark them as comment according to the current code block language, and enable the setting Enable links usage in the settings on the "Codeblock" settings page. Links can also be used in the header. For example if you are in a python code block, then you have write a "#" before the link (comment it out), and it will be automatically converted to a link. From version 1.2.6 only commented out links will be converted! By default the links, which point to another document in your vault, are not updated, if you rename the file. This is because Obsidian does not provide (yet) a way to add these links to the metadata cache. A temporary solution for that is to enable the option Enable automatically updating links on file rename option in settings.

[!important] Please note, that this method iterates over all of your documents in you vault! If you have a huge vault, it could take some time. During my testing, it was however, very efficient, but please test it yourself!

Sample code block with links, but with the option Enable links usage disabled:

Same code block with the Enable links usage option enabled:

How to install the plugin

• Simply install directly from Obsidian
• or you can just copy over main.js, styles.css, manifest.json to your vault VaultFolder/.obsidian/plugins/codeblock-customizer/.

Support

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