Note types

A note’s type is a field in its frontmatter, type unless the settings name another. Its folder does not decide it: a folder may hold several types, and a type may live in several places.

A type file

Each type is a Markdown file in .vault/types/, settings above, the template below. Acme’s .vault/types/decision.md:

---
places:
  - "active/{project:slug}/decisions/{title:slug}.md"
frontmatter:
  type: object
  properties:
    title:
      type: string
      description: The decision, in one line.
    decided_by:
      type: string
      description: Who made it.
    decided_on:
      type: string
      description: When, as YYYY-MM-DD.
  required:
    - title
    - decided_by
    - decided_on
---
# {title}

{body}

• places are the paths the type may have. A placeholder such as {title:slug} says both how a path is matched and how a new one is built: create_note builds the path from the first place.
• frontmatter is a JSON Schema for the note’s frontmatter.
• The body is the template a new note starts from.

What the basic tools do with types

• create_note takes a type, builds the path, checks the frontmatter and fills the template. A repository may name a defaultType for a call that gives none.
• edit_note may change a note’s type when its place fits the new one.
• move_note refuses a target its type does not allow, and names the allowed places. Given a new type, it changes both in one call.
• list_notes shows each note’s type and summary.

Only the change is checked. A call is refused for what it would break itself; older problems are reported, and never block a write.

Unknown and missing types

A note without a type is a hint, or an error where untyped says so. An unknown type is always a warning. Paths in exempt follow no type rule at all.