Getting started

Obsidian Dev Utils is a collection of essential functions, helpers, and build tooling that streamline Obsidian plugin development. This guide gets you from an empty project to your first call.

Installation

Install the package from npm:

npm install obsidian-dev-utils

If you are starting a brand-new plugin, the Obsidian Plugin Yeoman Generator scaffolds a project that already wires up this library and its scripts for you.

Your first helper call

Everything the library exposes for use inside a running plugin is a normal import. For example, show a prompt modal without writing any modal boilerplate:

import { prompt } from 'obsidian-dev-utils/obsidian/modal/prompt';

const name = await prompt({
  app,
  title: 'Enter your name'
});

Helpers are grouped by file and folder, and each group is reachable through several import styles (deep path, namespace, or a single flat barrel). See Helper Functions for the full set of import styles, including the flat __merged barrel.

Your first build script

The library also ships the build, lint, format, spellcheck, and test tooling most plugins need, exposed as functions you wrap in your own scripts/:

scripts/build.ts

import { wrapCliTask } from 'obsidian-dev-utils/script-utils/cli-utils';
import { build } from 'obsidian-dev-utils/script-utils/bundlers/esbuild';

await wrapCliTask(() => build());

Then wire it into package.json:

{
  "scripts": {
    "build": "jiti scripts/build.ts"
  }
}

See Commands for the complete list of build and tooling entry points.

Where to go next

• Helper Functions — general-purpose and Obsidian-specific helpers, and the ways to import them.
• Setting Components — ready-made settings-tab controls.
• Modals — alert, confirm, prompt, and select modals with an async API.
• Plugin Helpers — building blocks to simplify your own plugin class.
• Commands — the build, lint, format, and test tooling.
• API reference — the complete, searchable API generated from the library’s TSDoc.