update how templates folder is configured

- Renamed `templates.subdir` to `templates.folder`.
- Allow `templates.folder` to point to a dir outside of vault.

Addresses #565.

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+### Changed
+
+- Renamed config field `templates.subdir` to `templates.folder` (`subdir` still supported for backwards compat).
+- You can now use a templates folder outside of your vault.
+
 ## [v3.7.11](https://github.com/epwalsh/obsidian.nvim/releases/tag/v3.7.11) - 2024-04-30
 
 ### Added

README.md

@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ This is a complete list of all of the options that can be passed to `require("ob
 
   -- Optional, for templates (see below).
   templates = {
-    subdir = "templates",
+    folder = "templates",
     date_format = "%Y-%m-%d",
     time_format = "%H:%M",
     -- A map for custom variables, the key should be the variable and the value a function
@@ -654,7 +654,7 @@ For example, with the following configuration
   -- other fields ...
 
   templates = {
-      subdir = "my-templates-folder",
+      folder = "my-templates-folder",
       date_format = "%Y-%m-%d-%a",
       time_format = "%H:%M",
   },
@@ -718,7 +718,7 @@ For example, to extend the configuration above this way:
 +        notes_subdir = vim.NIL,  -- have to use 'vim.NIL' instead of 'nil'
 +        new_notes_location = "current_dir",
 +        templates = {
-+          subdir = vim.NIL,
++          folder = vim.NIL,
 +        },
 +        disable_frontmatter = true,
 +      },

lua/obsidian/client.lua

@@ -261,17 +261,19 @@ Client.templates_dir = function(self, workspace)
     opts = self:opts_for_workspace(workspace)
   end
 
-  if opts.templates ~= nil and opts.templates.subdir ~= nil then
-    local templates_dir = self:vault_root(workspace) / opts.templates.subdir
-    if not templates_dir:is_dir() then
-      log.err("'%s' is not a valid directory for templates", templates_dir)
-      return nil
-    else
-      return templates_dir
-    end
-  else
+  if opts.templates == nil or opts.templates.folder == nil then
     return nil
   end
+
+  local paths_to_check = { Path.new(opts.templates.folder), self:vault_root(workspace) / opts.templates.folder }
+  for _, path in ipairs(paths_to_check) do
+    if path:is_dir() then
+      return path
+    end
+  end
+
+  log.err("'%s' is not a valid templates directory", opts.templates.folder)
+  return nil
 end
 
 --- Determines whether a note's frontmatter is managed by obsidian.nvim.
@@ -350,8 +352,8 @@ Client._prepare_search_opts = function(self, opts, additional_opts)
     search_opts.sort_reversed = self.opts.sort_reversed
   end
 
-  if not opts.include_templates and self.opts.templates ~= nil and self.opts.templates.subdir ~= nil then
-    search_opts:add_exclude(self.opts.templates.subdir)
+  if not opts.include_templates and self.opts.templates ~= nil and self.opts.templates.folder ~= nil then
+    search_opts:add_exclude(tostring(self.opts.templates.folder))
   end
 
   if opts.ignore_case then

lua/obsidian/config.lua

@@ -200,6 +200,11 @@ config.ClientOpts.normalize = function(opts, defaults)
     end
   end
 
+  if opts.templates and opts.templates.subdir then
+    opts.templates.folder = opts.templates.subdir
+    opts.templates.subdir = nil
+  end
+
   --------------------------
   -- Merge with defaults. --
   --------------------------
@@ -369,7 +374,7 @@ end
 
 ---@class obsidian.config.TemplateOpts
 ---
----@field subdir string
+---@field folder string|obsidian.Path|?
 ---@field date_format string|?
 ---@field time_format string|?
 ---@field substitutions table<string, function|string>|?
@@ -380,7 +385,7 @@ config.TemplateOpts = {}
 ---@return obsidian.config.TemplateOpts
 config.TemplateOpts.default = function()
   return {
-    subdir = nil,
+    folder = nil,
     date_format = nil,
     time_format = nil,
     substitutions = {},