Obsidian Book Search Plus - NEW Plugin - CourtneyR.dev's 2nd Brain

Obsidian Book Search Plus - NEW Plugin ![rw-book-cover](https://img.youtube.com/vi/zEJrc3zFz48/maxresdefault.jpg) 🔗 **Source:** [Obsidian Book Search Plus - NEW Plugin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEJrc3zFz48) > [!note]+ Document Notes > tags: #obsidian #plugin #book-search #knowledge-management > author: Chris > source: YouTube > reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEJrc3zFz48 > date created: 2024-12-19 09:15 > > # 🏷️ Title: Obsidian Book Search Plus - NEW plugin >  ## 🧰 Action Inbox - [H1] Install BRAT plugin to enable GitHub repository installations — 02:15 #obsidian - [H2] Test retry mechanism for API failures — 03:45 #plugin-development - [H3] Consider volunteering to review Obsidian plugin repository backlog — 05:30 #community ## 🧭 Table of Contents - [[#📝 Summary]] - [[#📖 Main Content]] - [[#🗒️ Notes]] - [[#📚 References]] - [[#🗣️ Paraphrase]] - [[#📰 Newsletter]] - [[#✅ Action Items]] - [[#🧪 Hypotheses]] - [[#📊 Methodology]] - [[#❓ Questions]] - [[#🔮 Future Research]] - [[#💡 Implications]] - [[#🧠 Learning Styles Assessment]] - [[#📊 Accessibility Assessment]] - [[#🌍 DEIB Assessment]] - [[#✅ Logical Validity]] - [[#🛡️ DARVO Analysis]] - [[#🎯 Conclusion]] ### 🔗 References - [Obsidian Book Search Plus](https://github.com/chrisgale/obsidian-book-search-plus) - [BRAT Plugin](https://github.com/TfTHacker/obsidian42-brat) ## 📝 Summary - Chris announces a fork of the Obsidian Book Search plugin called "Book Search Plus" - The original plugin had 72 issues and hadn't been updated in 2 years - Key fixes include improved UI defaults, retry mechanisms, and crash fixes - Plugin must be installed via BRAT since official repository has 2,000+ pending requests - Author plans continued maintenance and security audits ## 📖 Main Content Chris has created a fork of the abandoned Obsidian Book Search plugin to address persistent issues and bugs. The original plugin suffered from neglect with 72 open issues, multiple pull requests, and API errors that prevented reliable book searching within Obsidian vaults. The new "Book Search Plus" version fixes several critical usability issues, most notably the command interface defaulting to the search field instead of language selection, which previously caused typing to change language settings unexpectedly. Additional improvements include retry mechanisms for API failures and crash prevention fixes. Due to the Obsidian plugin repository's significant backlog (reportedly 2,000 pull requests), the plugin is only available through BRAT (Beta Reviewer's Auto-update Tool), which allows installation of plugins directly from GitHub repositories. ## 🗒️ Notes #### ⏱️ [00:00](https://youtu.be/zEJrc3zFz48?t=0) — [H1] Plugin Introduction and Fork Justification - Key idea: Obsidian Book Search Plus is a fork addressing 2+ years of neglect - Evidence: "72 issues, it has a big stack of pull requests, some pull requests" #### ⏱️ [00:45](https://youtu.be/zEJrc3zFz48?t=45) — [H2] Primary Problem with Original Plugin - Key idea: API errors and unresponsiveness drove the need for a fork - Evidence: "I would get, uh, go to hit my API limit or anything, and it would just would continue to get errors" #### ⏱️ [01:30](https://youtu.be/zEJrc3zFz48?t=90) — [H3] Installation Method via BRAT - Key idea: Plugin must be installed through BRAT due to repository backlog - Evidence: Installation instructions "outlined in my, um, readme" #### ⏱️ [02:15](https://youtu.be/zEJrc3zFz48?t=135) — [H1] Major UI Improvement - Key idea: Command interface now defaults to search field instead of language selection - Evidence: "it automatically defaults to right here. Uh, before it used to default, uh, into the language selection" #### ⏱️ [02:45](https://youtu.be/zEJrc3zFz48?t=165) — [H2] Language Selection Bug Fix - Key idea: Typing no longer accidentally changes language settings - Evidence: "you start typing, and it would like switch your language on you, which was not helpful" #### ⏱️ [03:15](https://youtu.be/zEJrc3zFz48?t=195) — [H2] Retry Mechanism Implementation - Key idea: Added automatic retry functionality for failed requests - Evidence: "I also added, say, a retry mechanism, so it continues to retry things" #### ⏱️ [03:45](https://youtu.be/zEJrc3zFz48?t=225) — [H3] Additional Bug Fixes - Key idea: Multiple parsing and crashing issues have been resolved - Evidence: "I also killed or fixed >> [snorts] >> uh, local restrictions" #### ⏱️ [04:15](https://youtu.be/zEJrc3zFz48?t=255) — [H3] Title Formatting Improvements - Key idea: Fixed formatting issues with author names and commas - Evidence: "fixed an issue with the title. Uh, will not include the comma after the author" #### ⏱️ [04:45](https://youtu.be/zEJrc3zFz48?t=285) — [H2] Plugin Repository Backlog Issue - Key idea: Official Obsidian plugin repository has massive approval delays - Evidence: "that has like 2,000 pull requests on it, and who knows if that's ever going to happen" #### ⏱️ [05:15](https://youtu.be/zEJrc3zFz48?t=315) — [H3] Community Contribution Consideration - Key idea: Author considering volunteering to help review plugin backlog - Evidence: "Maybe I should hop into Discord and find out what I could do, if I could volunteer" #### ⏱️ [05:45](https://youtu.be/zEJrc3zFz48?t=345) — [H1] Plugin Recommendation - Key idea: Author recommends his fork as the functional alternative - Evidence: "this is the one that I would recommend, because it actually works" #### ⏱️ [06:15](https://youtu.be/zEJrc3zFz48?t=375) — [H2] Ongoing Maintenance Plans - Key idea: Continued bug fixing and issue resolution planned - Evidence: "I'm going to, you know, continue to find more, um, bugs" #### ⏱️ [06:45](https://youtu.be/zEJrc3zFz48?t=405) — [H3] Security and Library Updates - Key idea: Future plans include security audits and library updates - Evidence: "do a proper security audit, and check any libraries, uh, and API to ensure that we're using the current best options" ## 📚 References - [Obsidian Book Search Plus GitHub](https://github.com/chrisgale/obsidian-book-search-plus) - [BRAT Plugin Installation Guide](https://github.com/TfTHacker/obsidian42-brat) - [Chris's Membership Page](https://chrisgale.ca/membership) ## 🗣️ Paraphrase - The original Obsidian Book Search plugin became unmaintained with numerous unresolved issues - Chris created a functional fork that fixes critical UI problems and adds reliability features - Users must install via BRAT due to the official plugin repository's massive approval backlog ## 📰 Newsletter 🔍 **New Tool Alert: Obsidian Book Search Plus** The popular Obsidian Book Search plugin got a much-needed revival! Chris has forked the abandoned plugin to create "Book Search Plus," fixing years of accumulated bugs and API issues. **Key improvements:** - Fixed annoying language-switching bug in search interface - Added retry mechanisms for API failures - Resolved crashes and parsing errors - Ongoing maintenance and security updates planned **Getting started:** Install via the BRAT plugin since the official repository has a 2,000+ request backlog. Perfect for knowledge workers building book-based research collections in Obsidian. Resources: [Plugin Repository](https://github.com/chrisgale/obsidian-book-search-plus), [BRAT Installation](https://github.com/TfTHacker/obsidian42-brat), [Obsidian Community](https://obsidian.md/community) ## ✅ Action Items #### DevRel - Plugin ecosystem: Document BRAT installation patterns for developers - Community engagement: Connect with plugin reviewers about volunteer opportunities - Developer experience: Create plugin maintenance best practices guide #### Community - Contributors: Establish fork maintenance protocols for abandoned projects - Maintainers: Develop handoff procedures for unmaintained plugins - Ecosystem: Address plugin repository scalability challenges ## 🧪 Hypotheses - Fork maintenance will provide better user experience than waiting for upstream fixes - BRAT installation method will become standard for actively developed plugins - Community-driven plugin maintenance can solve repository backlog issues - User interface defaults significantly impact plugin adoption and satisfaction ### 📊 Methodology - User feedback analysis comparing original vs. forked plugin experience - Installation method comparison between official repository and BRAT - Plugin maintenance timeline analysis for community vs. individual maintainers ### ❓ Questions - How can the Obsidian plugin repository approval process be streamlined? - What governance models work best for community plugin maintenance? - How do UI default choices affect user adoption patterns? ### 🔮 Future Research - Plugin ecosystem sustainability models for open-source applications - Community-driven maintenance vs. corporate stewardship effectiveness - User experience patterns in plugin discovery and installation flows ### 💡 Implications - Practice: Developers should consider forking unmaintained critical tools - Policy: Plugin repositories need scalable review processes - Security: Forked plugins require independent security audit processes - Education: Users need guidance on alternative installation methods - Funding: Community plugin maintenance may require sustainable funding models ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment Reading level estimate: 8th grade #### 👀 Visual learners - Present: Screen recordings of plugin interface and installation - Improve: Architecture diagrams showing plugin ecosystem relationships #### 🔊 Aural learners - Present: Video explanation with narration available - Improve: Podcast-style discussion of plugin maintenance challenges #### 🗣️ Verbal learners - Present: Clear definitions of technical terms, step-by-step explanations - Improve: Analogies comparing plugin maintenance to other software ecosystems #### 🧩 Kinesthetic learners - Present: Hands-on installation guide, interactive GitHub repository - Improve: Sandbox environment for testing plugin functionality #### 🧠 Logical learners - Present: Issue tracking, numbered problem-solution pairs - Improve: Decision tree for choosing between original and forked plugins #### 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Social learners - Present: Community discussion prompts, GitHub collaboration - Improve: Forum for comparing plugin experiences, mentorship programs #### 🧘‍♀️ Solitary learners - Present: Self-paced video content, independent documentation - Improve: Reflection questions about tool maintenance strategies #### 🌿 Naturalistic learners - Present: Ecosystem metaphors for plugin relationships - Improve: Sustainability discussions about long-term maintenance models ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment #### Screen reader semantics - Present: Clear heading structure, descriptive link text in video description - Improve: Detailed alt text for GitHub screenshots, ARIA labels for interface elements #### Keyboard navigation - Present: Standard YouTube keyboard controls - Improve: Transcript navigation shortcuts, timestamped section jumping #### Contrast and readability - Present: High contrast in code editor screenshots - Improve: Ensure all interface elements meet WCAG contrast ratios #### Text resizing and reflow - Present: YouTube's responsive design - Improve: Ensure plugin documentation scales properly #### Media and captions - Present: Auto-generated captions available - Improve: Professional captions with technical term accuracy, downloadable transcript #### Forms and interactions - Present: Standard GitHub issue templates - Improve: Accessible error handling in plugin installation guides ### 🌍 DEIB Assessment #### Cultural breadth - Present: English-language content with global technical applicability - Improve: Multi-language documentation, international API considerations #### Inclusive language - Present: Technical terms explained clearly, avoiding jargon - Improve: Plain-language alternatives for complex concepts #### Neurodiversity support - Present: Chunked content with clear timestamps - Improve: Executive function support through clear checklists #### Representation - Present: Individual developer perspective - Improve: Diverse voices in plugin maintenance discussions #### Psychological safety - Present: Respectful critique of original plugin without personal attacks - Improve: Community guidelines for constructive feedback on abandoned projects ### ✅ Logical Validity #### Strong reasoning - Deductive strength: If plugin has 72 unresolved issues and no maintenance, then fork is justified (strong) - Inductive strength: Multiple API failures suggest systemic reliability problems (moderate) - Causal reasoning: UI defaults cause user experience problems (strong with evidence) - Analogical strength: Plugin ecosystem compared to broader software maintenance patterns (moderate) #### Fallacies - Appeal to numbers: "72 issues" used as primary justification without severity assessment - False dilemma: Implies only choice is between broken original and new fork #### Tone of voice - Overall tone: Casual and conversational with technical competence, slightly frustrated with original plugin state ### 🛡️ DARVO Analysis - Deny: No denials present - acknowledges forking rather than claiming original work - Attack: Mild criticism of original plugin maintainer's abandonment, but not personal - Reverse victim/offender: Not applicable - Emotional cues and rhetoric: Frustration with broken tools, satisfaction with problem-solving ## 🎯 Conclusion Chris's Book Search Plus fork demonstrates how community-driven maintenance can revive essential tools when official channels fail. The practical fixes address real user pain points, while the installation method highlights broader challenges in plugin ecosystem governance. Key takeaway: When critical tools become unmaintained, community forks can provide immediate relief, but sustainable long-term solutions require addressing systemic review and maintenance processes. ## 🧱 Refactor Appendix ### 📚 Literature Split Pad ### [H1] Plugin forks solve abandonment issues effectively > [!quote] Obsidian Book Search Plus - NEW plugin by Chris via YouTube. Published 2024. Accessed 2024-12-19. > "because it hasn't been touched in 2 years, it has 72 issues" Demonstrates community response to unmaintained critical infrastructure. [view highlight](https://youtu.be/zEJrc3zFz48?t=45#H1) #xref #articleseed ID:rw_plugin_abandonment ### [H2] UI defaults significantly impact user experience > [!quote] Obsidian Book Search Plus - NEW plugin > "it automatically defaults to right here. Uh, before it used to default, uh, into the language selection" Small interface changes prevent major user frustration. [view highlight](https://youtu.be/zEJrc3zFz48?t=135#H2) #xref ID:rw_ui_defaults --- ### 🔖 Atomic Split Pad (Zettel Candidates) #### [Z1] Community maintenance fills ecosystem gaps - When official channels fail or become backlogged - Pointer to 00:45-02:00 discussion - Links: [[Open-Source-Governance]] [[Community-Driven-Development]] #### [Z2] Alternative installation methods enable innovation - BRAT allows bypassing official repository bottlenecks - Pointer to 02:15 BRAT explanation - Links: [[Plugin-Distribution]] [[Development-Workflows]] --- ### ✏️ Fleeting Queue - [F1] Research Obsidian plugin repository review process — 05:30 #fleeting #inbox - [F2] Compare BRAT vs official installation user experience — 02:15 #fleeting #inbox - [F3] Document plugin fork decision criteria — 01:30 #fleeting #inbox --- ## Full Transcript [00:00] Welcome today, we're going to take a [00:01] quick, uh, look, {slash} announcement at [00:03] my new plugin, uh, for Obsidian, called, [00:07] uh, Obsidian Book Search Plus. Now, [00:09] honestly, let's just dive right into it. [00:11] Uh, this is not, in fact, a brand new [00:14] plugin. This is a fork [00:18] of the, uh, Obsidian Book Search plugin. [00:22] Uh, because it hasn't been touched in 2 [00:24] years, it has 72 issues, it has [00:29] a big stack of pull requests, so not a [00:30] huge stack, I suppose, a stack of pull [00:32] requests, some pull requests, uh, and I [00:34] was continuing to get errors on it, [00:37] right? I would get, uh, go to hit my API [00:39] limit or anything, and it would just [00:41] would continue to get errors. And that [00:43] bothered me, uh, and there were issues [00:46] of other people saying, "Hey, this isn't [00:47] returning anything for me. I'm having [00:48] trouble with it." So, I decided to, like [00:51] I said, grab a copy and fix it. [00:54] So, let's look at a few of the things [00:56] that I've already fixed [00:58] uh, in it. So, one of the things, and [01:00] I'm going to just, uh, command P here. [01:02] So, I've turned it on. Actually, the way [01:03] to install it now is with BRAT, uh, [01:05] which is outlined in my, um, [01:08] readme. [01:10] Right? In my readme. Oh, wrong screen. [01:13] In my readme. [01:15] Right? It talks about how to install it [01:17] with [01:19] BRAT. Oh, [01:20] BRAT. Right here. So, you install the [01:22] BRAT plugin, and then you can install [01:24] basically any GitHub repository you [01:25] want. [01:26] So, [01:27] what have I fixed? Uh, uh, [01:30] a few things. One thing is, if I bring [01:32] up my quick command, it automatically [01:34] defaults to right here. Uh, before it [01:36] used to default, uh, into the language [01:38] selection, you start typing, and it [01:39] would like switch your language on you, [01:40] which was not helpful. [01:43] Um, not helpful at all. [01:44] That's probably the biggest thing. Uh, I [01:46] also added, say, a retry mechanism, so [01:48] it continues to retry things. Uh, and [01:50] then I also I got to I got to look [01:52] through my own issues here. Uh, I also [01:55] killed or fixed [01:57] >> [snorts] [01:58] >> uh, local restrictions. Uh, [02:00] right, added some BRAT instructions. I [02:02] added some crash fixed some crashing, [02:04] and I actually just copied over a bunch [02:05] of the other issues from the old plugin [02:07] to fix, and I've been, you know, [02:09] updating them, right? Uh, fixed an issue [02:11] with the title. Uh, will not include the [02:13] comma after the author, right? Uh, I was [02:15] parsing errors and a bunch of stuff like [02:16] this. So, [02:18] if you are looking for a book search [02:20] plugin, uh, I'm going to recommend mine, [02:22] uh, Obsidian Book Search Plus. It is [02:25] attempting to get into the Obsidian, uh, [02:26] plugin repository, but that has like [02:28] 2,000 pull requests on it, and who knows [02:30] if that's ever going to happen. Um, [02:33] because they're just so far behind. I'm [02:34] not actually sure. Maybe I should hop [02:36] into Discord and find out what I could [02:38] do, if I could volunteer to, uh, look at [02:40] some of these plugins and evaluate them, [02:42] and see if we can put them in. [02:43] I don't know. [02:45] That's it. Anyways, if you're looking [02:46] for the, uh, Book Search plugin to add [02:48] books to your Obsidian, uh, repository [02:50] or Obsidian, you know, library of notes, [02:52] then this is the one that I would [02:53] recommend, because it actually works. [02:55] Uh, I'm going to, you know, continue to [02:56] find more, um, bugs. I've I guess I have [02:59] a list of bugs, as I showed. If we go [03:02] back to [03:03] seven. [03:04] >> [snorts] [03:05] >> Right? I've pulled a bunch of other [03:07] issues. These are all issues out of [03:09] the, um, [03:11] original plugin, except for the security [03:12] audit and check libraries. Those are [03:14] just things that I need to do, just do a [03:15] proper security audit, and check any [03:16] libraries, uh, and API to ensure that [03:18] we're using the current best options, so [03:19] there's not old libraries in there. [03:21] That's it. [03:23] If you like the video, thumbs up. Uh, go [03:25] grab the plugin. You can support me [03:26] there on GitHub, if you want to do this [03:28] membership, chrisgale.ca/membership. [03:30] Have an awesome day.  📄 **Full text:** ![[Full Document Contents/Articles/Obsidian Book Search Plus - NEW Plugin.md|Obsidian Book Search Plus - NEW Plugin by YouTube]] ## Highlights - huge stack, I suppose, a stack of pull requests, some pull requests. Uh, and I was continuing to get errors on it, right? I would get uh go to hit my API limit or anything and it just would continue to get errors and that bothered me. Uh, and there were issues of other people saying, "Hey, this isn't returning anything for me. I'm having trouble with it." So, I decided to, like I said, grab a copy and fix it. So, let's look at a few of the things that I've already fixed uh in it. So, one of the things, and I'm going to just ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01kqym5b1ve7ptrej0djc4pzw1)) - Tags: 👻 ai highlighted