Dataview Plugin Guide

Transform your Obsidian vault into a powerful queryable database with the Dataview plugin.

What is Dataview?

Dataview is one of the most powerful Obsidian plugins that treats your vault as a database. It allows you to:

• 📊 Query your notes using SQL-like syntax
• 📈 Create dynamic views and reports
• 🔍 Filter and sort content automatically
• 📉 Generate statistics and visualizations
• ⚡ Update in real-time as your notes change

Quick Start

Installation

1. Open Obsidian Settings
2. Go to Community Plugins
3. Search for “Dataview”
4. Install and enable

Your First Query

Create a new note and add this query:

TABLE date, mood
FROM "diary"
WHERE !draft
SORT date DESC
LIMIT 5

This displays your 5 most recent diary entries with their dates and moods.

Query Types

Dataview supports four main query types:

1. TABLE Query

Display data in table format:

TABLE date as "Date", mood as "Mood", weather as "Weather"
FROM "diary"
WHERE !draft
SORT date DESC

Use cases:

• Diary entry overviews
• Task lists with metadata
• Content summaries

2. LIST Query

Simple list format:

LIST
FROM "posts"
WHERE contains(tags, "tech")
SORT date DESC

Use cases:

• File listings
• Tag-based content
• Quick overviews

3. TASK Query

Display tasks from your notes:

TASK
FROM "todo"
WHERE status != "done"
GROUP BY priority

Use cases:

• Task management
• Project tracking
• Todo lists

4. CALENDAR Query

Visualize content on a calendar:

CALENDAR date
FROM "diary"

Use cases:

• Activity tracking
• Content calendar
• Habit visualization

Advanced Features

DataviewJS

For complex queries, use JavaScript:

const todos = dv.pages('"todo"').where(p => !p.draft);
const total = todos.length;
const completed = todos.where(p => p.status === "done").length;
const rate = Math.round((completed / total) * 100);

dv.paragraph(`**Completion Rate**: ${rate}% (${completed}/${total})`);

Inline Queries

Embed queries inline within your text:

Today I have `= this.todos.length` tasks pending.

Custom Functions

Use built-in functions for data manipulation:

• length() - Count items
• contains() - Check for values
• date() - Date operations
• dur() - Duration calculations

Practical Examples

Personal Dashboard

Create a comprehensive overview:

# 📊 My Dashboard

## Today's Tasks
```sql
TASK
FROM "todo"
WHERE dueDate = date(today) AND !draft

Recent Diary Entries

TABLE date, mood, weather
FROM "diary"
WHERE !draft
SORT date DESC
LIMIT 5

Project Progress

const projects = dv.pages('"projects"').where(p => !p.draft);
const active = projects.where(p => p.status === "active").length;
const completed = projects.where(p => p.status === "done").length;

dv.paragraph(`Active: ${active} | Completed: ${completed}`);

### Weekly Review

Analyze your week's activity:

```javascript
const startOfWeek = dv.date("today").startOf("week");
const thisWeek = dv.pages('"diary"')
  .where(p => p.date >= startOfWeek && !p.draft);

dv.header(2, "This Week");
dv.list([
  `Diary entries: ${thisWeek.length}`,
  `Active days: ${new Set(thisWeek.map(p => p.date.day)).size}`,
  `Words written: ${thisWeek.map(p => p.file.size).reduce((a,b) => a+b, 0)}`
]);

Tag Statistics

Analyze your content tags:

const allPages = dv.pages().where(p => !p.draft);
const tagCounts = {};

allPages.forEach(page => {
  if (page.tags) {
    page.tags.forEach(tag => {
      tagCounts[tag] = (tagCounts[tag] || 0) + 1;
    });
  }
});

const sorted = Object.entries(tagCounts)
  .sort((a, b) => b[1] - a[1])
  .slice(0, 10);

dv.table(["Tag", "Count"], sorted);

Best Practices

Performance Tips

1. Use specific paths: FROM "diary" instead of FROM ""
2. Filter early: Use WHERE before SORT
3. Limit results: Add LIMIT to large datasets
4. Index frequently: Keep frontmatter consistent

Query Organization

1. Comment your queries: Explain complex logic
2. Use variables: Make DataviewJS readable
3. Test incrementally: Build queries step by step
4. Create templates: Reuse common patterns

Common Patterns

Date-based queries:

WHERE date >= date(today) - dur(7 days)

Multi-condition filters:

WHERE (priority = "high" OR priority = "medium")
  AND status != "done"
  AND !draft

Grouping and counting:

TABLE WITHOUT ID
  category,
  length(rows) as "Count"
GROUP BY category

Integration with Other Plugins

Templater Integration

Use Templater to auto-insert Dataview queries:

---
creation_date: <% tp.date.now("YYYY-MM-DD") %>
---

## Recent Activity
```sql
TABLE file.name, creation_date
FROM ""
WHERE creation_date >= date(today) - dur(7 days)
SORT creation_date DESC

### Calendar Integration

Visualize diary entries on calendar:

```sql
CALENDAR date
FROM "diary"
WHERE !draft

Live Demo

Want to see Dataview in action? Check out our interactive presentation:

📊 Interactive Dataview Demo

Embed Live Demo

You can also view the presentation embedded below:

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Query not showing results:

• Check file paths in FROM clause
• Verify frontmatter fields exist
• Ensure !draft filter is appropriate

Slow performance:

• Reduce query scope
• Add more specific WHERE conditions
• Use LIMIT to restrict results

Syntax errors:

• Check for missing quotes
• Verify function names
• Test DataviewJS in console

Resources

Documentation

• Dataview Official Docs
• Query Language Reference
• DataviewJS API

Examples in This Project

• /docs/obsidian-integration-examples - Complete examples
• template/Dashboard.md - Personal dashboard template
• template/DATAVIEW-EXAMPLES.md - Query examples collection

Community Resources

• Obsidian Forum
• Discord Community
• GitHub Examples

Next Steps

1. Install Dataview in your Obsidian vault
2. Try basic queries from the examples above
3. Watch the demo presentation for visual learning
4. Build your dashboard using the template
5. Experiment with DataviewJS for advanced features

Start small, query often, and gradually build your data-driven note-taking system!

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Ready to make your notes work harder for you? Start querying with Dataview today!