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Merge pull request #3491 from obsidian-tasks-group/obsidain-1.9.2
docs: Write up observations on Obsidian 1.9.x property reading
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‎docs/Support and Help/About Support and Help.md‎

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### User Support
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- [[Known Limitations]]
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- [[Missing tags, aliases and cssclasses in Obsidian some 1.9.x versions]]
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- This page is for all Obsidian 1.9.x Insider users - not just Tasks users - to find and fix properties values that Obsidian 1.9.x no longer recognised.
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- [[Missing tasks in callouts with some Obsidian 1.6.x versions]]
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- Use Obsidian 1.6.5 or newer to fix potential missed tasks in your vaults.
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- [[Report a Bug]]

‎docs/Support and Help/Missing tags, aliases and cssclasses in Obsidian some 1.9.x versions.md‎

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---
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publish: true
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---
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# Missing tags, aliases and cssclasses in Obsidian some 1.9.x versions
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## Obsidian 1.9.0 reads properties strictly
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> [!Warning] Warning: Breaking changes in Obsidian 1.9.x
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>
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> The [Bases](https://help.obsidian.md/bases) functionality in Obsidian 1.9.x is amazing.
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>
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> However, it is important to note the following in the [Obsidian 1.9.0 (Insider) changelog](https://obsidian.md/changelog/2025-05-21-desktop-v1.9.0/):
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> > [!Quote] Breaking changes
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> > We have officially removed support for the properties `tag`, `alias`, `cssclass` in favor of `tags`, `aliases` and `cssclasses`. In addition, the values of these properties _must_ be a list. If the current value is a text property, it will no longer be recognized by Obsidian.
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## Things discovered whilst exploring this breaking change
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All the following were observed and tested in Obsidian 1.9.2.
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1. Any properties called `tag`, `alias`, or `cssclass` are now ignored by Obsidian.
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2. Obsidian no longer warns about incorrectly-formatted `tags`, `aliases` and `cssclasses` values, so they are easy to miss.
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3. Any `tags`, `aliases` and `cssclasses` properties with non-list (incorrectly formatter) values will have their values deleted if Obsidian makes any changes to the file's frontmatter.
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4. Obsidian does still support capitalised versions of the correctly spelled names: `TAGS`, `ALIASES` AND `CSSCLASSES`.
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### You should check and fix your vault before using the 'File Properties' UI to edit any properties
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Editing _any_ properties using **File Properties** or any other Obsidian properties editing UI causes Obsidian to delete text values for `tags`, `aliases` and `cssclasses`.
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Unless you have version-controlled your vault, and you regularly check for differences, it's very possible your vault will lose values that previously were read.
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The following sections show how you can fix and fix most of the problem cases.
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### Find and rename old `tag`, `alias`, `cssclass` and properties
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You will need to find all uses of the `tag`, `alias`, `cssclass` properties and manually rename them to `tags`, `aliases` and `cssclasses`, to ensure that Obsidian files these properties, as it did prior to version 1.9.0.
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There doesn't seem to be a way to use [bases](https://help.obsidian.md/bases) to find these values.
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So here is one way to do this.
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> [!Tip]
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> For maximum safety, you will need to be sure you edit the **Source** of the properties.
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>
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> - (Temporarily) Change your Obsidian **Editing settings** to:
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> - Properties in document: **Source**
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Steps:
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1. In the Obsidian **Search** box, paste in `["alias"]`.
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- If any values are found, click on each file, and **edit the property name to `aliases`**.
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2. In the Obsidian **Search** box, paste in `["tag"]`.
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- If any values are found, click on each file, and **edit the property name to `tags`**.
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3. In the Obsidian **Search** box, paste in `["cssclass"]`.
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- If any values are found, click on each file, and **edit the property name to `cssclasses`**.
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### Find and fix the type of `tags`, `aliases` and `cssclasses` with string values
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`tags`, `aliases` and `cssclasses` properties with string values will be discarded if you use Obsidian's UI to edit any properties in those files.
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Here is one way to fix them.
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1. Download the file **[Check Tags.base](https://github.com/obsidian-tasks-group/obsidian-tasks/tree/main/resources/sample_vaults/Tasks-Demo/How%20To/Find%20properties%20not%20read%20by%20Obsidian%201.9.x)** - and open it in Obsidian 1.9.2 or newer.
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- Pin the file
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- Review _all_ the values in the **ErrorsAreTagsValuesNeedingFixing** column.
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- For every row that has an **⚠︎ Error** value:
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- Click on the file name
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- Put a `[` at the **start** of the **values** in the **tags** line
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- Put a `]` at the **end** of the **values** in the **tags** line
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- For example, change this:
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```yaml
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---
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tags: value-1-of-2-on-one-line, value-2-of-2-on-one-line
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---
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```
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- To this:
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```yaml
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---
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tags: [value-1-of-2-on-one-line, value-2-of-2-on-one-line]
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---
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```
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2. Download the file **[Check Aliases.base](https://github.com/obsidian-tasks-group/obsidian-tasks/tree/main/resources/sample_vaults/Tasks-Demo/How%20To/Find%20properties%20not%20read%20by%20Obsidian%201.9.x)** - and open it in Obsidian 1.9.2 or newer.
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- Pin the file
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- Review _all_ the values in the **ErrorsAreAliasesValuesNeedingFixing** column.
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- For every row that has an **⚠︎ Error** value:
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- Click on the file name
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- Put a `[` at the **start** of the **values** in the **aliases** line
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- Put a `]` at the **end** of the **values** in the **aliases** line
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- For example, change this:
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```yaml
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---
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aliases: value-1-of-2-on-one-line, value-2-of-2-on-one-line
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---
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```
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- To this:
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```yaml
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---
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aliases: [value-1-of-2-on-one-line, value-2-of-2-on-one-line]
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---
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```
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3. Download the file **[Check CssClasses.base](https://github.com/obsidian-tasks-group/obsidian-tasks/tree/main/resources/sample_vaults/Tasks-Demo/How%20To/Find%20properties%20not%20read%20by%20Obsidian%201.9.x)** - and open it in Obsidian 1.9.2 or newer.
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- Pin the file
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- Review _all_ the values in the **ErrorsAreCssclassesValuesNeedingFixing** column.
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- For every row that has an **⚠︎ Error** value:
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- Click on the file name
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- Put a `[` at the **start** of the **values** in the **cssclasses** line
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- Put a `]` at the **end** of the **values** in the **cssclasses** line
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- For example, change this:
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```yaml
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---
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cssclasses: value-1-of-2-on-one-line, value-2-of-2-on-one-line
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---
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```
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- To this:
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```yaml
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---
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cssclasses: [value-1-of-2-on-one-line, value-2-of-2-on-one-line]
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---
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```

‎docs/What is New/Changelog.md‎

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## 7.x releases
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- X.Y.Z:
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- [[Missing tags, aliases and cssclasses in Obsidian some 1.9.x versions]] - for Insider users of Obsidian 1.9.x.
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- [[Line Continuations]] can now be used in the [[Query File Defaults]] property `TQ_extra_instructions`.
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- [[Check your Statuses]] report now contains samples of each status, and a convenient search to test them.
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- Add German translation of [[Settings]], [[Editing a Status]] and [[Check your Statuses]].

‎resources/sample_vaults/Tasks-Demo/How To/Find properties not read by Obsidian 1.9.x/Check Aliases.base‎

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filters:
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or:
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- "!aliases.isEmpty()"
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formulas:
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ErrorsAreAliasesValuesNeedingFixing: note.aliases.join("; ")
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views:
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- type: table
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name: Table
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order:
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- file.name
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- formula.ErrorsAreAliasesValuesNeedingFixing
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- aliases
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- file.path
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sort:
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- column: file.path
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direction: ASC

‎resources/sample_vaults/Tasks-Demo/How To/Find properties not read by Obsidian 1.9.x/Check CssClasses.base‎

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filters:
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or:
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- "!cssclasses.isEmpty()"
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formulas:
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ErrorsAreCssclassesValuesNeedingFixing: note.cssclasses.join("; ")
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views:
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- type: table
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name: Table
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order:
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- file.name
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- formula.ErrorsAreCssclassesValuesNeedingFixing
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- cssclasses
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- file.path
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sort:
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- column: file.path
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direction: ASC

‎resources/sample_vaults/Tasks-Demo/How To/Find properties not read by Obsidian 1.9.x/Check Tags.base‎

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filters:
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or:
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- "!tags.isEmpty()"
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formulas:
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ErrorsAreTagsValuesNeedingFixing: note.tags.join("; ")
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views:
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- type: table
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name: Table
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order:
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- file.name
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- formula.ErrorsAreTagsValuesNeedingFixing
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- tags
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- file.path
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sort:
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- column: file.path
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direction: ASC

‎resources/sample_vaults/Tasks-Demo/Test Data/yaml_aliases_with_two_values_on_one_line.md‎

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---
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aliases: value-1-of-2-on-one-line, value-2-of-2-on-one-line
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---
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# yaml_aliases_with_two_values_on_one_line
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- [ ] #task Task in 'yaml_aliases_with_two_values_on_one_line'

‎resources/sample_vaults/Tasks-Demo/Test Data/yaml_cssclasses_with_two_values_on_one_line.md‎

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---
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cssclasses: value-1-of-2-on-one-line, value-2-of-2-on-one-line
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---
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# yaml_cssclasses_with_two_values_on_one_line
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- [ ] #task Task in 'yaml_cssclasses_with_two_values_on_one_line'

‎tests/Obsidian/AllCacheSampleData.ts‎

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import query_using_properties from './__test_data__/query_using_properties.json';
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import yaml_1_alias from './__test_data__/yaml_1_alias.json';
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import yaml_2_aliases from './__test_data__/yaml_2_aliases.json';
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import yaml_aliases_with_two_values_on_one_line from './__test_data__/yaml_aliases_with_two_values_on_one_line.json';
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import yaml_all_property_types_empty from './__test_data__/yaml_all_property_types_empty.json';
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import yaml_all_property_types_populated from './__test_data__/yaml_all_property_types_populated.json';
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import yaml_capitalised_property_name from './__test_data__/yaml_capitalised_property_name.json';
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import yaml_complex_example from './__test_data__/yaml_complex_example.json';
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import yaml_complex_example_standardised from './__test_data__/yaml_complex_example_standardised.json';
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import yaml_cssclasses_with_two_values_on_one_line from './__test_data__/yaml_cssclasses_with_two_values_on_one_line.json';
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import yaml_custom_number_property from './__test_data__/yaml_custom_number_property.json';
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import yaml_tags_field_added_by_obsidian_but_not_populated from './__test_data__/yaml_tags_field_added_by_obsidian_but_not_populated.json';
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import yaml_tags_had_value_then_was_emptied_by_obsidian from './__test_data__/yaml_tags_had_value_then_was_emptied_by_obsidian.json';
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query_using_properties,
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yaml_1_alias,
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yaml_2_aliases,
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yaml_aliases_with_two_values_on_one_line,
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yaml_all_property_types_empty,
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yaml_all_property_types_populated,
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yaml_capitalised_property_name,
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yaml_complex_example,
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yaml_complex_example_standardised,
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yaml_cssclasses_with_two_values_on_one_line,
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yaml_custom_number_property,
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yaml_tags_field_added_by_obsidian_but_not_populated,
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yaml_tags_had_value_then_was_emptied_by_obsidian,

‎tests/Obsidian/__test_data__/jason_properties.json‎

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"fileContents": "---\n{\n \"tags\": \"journal\",\n \"publish\": false\n}\n---\n\n# jason_properties\n\n- [ ] #task Task in 'jason_properties'\n",
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"filePath": "Test Data/jason_properties.md",
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"getAllTags": [
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"#journal",
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"#task"
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],
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"parseFrontMatterTags": [
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"#journal"
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]
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"parseFrontMatterTags": null
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}

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