coding-worklog-obsidian

name

coding-worklog-obsidian

description

Create structured work logs in Obsidian for coding sessions with progressive disclosure, knowledge graphs, and intelligent queries. Use this skill whenever a user completes a coding segment in an Obsidian-based workflow, or when they mention "record session in Obsidian", "create work log", "document progress", or when wrapping up coding tasks. Perfect for users who want visual knowledge graphs, bidirectional linking, and powerful queries via Dataview. Triggers on phrases like "log this session", "create session note", "update work log", "vibe coding session complete", or when using IDE tools and reaching natural pause points.

Coding Work Log - Obsidian Edition

Purpose

Generate comprehensive work logs as Obsidian notes with YAML frontmatter, bidirectional links, and Dataview-queryable metadata. Leverages Obsidian's knowledge graph for context continuity across sessions.

Core Philosophy

Document-based workflow, not conversation-dependent. Obsidian becomes your project memory, with automatic relationship discovery through [[links]] and Graph View visualization.

Quick Start

When user finishes a coding session:

1. Read modules/SESSION_LOGGING.md for detailed instructions
2. Generate Obsidian note with YAML frontmatter
3. Create bidirectional links to related sessions/decisions
4. Save to user's Obsidian vault

Progressive Disclosure (3-Level Loading)

Level 1: This file (Always loaded)

Core instructions and triggers

Level 2: Modules (Load on-demand)

• modules/SESSION_LOGGING.md - How to create session notes
• modules/PROGRESS_TRACKING.md - Sprint planning and milestones
• modules/ISSUE_MANAGEMENT.md - Track bugs and blockers
• modules/ANALYTICS.md - Generate reports with Dataview

Level 3: Data files (As needed)

Templates, examples, and reference materials

Obsidian Vault Structure

MyProject-WorkLog/  (Obsidian Vault)
├── 00-INDEX.md                    # Project dashboard
├── 01-CURRENT-SESSION.md          # Active session
│
├── sessions/                      # Session logs
│   ├── 2026-02/
│   │   ├── 2026-02-23-user-auth.md
│   │   └── 2026-02-24-rate-limiting.md
│   └── templates/
│       ├── feature-template.md
│       ├── bug-fix-template.md
│       └── research-template.md
│
├── decisions/                     # Technical decisions
│   ├── Use-PostgreSQL.md
│   ├── Add-Redis-Cache.md
│   └── rejected/
│       └── Why-Not-MongoDB.md
│
├── issues/                        # Problem tracking
│   ├── active/
│   │   ├── Rate-Limiting-Missing.md
│   │   └── Email-Verification-TODO.md
│   └── resolved/
│       └── JWT-Expiration-Fixed.md
│
├── progress/                      # Progress tracking
│   ├── milestones.md
│   ├── current-sprint.md
│   └── velocity.md
│
└── analytics/                     # Reports
    ├── weekly/
    │   └── 2026-W08.md
    └── monthly/
        └── 2026-02.md

YAML Frontmatter Schema

---
date: 2026-02-23
session_id: s001
type: feature  # feature|bug|refactor|research|blocked
status: completed  # in-progress|completed|blocked
duration: 180  # minutes
tags:
  - session
  - authentication
  - backend
files_changed:
  - src/auth.py
  - src/routes.py
  - tests/test_auth.py
related_decisions:
  - "[[Use-PostgreSQL]]"
  - "[[JWT-vs-Session]]"
issues:
  - "[[Rate-Limiting-Missing]]"
previous: "[[2026-02-20-database-setup]]"
next: "[[2026-02-25-email-verification]]"
---

Bidirectional Linking Strategy

Link to:

• Previous session: previous: [[YYYY-MM-DD-session-name]]
• Next session: next: [[YYYY-MM-DD-session-name]]
• Decisions made: [[Decision-Name]]
• Issues encountered: [[Issue-Name]]
• Related concepts: [[Concept]] inline in text

Auto-discovered relationships:

Obsidian automatically shows all notes linking TO this session via backlinks panel.

Session Note Template Structure

---
[YAML frontmatter - see schema above]
---

# YYYY-MM-DD - Session Title

## 📋 Summary
[One-paragraph overview]

## ✅ What Was Accomplished
- Specific achievement 1
- Specific achievement 2

## 🎯 Why These Tasks
[Reasoning and context]
Related to: [[Previous-Session]] | Prepares for: [[Next-Session]]

## ⚠️ Problems Encountered

### Problem 1: [Title]
**Issue**: [Description]
**Tried**: [Approach A, B, C]
**Solution**: [What worked]
**Reference**: [[Related-Decision]] or [[Issue-Tracker]]

## 💡 Decisions Made
- [[Decision-Name]]: [Brief explanation]

## 🚧 Known Issues
Created: [[Issue-Active-1]], [[Issue-Active-2]]
Updated: [[Existing-Issue]]

## ❌ Not Completed
- [ ] Task 1 - reason
- [ ] Task 2 - reason

## 🔜 Next Steps
1. [[Next-Specific-Task]]
2. Continue with [[Related-Feature]]

## 📊 Metrics
- **Time spent**: {{duration}} minutes
- **Files changed**: {{files_changed.length}}
- **Tests added**: X
- **Code lines**: +XX / -YY

## 🔗 Links
**Previous**: [[previous]]
**Next**: [[next]]
**Sprint**: [[current-sprint]]
**Milestone**: [[milestone-name]]

---
Tags: {{tags}}

Dataview Query Examples

Embed these in any note for dynamic content:

Recent Sessions

TABLE duration, status, type
FROM "sessions"
SORT date DESC
LIMIT 10

This Week's Work

TABLE duration as "Time", status, summary
FROM "sessions"
WHERE date >= date(today) - dur(7 days)
SORT date DESC

Active Issues

LIST
FROM "issues/active"
SORT file.ctime DESC

Feature Sessions Only

TABLE duration, status
FROM "sessions"
WHERE type = "feature"
SORT date DESC

Total Time This Month

TABLE sum(rows.duration) as "Total Minutes"
FROM "sessions"
WHERE date >= date(today) - dur(30 days)
GROUP BY dateformat(date, "yyyy-MM")

Required Obsidian Plugins

Essential:

1. Dataview - Query engine (all analytics depend on this)
2. Templater - Advanced templates with variables

Highly Recommended:

3. Calendar - Date navigation
4. Tasks - TODO management
5. Excalidraw - Diagrams

Optional but Useful:

6. Kanban - Board view
7. Projects - Project management view
8. Git - Version control integration

Workflow Integration

With Claude:

1. User: "Create work log for this session"
2. Claude reads modules/SESSION_LOGGING.md
3. Claude generates Obsidian note with YAML frontmatter
4. Claude creates [[links]] to related notes
5. Claude saves to vault at correct path

With Templater:

User can also trigger via keyboard shortcut:

• Cmd+Shift+N → New session note
• Auto-fills date, prompts for type and duration
• Creates file in correct folder

With Daily Notes:

# 2026-02-23 Daily Note

## Sessions Today
- [[2026-02-23-user-authentication]] - 3h
- [[2026-02-23-bug-fixing]] - 1h

## Key Outcomes
Completed user auth, see [[Use-JWT]] decision

## Tomorrow
- [ ] Continue with [[Rate-Limiting]]

Graph View Optimization

Tag Strategy:

• #session - All session notes
• #feature - Feature work
• #bug - Bug fixes
• #decision - Key decisions
• #blocked - Blockers
• #YYYY-MM - Monthly grouping

Color Coding in Graph:

• Sessions: Blue
• Decisions: Green
• Issues: Red
• Progress: Yellow

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

❌ Creating sessions without YAML frontmatter ❌ Not linking to related sessions/decisions ❌ Using vague link text like [[this]] ❌ Skipping the "why" explanation ❌ Not tagging appropriately

Success Metrics

A good Obsidian work log enables: ✅ Graph view shows clear project progression ✅ Dataview queries provide instant insights ✅ Backlinks reveal hidden connections ✅ Next session starts with clear context ✅ Decisions are traceable to sessions

Context Engineering Benefits

Progressive Disclosure:

• Claude loads only SKILL.md initially (~200 tokens)
• Loads specific modules when needed (~300 tokens each)
• Never loads entire vault into context

Filesystem-as-Memory:

• Obsidian vault is the persistent memory
• Claude queries via Dataview or grep
• No context window bloat

Bidirectional Discovery:

• Links create automatic context
• Graph view shows relationships
• Claude can navigate the knowledge graph

Example Usage Flow

Scenario: User finishes implementing user authentication

User: "Log this session in Obsidian"

Claude Process:

1. Load modules/SESSION_LOGGING.md
2. Ask clarifying questions if needed
3. Generate note with YAML frontmatter
4. Create links:
   • [[Use-JWT]] decision
   • [[2026-02-20-database-setup]] previous
   • [[Rate-Limiting-Missing]] issue created
5. Save to sessions/2026-02/2026-02-23-user-authentication.md
6. Present file to user

Result:

• Session documented
• Relationships established
• Queryable via Dataview
• Visible in Graph view

Next Steps

After installing this skill:

1. Set up Obsidian vault with recommended structure
2. Install Dataview and Templater plugins
3. Create your first session note
4. Explore Graph view to see connections
5. Use Dataview queries for insights

Reference

For detailed instructions on each module, use view tool to read:

• modules/SESSION_LOGGING.md - Complete session creation guide
• modules/PROGRESS_TRACKING.md - Sprint and milestone tracking
• modules/ISSUE_MANAGEMENT.md - Bug and blocker workflows
• modules/ANALYTICS.md - Reporting and analysis

---

Remember: Your Obsidian vault is your project memory. Claude reads it, you visualize it, Dataview queries it.