Block "alias"

[juniusfree]

EDIT: aliases were implemented this way: #1326 (comment).

Problem: update/paraphrase a block content without losing the original context.

Related Issue:

1. Aliases for block #582

Inspired by:

1. https://twitter.com/Conaw/status/1240104928661475328
2. Allow multiple page names, or aliasing, for better linking #829

[juniusfree]

Some ideas:

1. [new content](((block-id)))
2. (block-id|alias) https://discord.com/channels/708122962422792194/708375112537342025/785287221506736149
3. whatever the syntax, add to / command like block-embed

[shanberg]

Two thoughts...

1. The more metadata/relationships/extras we attach to blocks/pages, the more sense it makes to provide a separate UI to define those things, like writing on the backside of an index card instead of trying to fit all the semantics into the main block content.
2. Is it possible to start trending away from lots and lots of nested parens and brackets? The syntax just feels really heavy and hard to read.

[tangjeff0]

The more metadata/relationships/extras we attach to blocks/pages, the more sense it makes to provide a separate UI to define those things, like writing on the backside of an index card instead of trying to fit all the semantics into the main block content.

Wait I love the index card analogy. I think Mem and RemNotes leans harder into this. Roam does the :: syntax for properties, e.g.

• block
  • prop:: value

but I don't think this scales well. Though it doesn't enable their attribute table feature, a very interesting but still prototype-y feature.

Is it possible to start trending away from lots and lots of nested parens and brackets? The syntax just feels really heavy and hard to read.

Yeah I don't like the complexity of nested parens/brackets. I feel that no one actually uses [[nested [[links]] are really not usable after one level of nesting. Also why I wanna be thoughtful with new syntax. Lots of overhead to learn, then very difficult to maintain compatability.

[neotyk]

Meta overlay for blocks?
We could show what we've recognized in syntax: block ref, embeds, page links.
Though would it really provide any value, all above are clearly expressed in rendering.

With new parser implementing [alias](((block-id))) should be trivial,
also ((block-id|alias)) would cause much problem.
Indeed amount of parens in 1st is a bit much.
How about shorter version for Athens Flavoured Markdown: [alias]((block-id)) ?

[neotyk]

Do we want to get rid of nested page links?
👍

[tangjeff0]

I don't think we need to get rid of them. Not harmful to have it for now.

[tangjeff0]

We implemented aliases this way: #1326 (comment)