Obsidian Equation Converter

A simple plugin for Obsidian that converts OpenAI-style equation markup to standard markdown equation syntax. This plugin helps users who copy mathematics from OpenAI interfaces (like ChatGPT) into Obsidian by automatically converting the equation formatting.

Features

• Converts inline equations from \(equation\) to $equation$
• Converts display equations from \[equation\] to proper multiline format:

  $$
  equation
  $$
  

• Preserves proper spacing (no spaces between $ and equations for inline math)
• Handles escaped delimiters correctly
• Available through both ribbon icon and command palette
• Works on the currently active file
• Preserves all other content in the document

Installation

From Obsidian Community Plugins

1. Open Obsidian Settings
2. Navigate to Community Plugins
3. Search for "Equation Converter"
4. Click Install
5. Enable the plugin

Manual Installation

1. Download main.js, manifest.json, and styles.css from the latest release
2. Create a new directory equation-converter in your vault's .obsidian/plugins/ directory
3. Copy the downloaded files into the new directory
4. Enable the plugin in Obsidian's Community Plugins settings

Usage

1. Open the markdown file containing OpenAI-style equations
2. Either:
   • Click the calculator icon in the left ribbon, or
   • Open the command palette (Ctrl/Cmd + P) and search for "Convert Equations"
3. All equations in the current file will be automatically converted

Example

Before:

The quadratic formula is \(x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}\)

And here's the equation in display mode:
\[\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^2} = \frac{\pi^2}{6}\]

After:

The quadratic formula is $x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}$

And here's the equation in display mode:
$$
\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^2} = \frac{\pi^2}{6}
$$

Development

This plugin is built using TypeScript and the Obsidian API. To build from source:

1. Clone this repository
2. Install dependencies with npm install
3. Build with npm run build
4. Copy main.js, manifest.json, and styles.css to your vault's plugins directory

Support

If you encounter any issues or have suggestions for improvements:

• Open an issue on the GitHub repository
• Contact me through GitHub

License

MIT License. See LICENSE for details.

Changelog

1.0.0 (2024-12-01)

• Initial release
• Basic equation conversion functionality
• Ribbon icon and command palette integration
• Support for both inline and display equations

Author

Created by Nyimbi Odero

Support the Project

If you find this plugin useful, consider:

• Star the repository on GitHub
• Report bugs or suggest features through GitHub issues
• Contributing to the codebase
• Sharing it with others who might find it helpful

Acknowledgments

• The Obsidian team for creating an excellent platform
• The Obsidian community for their support and feedback