Editing (zip)links, and links aliased names

Tinderbox Tasks
1

Let’s say I have created a zip link to a note with an alias link name, ie. [[This is the note|Alias link name]]

How do I go about changing the “Alias link name” once it’s created? (typical scenario, using acronyms to refer to a concept that need to get modified later on).

Many thanks,
Riccardo

2

You’ve actually created a text link. The term ‘zip link’ has no meaning beyond a particular manner of text link creation. I’m not saying that to be pedantic. Rather, I’m trying to help un-pick how you figure where to edit this. A good start point is here, that tells us that in your [[This is the note|Alias link name]] the ‘Alias link name’ is actually the anchor text of the text link being created.

So, restated in actionable terms, the question is "How do I alter the anchor text of an existing text link?" Text links, though stored in the TBX in the links table, are essentially viewable in the app when the links source note is selected. The note’s (modal) Browse Links pop-over. But you can’t edit the anchor text of a text link in the dialog†—you can only see what the anchor is, i.e. the coloured/underlined text in the note’s $Text. You thus have two choices:

  • Delete and re-create the link. This is quickest but do be aware that it is only ideal if you have no existing functions working off the existing link (link actions, queries, etc.).
  • Otherwise, as clicking on the anchor text follows the link, either:
    • Option (⌥) click inside the existing anchor text and edit it so that the coloured—and underlined when Cmd+Opt ( ⌘+⌥) are pressed—text contains only the desired new anchor. Or, (incorporating the points in the next post below)…
    • Use the arrow keys to move the insertion point where you want it, i.e. into the anchor text. Delete what you want to delete and type what you want to insert.

It’s not exactly intuitive, but I can see that it avoids the app needing a whole new chunk of UI.

If you feel strongly that a UI-method to edit the anchor text is needed (IOW a dialog showing only the anchor text that you then edit), I’d suggest emailing Eastgate with a feature request. If nothing else, i’m sure there are aspects to this I may have (being but a fellow user) misunderstood or mis-characterised and there may be further issue to ponder on route to ‘just’ having an edit box. :slight_smile:

†. That might seem odd, but if you looked how a text link is stored, whereas we ‘see’ some demarcated text on the screen, the app’s view is simply in the form of sstart="220" slen="13", i.e. a string of 13 characters starting from character number 220 in the plain text stored version of $Text. So, without extra specific UI, the only way to edit the anchor is editing the actual text.

3

Or, if you forget ⌥-click:

  1. Use the arrow keys to move the insertion point where you want it.
  2. Delete what you want to delete
  3. Type what you want to insert.
4

Good point, I’ve added your points into my previous answer, the better to assist later readers of the thread.

5

Thank you both.

1 Like