Today I opened Obsidian and found that there is a new version update, now it is v1.5.3. I checked the update log on the official website and found that the table editing feature has finally been updated!!!
Previously, the table function of Obsidian was the most criticized. For an all-in-one note-taking software, the table editing function was still based on the basic pure Markdown table syntax, which was basically unbearable.
Of course, the Obsidian community has a rich ecosystem of plugins, and many experts have developed some table-enhancing plugins. I have also tried them:
- Plugin 1: advanced table
- Plugin 2: markdown table editor
As for Plugin 1, it is just a slightly enhanced version of the original Markdown table, and it does not really make it convenient for ordinary people to edit. When I used it, I gave up using Obsidian for tables with more than 3 rows and 3 columns. And the table display effect of Obsidian is not user-friendly.
When browsing the Obsidian community, I occasionally discovered Plugin 2. After installing it, I was a little surprised that the table function could be used. As shown in the figure below, when writing an article and needing to insert a table, you can click the sidebar icon on the left, and the page will be automatically divided into two columns. The table can be customized with any number of rows and columns, and the functions of adding, deleting, searching, and modifying are almost convenient for light usage.
However, when it comes to editing and displaying large tables, there are still some minor adjustments that are not very flexible. It can only be said that it can be used, but the experience is not very good. But after this update, the table usage experience of Obsidian has surprisingly become similar to Notion's table, and the edited table is still saved in pure text Markdown format.
The specific usage is also very simple. When writing, right-click to insert, and then click "Table". The specific steps are shown in the figure below:
After the table update of Obsidian, the display effect has been greatly enhanced, and the editing experience is already similar to Notion. Moreover, when the mouse is placed on the top, bottom, left, or right side of the table, a plus sign will appear, and clicking it can insert rows or columns.
Another major change is that the Obsidian table has become a block, so it is very easy to select the entire table, or a certain row or column, and drag or edit it. The actual experience is very smooth!
This update of Obsidian can be said to completely solve the biggest pain point of the table being not user-friendly. The advanced table plugin can be uninstalled completely, including the markdown table editor. Looking forward to Obsidian getting better and better!