Database Views

Database views transform folders, tags, or search results into structured tables and boards. Each database is a special markdown file that displays your notes as rows with customizable columns and properties.

Creating a Database

Databases are markdown files with a special structure:

1. Create a new note
2. Configure the source (folder, tag, or search query)
3. Add columns for the properties you want to track
4. Switch between table and board views

Data Sources

Databases can pull notes from three types of sources:

Folder Sources

When using folder sources:

• Folder path: Choose any folder in your space
• Recursive: Toggle to include/exclude subfolders
• Scope: Non-recursive shows only direct children

Tag Sources

Tag sources aggregate notes across your entire space:

• All notes with the specified tag appear as rows
• Updates automatically when you tag/untag notes
• Great for project management and cross-cutting concerns

Search Sources

Use Glyph’s advanced search syntax:

tag:projects "roadmap"

Search sources update as your content changes, providing dynamic views into your knowledge base.

Table View

The table layout displays notes as rows with configurable columns:

Built-in Columns

Every database has access to these system columns:

• Title: Note title extracted from frontmatter or first heading
• Tags: All tags associated with the note
• Path: Relative path within your space
• Created: Note creation timestamp
• Updated: Last modification timestamp

Custom Property Columns

Add columns for any frontmatter property:

Property Types

Glyph supports multiple property types:

• Text: Single-line text values
• Boolean: True/false checkboxes
• Tags: Multi-select tag values
• Date: ISO date strings (YYYY-MM-DD)

Sorting

Click any column header to sort:

• First click: Sort ascending
• Second click: Sort descending
• Third click: Clear sort

Only one sort is active at a time.

Inline Editing

Click any cell to edit it directly:

• Text fields open inline editors
• Boolean fields toggle with a single click
• Tags open a multi-select picker
• Changes save automatically to the note’s frontmatter

Board View

Board view organizes notes into vertical lanes using a grouping column:

Setting Up a Board

Board Lanes

Each unique value in the grouping column becomes a lane:

• Status property: “Todo”, “In Progress”, “Done” lanes
• Boolean property: “True” and “False” lanes
• Tag property: One lane per unique tag value

Card Layout

Each card displays:

1. Title: Note title (or filename fallback)
2. Preview: First 100 characters of note content
3. Tags: Up to 4 tags (excluding the grouping tag)
4. Additional column: First visible non-title column
5. Path: Note location for reference

Drag and Drop

Move cards between lanes by dragging:

• Dragging updates the grouping property automatically
• Right-click for a context menu with “Move to” options
• Double-click a card to open the full note

Filters

Narrow your database view with column filters:

Filter Operators

• Contains: Text match (case-insensitive)
• Equals: Exact match
• Is empty: No value set
• Is not empty: Any value present
• Is true: Boolean = true
• Is false: Boolean = false

Multiple Filters

Add multiple filters to create precise views:

• All filters use AND logic (all must match)
• Filters apply to both table and board views
• Filter count shows in the toolbar

---
filters:
  - column_id: "property:status"
    operator: "equals"
    value_text: "active"
---

---
filters:
  - column_id: "tags"
    operator: "tags_contains"
    value_list: ["project"]
---

Creating New Rows

Add notes directly from the database:

Configuring New Rows

In the source dialog, configure:

• Target folder: Where new notes are created
• Title prefix: Default prefix for new note titles (e.g., “Project -“)

Column Management

Customize which columns appear and how they’re displayed:

Column Properties

• Label: Display name in the header
• Icon: Visual indicator (from a curated set)
• Width: Column width in pixels (default 180px)
• Visible: Toggle visibility without deleting

Reordering Columns

Drag column rows in the columns dialog to reorder them in the table.

Column Icons

Choose from semantic icons:

• Text properties: Document, note, text icons
• Boolean properties: Checkbox, toggle icons
• Tag properties: Tag, folder, category icons
• Date properties: Calendar, clock icons

Real-time Updates

Databases stay synchronized with your notes:

• File changes: Database reloads when source notes change
• Cell edits: Updates write to frontmatter immediately
• New notes: Automatically appear if they match the source
• Deleted notes: Removed from database view instantly

Advanced Configuration

Database configurations are stored in the note’s frontmatter:

---
database:
  version: 1
  source:
    kind: folder
    value: projects
    recursive: true
  new_note:
    folder: projects
    title_prefix: "Project"
  view:
    layout: board
    board_group_by: "property:status"
  columns:
    - id: title
      type: title
      label: Title
      width: 300
      visible: true
    - id: "property:status"
      type: property
      label: Status
      property_key: status
      property_kind: text
      icon: checkbox
      width: 180
      visible: true
  sorts:
    - column_id: updated
      direction: desc
  filters:
    - column_id: "property:status"
      operator: is_not_empty
      value_list: []
---

Keyboard Shortcuts

Use Cases

Best Practices

1. Start with folder sources for simplicity, then graduate to tags or search
2. Use board view for workflows (todo → doing → done)
3. Keep column count low (5-7 visible columns) for readability
4. Leverage filters instead of creating multiple similar databases
5. Name grouping properties semantically (“status” not “column1”)
6. Set reasonable column widths to avoid horizontal scrolling

Limitations

• Only one active sort at a time
• Board view requires a single-value grouping column
• Maximum 2000 rows loaded (configurable limit)
• No nested grouping in board view
• Filters use AND logic only (no OR)

Related Features

• Task Management - Track todos within notes
• Tags & Search - Advanced search syntax for database sources
• Notes - Understanding note properties and frontmatter