feat(notes): fill in the name of a new note from a template

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 * `Open Preview` in the right-click menu of a Markdown note, like in the Explorer (#10)
 * `Notes: List Notes` (`Alt+L`) shows the notes you opened recently first, like Quick Open, wherever you opened them from, and `Notes: Clear Recently Opened` forgets them (#18)
+* a `notes.newNoteName` setting to fill in the name of a new note from a template with VS Code's snippet date and time variables, like `${CURRENT_YEAR}-${CURRENT_MONTH}-${CURRENT_DATE}`, so `Enter` creates it and typing replaces it (#61)
 * a Sort By button after Search in each section, to sort notes and folders by name (A to Z or Z to A) or newest first by date modified or created, saved in the new `notes.sortOrder` setting; folders stay first, and List Notes uses the same order after the recently opened notes (#22, #63)
 
 ### Changed

README.md

@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ This extension contributes the following settings:
 * `notes.notesLocation`: location of the notes in the Notes section, set in your user settings and not synced between machines. In a [portable](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/portable) VS Code, a relative path is relative to the folder holding VS Code, so the notes can travel with it (for example `data/Notes` on Windows and Linux)
 * `notes.workspaceNotesLocation`: location of the notes in the Workspace Notes section, relative to the workspace folder or a full path
 * `notes.notesDefaultNoteExtension`: extension used for new notes that don't have one in their name
+* `notes.newNoteName`: name filled in when you create a note, using VS Code's [snippet date and time variables](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editing/userdefinedsnippets#_variables), for example `${CURRENT_YEAR}-${CURRENT_MONTH}-${CURRENT_DATE} ${CURRENT_HOUR}-${CURRENT_MINUTE}`; press `Enter` to use it or type a name instead
 * `notes.sortOrder`: how notes and folders are sorted, by name (A to Z or Z to A) or newest first by date modified or created, also set with the Sort By button at the top of each section
 * `notes.notesExtensions`: list of extensions recognized as notes or '*' for all extensions
 * `notes.watchExternalChanges`: update the Notes view when notes are added, renamed or removed outside of VS Code

package.json

@@ -51,6 +51,11 @@
 					"default": "md",
 					"description": "The default extension to use for new notes. (do not include the dot)"
 				},
+				"notes.newNoteName": {
+					"type": "string",
+					"default": "",
+					"markdownDescription": "Name filled in when you create a note, so `Enter` accepts it and typing replaces it. Leave it empty to start with an empty name. Use VS Code's snippet date and time variables, for example `${CURRENT_YEAR}-${CURRENT_MONTH}-${CURRENT_DATE} ${CURRENT_HOUR}-${CURRENT_MINUTE}` for `2026-10-07 14-35`. Avoid `:`, which file names can't contain on Windows."
+				},
 				"notes.notesExtensions": {
 					"type": "string",
 					"default": "*",

src/extension.ts

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { NotesViewProvider } from './notesViewProvider';
 import { NotesWatcher } from './notesWatcher';
 import { getLanguageExtensions, isMarkdownFile, resetLanguageExtensions } from './languages';
 import { RecentNotes } from './recentNotes';
+import { expandNameTemplate } from './noteName';
 import { compareEntries, readSortEntry, SortOrder, toSortOrder } from './sortOrder';
 import { MovableItem, NotesDragAndDrop } from './notesDragAndDrop';
 import { getLocationState, getMoveDestination, getPortableFolder, isInside, isNoteName, resolveNotesLocation, splitNoteName, toWorkspaceSetting } from './location';
@@ -583,10 +584,13 @@ export class Notes {
 		if (!notesLocation) {
 			return;
 		}
-		// prompt user for a new note name
+		// prompt user for a new note name, filled in from the notes.newNoteName template when there is one,
+		// selected so Enter accepts it and typing replaces it
+		const suggested = expandNameTemplate(String(vscode.workspace.getConfiguration('notes').get('newNoteName') ?? ''), new Date(), vscode.env.language);
 		const noteName = await vscode.window.showInputBox({
 			prompt: 'Note name?',
-			value: '',
+			value: suggested,
+			valueSelection: [0, suggested.length],
 		});
 		if (noteName) {
 			await Notes.createNote(notesLocation, noteName, tree);

src/noteName.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+// fill in a name template for new notes with VS Code's snippet date and time variables, like
+// ${CURRENT_YEAR}-${CURRENT_MONTH}-${CURRENT_DATE}; $CURRENT_YEAR works too, and other text is kept as typed
+export function expandNameTemplate(template: string, date: Date, locale: string = 'en'): string {
+	const pad = (value: number, length: number = 2) => String(value).padStart(length, '0');
+	const name = (options: Intl.DateTimeFormatOptions) => date.toLocaleString(locale, options);
+	const offset = -date.getTimezoneOffset();
+	const variables: Record<string, () => string> = {
+		CURRENT_YEAR: () => String(date.getFullYear()),
+		CURRENT_YEAR_SHORT: () => String(date.getFullYear()).slice(-2),
+		CURRENT_MONTH: () => pad(date.getMonth() + 1),
+		CURRENT_MONTH_NAME: () => name({ month: 'long' }),
+		CURRENT_MONTH_NAME_SHORT: () => name({ month: 'short' }),
+		CURRENT_DATE: () => pad(date.getDate()),
+		CURRENT_DAY_NAME: () => name({ weekday: 'long' }),
+		CURRENT_DAY_NAME_SHORT: () => name({ weekday: 'short' }),
+		CURRENT_HOUR: () => pad(date.getHours()),
+		CURRENT_MINUTE: () => pad(date.getMinutes()),
+		CURRENT_SECOND: () => pad(date.getSeconds()),
+		CURRENT_MILLISECOND: () => pad(date.getMilliseconds(), 3),
+		CURRENT_SECONDS_UNIX: () => String(Math.floor(date.getTime() / 1000)),
+		CURRENT_MILLISECONDS_UNIX: () => String(date.getTime()),
+		CURRENT_TIMEZONE_OFFSET: () => `${offset >= 0 ? '+' : '-'}${pad(Math.floor(Math.abs(offset) / 60))}:${pad(Math.abs(offset) % 60)}`,
+		CURRENT_TIMEZONE_NAME: () => Intl.DateTimeFormat().resolvedOptions().timeZone,
+	};
+	return template.replace(/\$\{([A-Z_]+)\}|\$([A-Z_]+)/g, (match, braced: string | undefined, bare: string | undefined) => {
+		const variable = variables[braced ?? bare ?? ''];
+		return variable ? variable() : match;
+	});
+}

src/test/suite/noteName.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import * as assert from 'assert';
+import { expandNameTemplate } from '../../noteName';
+
+suite('New Note Name (#61)', () => {
+	// Wednesday 7 October 2026, 09:05:03.042 local time
+	const date = new Date(2026, 9, 7, 9, 5, 3, 42);
+
+	test('date and time variables are filled in, two digits each', () => {
+		assert.strictEqual(expandNameTemplate('${CURRENT_YEAR}-${CURRENT_MONTH}-${CURRENT_DATE} ${CURRENT_HOUR}-${CURRENT_MINUTE}-${CURRENT_SECOND}', date), '2026-10-07 09-05-03');
+	});
+
+	test('the short year and the milliseconds', () => {
+		assert.strictEqual(expandNameTemplate('${CURRENT_YEAR_SHORT}.${CURRENT_MILLISECOND}', date), '26.042');
+	});
+
+	test('month and day names', () => {
+		assert.strictEqual(expandNameTemplate('${CURRENT_DAY_NAME} ${CURRENT_DATE} ${CURRENT_MONTH_NAME}', date), 'Wednesday 07 October');
+		assert.strictEqual(expandNameTemplate('${CURRENT_DAY_NAME_SHORT} ${CURRENT_MONTH_NAME_SHORT}', date), 'Wed Oct');
+	});
+
+	test('variables without braces work too, and the longest name wins', () => {
+		assert.strictEqual(expandNameTemplate('$CURRENT_YEAR_SHORT$CURRENT_MONTH notes', date), '2610 notes');
+	});
+
+	test('unix time', () => {
+		assert.strictEqual(expandNameTemplate('${CURRENT_SECONDS_UNIX}', date), String(Math.floor(date.getTime() / 1000)));
+	});
+
+	test('other text and unknown variables are kept as typed', () => {
+		assert.strictEqual(expandNameTemplate('Meeting ${CURRENT_DATE} with $client ${NOT_A_VARIABLE}', date), 'Meeting 07 with $client ${NOT_A_VARIABLE}');
+		assert.strictEqual(expandNameTemplate('', date), '');
+	});
+});