/create-plugin

description: Interactive guide for creating a new Obsidian plugin with best practices

You are helping the user create a new Obsidian plugin. Follow these steps:

Setup Options

Present the user with two options:

1. **Automated Setup** (Recommended): Use the interactive boilerplate generator script

• Run: `node /path/to/obsidian-plugin-skill/tools/create-plugin.js`
• This creates a minimal, best-practice plugin structure automatically
• Detects existing projects and only adds missing files
• All generated code follows the Obsidian Plugin Development Skill guidelines

2. **Manual Setup**: Guide the user through creating files step-by-step

• Walk through each required file
• Explain what each file does
• Provide code that follows best practices from the skill

After Setup

Once the boilerplate is created (either way):

1. Verify all files follow the skill's best practices:

• No sample code (MyPlugin, SampleModal, etc.)
• Proper use of registerEvent() for cleanup
• Sentence case in UI text
• Obsidian CSS variables in styles
• Accessibility-ready templates

2. Help customize the plugin:

• Ask what the plugin will do
• Suggest appropriate API usage patterns
• Reference specific sections of the skill as needed

3. Guide through initial development:

• Setting up the dev environment
• Testing in Obsidian
• Common next steps

Dependency Notes

The generated `package.json` contains a temporary `overrides` entry forcing `minimatch` to `^11.0.5`, explained by a `"//"` key next to it. It fixes advisory GHSA-g3hv-75wg-m249 in the lint toolchain (`typescript-eslint` and `@microsoft/eslint-plugin-sdl`, bundled by `eslint-plugin-obsidianmd`, still depend on vulnerable `minimatch` 10 and 9).

• ✅ Keep the override and the `"//"` note. Remove both only after checking that upstream depends on `minimatch` 11 (see the skill's `reference/eslint-setup.md`, "npm audit: moderate vulnerabilities in minimatch").
• ❌ Don't delete the override because it looks unusual, and never run `npm audit fix --force` — it downgrades `eslint-plugin-obsidianmd` to 0.0.2.
• `npm warn deprecated eslint@9.39.5` on install is expected; don't switch to ESLint 10 to silence it (it adds peer-dependency warnings and more audit findings).

Important Reminders

• Always apply the Obsidian Plugin Development Skill guidelines
• Ensure accessibility from the start (keyboard navigation, ARIA labels, focus indicators)
• Use TypeScript best practices (instanceof, not type casting)
• Follow memory management rules (proper event registration)
• Use Obsidian CSS variables for theming

Ask the user which setup option they prefer, then proceed accordingly.