Extra user variables¶

zk is opened for template context extension which can be useful when creating new notes, for example:

expanding custom metadata (author, subject, etc.)
modifying a template’s output dynamically depending on the value of an extra variable

Static extra variables¶

You can declare static extra variables in the configuration file’s [extra] section. Each note group can have its own [extra] section, which may override values from the root section.

[extra]
visibility = "public"
author = "Mickaël"

[group.journal.extra]
visibility = "private" # overrides

Dynamic extra variables¶

Maybe more useful, you can provide additional extra variables dynamically to zk new from the command-line with --extra. Multiple variables can be separated by a comma ,.

$ zk new --extra author=Thomas
$ zk new --extra show-header=1,author=Thomas

Using extra variables in templates¶

After declaring extra variables, you can expand them inside the template used when creating new notes, using the usual Handlebars syntax.

# {{title}}

Written by {{extra.author}}.

{{#if extra.show-header}} Behold, the mighty dynamic header! {{/if}}