Equation & Sub-Equation Numbering¶

The core engine of TeXcore provides automatic equation numbering using LaTeX \tag{} commands, allowing you to generate academic-grade numbering schemes inside Obsidian. This feature is heavily integrated with the plugin's Autocomplete System and Quick Hover Previews to keep references synchronized in both Live Preview and Reading View.

Defining Equation Identifiers¶

Unlike Obsidian's standard markdown block references which append identifiers at the end of elements, TeXcore indexes equations using LaTeX comments inside the display math block. Add a % id: eq-name comment line immediately before the closing $$ delimiter. The prefix eq- is required, followed by alphanumeric characters or hyphens.

$$
E = mc^2
% id: eq-einstein   (1)
$$

1. This comment is invisible in the final rendered note but is parsed by TeXcore's background indexing system to build the active note cache.

Lazy Numbering Mechanism¶

To keep your document layout clean, TeXcore uses lazy numbering by default. An equation is only assigned a right-aligned number tag if it is actively referenced somewhere in the vault. If the equation is not referenced, no tag is injected, keeping margins clear. You can disable this behavior to force-number all equations in the Settings Reference.

$$
E = mc^2
% id: eq-einstein
$$

As shown in [[#^eq-einstein]], mass is equivalent to energy.

Numbering Customization¶

Configure the layout of your math indices globally via the Settings Panel. Numbering formats support a variety of typographic styles, prefixes, and suffixes.

Number Styles Matrix¶

Section & Document Equation Formatting (obsitex)¶

You can specify section-level equation prefixes (e.g. A for Appendix equations like (A1), (A2), or S for supplementary sections), control numbering continuity, and declare supplemented notes for cross-referencing using an obsitex YAML codeblock:

eq-prefix: A          # Prefix added to equation numbers (e.g., 'A' for (A1), (A2))
eq-continuity: false  # 'false' resets numbering to 1; 'true' continues counting
supplements:          # Declare supplemented notes for cross-referencing
 - [[NoteName]]: S1   # Option 1: Cross-reference with prefix alias (e.g., (S1-A1))
 - [[NoteName]]       # Option 2: Cross-reference without prefix alias (e.g., (A1))

Configuration Keys¶

Features & Behavior¶

• Position Scoped: obsitex properties only apply to equations located after the codeblock's position in the document. Equations prior to the codeblock retain standard numbering or previous section settings.
• Continuity Control (eq-continuity):
• eq-continuity: false (or eq-continuous: false): Resets the equation counter back to 1 (or eqNumberInit) starting from this codeblock location.
• eq-continuity: true (or omitted): Keeps continuous counting across section transitions (e.g. equation 1 becomes tag (1), and next section equation with prefix A becomes (A2)).
• Cross-Note Supplement Referencing (supplements):
• Links to target equations in supplemented files (e.g. [[Appendix B#^eq-id]] or local [[#^eq-id]]) automatically resolve using the target file's prefix and optional supplement alias.
• If a supplement alias (e.g. B0) is defined, references display as (B0-A1). If no alias is specified, references display using the target equation's tag directly (A1).
• Auto-Templating: Typing an empty ```obsitex codeblock immediately populates it with default keys (eq-prefix, eq-continuity) and commented-out supplements syntax examples for quick copy-paste editing.
• Command Palette Integration: Includes an ObsiTeX: Insert configuration block command to insert pre-filled blocks at cursor.
• Hidden Rendering: The obsitex codeblock is invisible in Live Preview, Reading View, and PDF exports.

Architectural Engine Details¶

• Positional YAML & Comment Preprocessing: parsePositionalObsitexConfigs(content) pre-processes WikiLinks [[Note]] into scalar strings to prevent standard YAML parser warnings, strips inline # comments cleanly, and parses character offsets using Obsidian's parseYaml API.
• Unified Equation & Tag Manager Engine: processActiveNoteEquations enumerates equations top-to-bottom and dynamically assigns equation tags based on position, obsitex config, and workspace backlinks. In Live Preview, createTagManagerPlugin delegates directly to processActiveNoteEquations, managing LaTeX \tag{...} tags across views on doc, viewport, and focus events.
• Subpath Link & Preview Resolution: LatexLinkProvider and setupPagePreviewPatcher resolve cross-note equation links and Ctrl+Hover page previews efficiently in O(1) time using Obsidian's internal metadataCache.resolvedLinks without full-vault disk scanning.

Sub-Equation System¶

Multi-line equations (such as systems of equations using LaTeX align or split blocks) can be individually referenced using sub-indices. Reference rows sequentially by appending the row number to the parent ID:

$$
\begin{aligned}
a &= b + c \\
d &= e + f
\end{aligned}
% id: eq-system
$$

Referencing row 1: [[#^eq-system-1]]
Referencing row 2: [[#^eq-system-2]]

The plugin automatically parses the structure and appends sub-tags such as \tag{1.1} to the first equation line and \tag{1.2} to the second.

Inserting References¶

To reference an equation quickly, type your trigger (default is \eqref) to activate the autocomplete dialog. Use your keyboard arrow keys to scroll, and press Enter to insert the formatted wiki-link.