Obsidian 1.9.7 (Desktop) is out now, available to users under the Catalyst license. This update brings multiple fixes and improvements, mostly targeted at Bases, a feature that was introduced back in version 1.9.0 as a way for users to build structured databases directly from their notes.
Let"s start with the improvements Bases got. For formula writers, autocomplete now includes formula properties like file.links and the newly added file.backlinks. The developers also added new file() and Link.asFile() functions, which permit you to access properties directly from a file reference.
On the visual side, the Cards view can display images from text properties that contain an image path, and Base code blocks get proper YAML syntax highlighting. Performance for rendering large images inside a Base has been improved, and the toolbar organization has been simplified for a cleaner look. The main Markdown parser also got a performance lift for files heavy with underscores.
Moving on to bug fixes, the team squashed an issue where creating a new formula would generate an extra "Untitled" formula. They also fixed date comparisons between two datetime values and resolved a problem where the last column in a base could not be resized. Another fix stops card properties from sometimes rendering empty properties as "â€.".
Outside of Bases, the update fixed an issue where page previews for Mermaid links did not work and another where clicking "x" on a list property item would immediately hide the preview. There was also a fix for the "Download attachments for current file" command, which was incorrectly replacing links.
This update also fixes a significant synchronization issue where syncing a vault to an older 1.8.10 installation could cause Bases to be deleted.
Both the issue with the "Download attachments for current file" command and another where new Canvas nodes could be accidentally created when editing an embedded Base file have been fixed. Finally, global search now stops after finding 100,000 results to prevent performance issues.
As previously mentioned, this update is currently available to users with a Catalyst license. Even though Obsidian is a free app for personal use, programs like the optional Catalyst license allow the devs to keep the lights on. Supporters get perks like early access to beta builds, but these features eventually trickle down to the main public release for everyone once they are stable.