If headers did not exist, it would be necessary to invent them

Credit to @cameron#9185 for sharing the link for this week's Dendron Reading Series in our #what-are-you-reading channel on Discord

The idea of headers as metadata should ring very familiar to Dendron users. Using header lines to define key-value pairs (called frontmatter in Dendron), allows us to add functionality, identification and organization to our notes.

When we view metadata like tabular data, we introduce concepts from databases into our notes, opening up possibilities to view them as spreadsheets or use queries to filter through our notes. If you could turn your frontmatter into a spreadsheet, what would you use it for?

Gordon Brander (the author) makes the point that this pattern is well-fit for digital protocols like email or HTTP. The pattern is simple and extensible, making it accessible and flexible. Key for Brander is the ability of a protocol to allow for new possibilties. What new possibilities would you like to see for metadata in Dendron?


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