Inline Syntax¶

Inline syntax lets you add relations directly in your note content using the :: operator. Relations appear right where they're meaningful, making your notes more readable.

Basic Syntax¶

Prefix Syntax¶

Place the relation name before the link:

up::[[Parent Note]]

This creates a relation from the current file to Parent Note.

Suffix Syntax¶

Place the relation name after the link:

[[Child Note]]::down

This creates a relation from Child Note to the current file.

Direction Matters

Prefix and suffix create edges in opposite directions:

next::[[B]] → currentFile -next-> B
[[A]]::next → A -next-> currentFile

Spacing

Spaces around :: are optional: up::[[Note]], up:: [[Note]], up :: [[Note]]

External Edge Syntax¶

Declare relations between other notes from within a MoC or index note:

Triple Syntax¶

[[Source]]::relation::[[Target]]

Creates an edge from Source to Target, not involving the current file.

# Project Index

[[Phase 1]]::next::[[Phase 2]]
[[Phase 2]]::next::[[Phase 3]]

Fan-out (Multiple Targets)¶

Add multiple targets from the same source:

[[Parent]]::down::[[Child A]]::[[Child B]]::[[Child C]]

Creates: Parent → Child A, Parent → Child B, Parent → Child C

Chain Syntax¶

Use ::-:: to chain from the previous target:

[[A]]::next::[[B]]::-::[[C]]::-::[[D]]

Creates: A → B, B → C, C → D

Mixed Fan-out and Chain¶

Combine both patterns:

[[A]]::next::[[B]]::[[C]]::-::[[D]]

Creates: A → B, A → C, C → D

Context and Continuation¶

Patterns with a relation set context that persists across the file. Use ::[[Target]] or ::-::[[Target]] to continue from context.

Fan-out Continuation¶

[[Project]]::down

::[[Phase 1]]
::[[Phase 2]]
::[[Phase 3]]

All phases are children of Project.

Chain Continuation¶

[[Chapter 1]]::next::[[Chapter 2]]

Reading order continues:
::-::[[Chapter 3]]
::-::[[Chapter 4]]

Creates: Ch1 → Ch2 → Ch3 → Ch4

Context Rules¶

Any pattern with a relation keyword sets new context
::[[X]] uses context source → X (fan-out)
::-::[[X]] uses context lastTarget → X (chain)
Context persists until a new relation keyword appears

[[A]]::next         # Context: source=A, relation=next
::[[B]]             # A → B
::[[C]]             # A → C

[[X]]::prev         # New context: source=X, relation=prev
::[[Y]]             # X → Y

When to Use Each¶

Syntax	Use Case	Example
Prefix `rel::[[A]]`	Declare from current file	`up::[[Parent]]`
Suffix `[[A]]::rel`	Declare to current file	`[[Child]]::down`
Triple `[[A]]::rel::[[B]]`	External edge in MoC	`[[Ch1]]::next::[[Ch2]]`
Fan-out `::[[B]]::[[C]]`	Multiple targets	`[[Parent]]::down::[[A]]::[[B]]`
Chain `::-::[[C]]`	Sequential relations	`[[A]]::next::[[B]]::-::[[C]]`

Relation Name Rules¶

Inline relations follow the same naming rules as all relations:

Allowed	Not Allowed
`up`, `down`, `next`, `prev`	Names with spaces
`parent-note`, `child_note`	Special characters (except `-` and `_`)
`step1`, `part2`	Names starting with `-` or `_` alone

Names are automatically normalized to lowercase:

UP::[[Note]]      → creates 'up' relation
Parent::[[Note]]  → creates 'parent' relation

Limitations¶

Link Aliases¶

The link target is extracted without aliases:

up::[[Note Name|Display Text]]

Creates a relation to Note Name, not Display Text.

Wiki Links Only¶

Inline syntax requires wiki-style links:

up::[[Valid Link]]        ✓
up::[Invalid](markdown)   ✗
up::Plain Text            ✗

For plain text targets, use frontmatter syntax instead.

Combining with Frontmatter¶

Inline and frontmatter relations work together:

---
relations:
  up: "[[Main Category]]"
---

# My Note

up::[[Secondary Category]]

Content here...

Both relations are recognized. Trail combines them when building the graph.

Complete Example¶

A Map of Contents note using all syntax features:

# Project MoC

up::[[Projects]]

## Phases

[[Phase 1]]::next::[[Phase 2]]::-::[[Phase 3]]::-::[[Phase 4]]

## Team Structure

[[Team Lead]]::manages
::[[Developer A]]
::[[Developer B]]
::[[Designer]]

## Related

- [[Requirements Doc]]::related
- [[Design Spec]]::related