ENG-1693 Add insert backlink checkbox to ModifyNodeModal (#1018)

* ENG-1693 Add insert backlink checkbox to ModifyNodeModal with smart defaults

- Add "Insert backlink" checkbox to ModifyNodeModal (create mode only)
- Default true when pre-filled text exists (user had text selected) or existing node is chosen; false otherwise
- Gate backlink insertion in canvas flow and editor command flow on checkbox value

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

* small fixes

* clear console

* revert the canvas bug

* Gate insert backlink checkbox on explicit caller support

Only editor flows that honor insertBacklink via createModifyNodeModalSubmitHandler
show the toggle, fixing misleading UI in image conversion and tag-node flows.

Co-authored-by: Cursor <cursoragent@cursor.com>

---------

Co-authored-by: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Co-authored-by: Cursor <cursoragent@cursor.com>

Author: 3 people

apps/obsidian/src/components/ModifyNodeModal.tsx

@@ -49,13 +49,16 @@ type ModifyNodeFormProps = {
     /** DiscourseRelation.id; when set, relation is created with currentFile as the other end. */
     relationshipId?: string;
     relationshipTargetFile?: TFile;
+    insertBacklink: boolean;
   }) => Promise<void>;
   onCancel: () => void;
   initialTitle?: string;
   initialNodeType?: DiscourseNode;
   initialFile?: TFile; // for edit mode
   currentFile?: TFile; // the file where the node is being created from
   plugin: DiscourseGraphPlugin;
+  /** When true, show the insert-backlink checkbox (editor flows that honor insertBacklink). */
+  showInsertBacklinkOption?: boolean;
 };
 
 export const ModifyNodeForm = ({
@@ -67,6 +70,7 @@ export const ModifyNodeForm = ({
   initialFile,
   currentFile,
   plugin,
+  showInsertBacklinkOption = false,
 }: ModifyNodeFormProps) => {
   const isEditMode = !!initialFile;
   const [title, setTitle] = useState(initialFile?.basename || initialTitle);
@@ -83,6 +87,7 @@ export const ModifyNodeForm = ({
   const [selectedRelationshipKey, setSelectedRelationshipKey] = useState<
     string | undefined
   >(undefined);
+  const [insertBacklink, setInsertBacklink] = useState(!!initialTitle);
   const queryEngine = useRef(new QueryEngine(plugin.app));
   const titleInputRef = useRef<HTMLTextAreaElement>(null);
   const popoverRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
@@ -278,6 +283,7 @@ export const ModifyNodeForm = ({
       setSelectedExistingNode(file);
       setQuery(file.basename);
       setTitle(file.basename);
+      setInsertBacklink(true);
       // Auto-detect node type from the selected file's frontmatter
       const nodeTypeId = await getNodeTypeIdForFile(plugin, file);
       if (nodeTypeId && selectedFileRef.current === file) {
@@ -291,12 +297,13 @@ export const ModifyNodeForm = ({
   const handleClearSelection = useCallback(() => {
     selectedFileRef.current = null;
     setSelectedExistingNode(null);
+    setInsertBacklink(!!initialTitle);
     setQuery("");
     setTitle("");
     setTimeout(() => {
       titleInputRef.current?.focus();
     }, 50);
-  }, []);
+  }, [initialTitle]);
 
   const handleKeyDown = (e: React.KeyboardEvent<HTMLTextAreaElement>) => {
     if (selectedExistingNode) {
@@ -391,6 +398,7 @@ export const ModifyNodeForm = ({
         selectedExistingNode: selectedExistingNode || undefined,
         relationshipId: selectedRel?.uniqueKey || undefined,
         relationshipTargetFile: currentFile || undefined,
+        insertBacklink,
       });
       onCancel();
     } catch (error) {
@@ -418,6 +426,7 @@ export const ModifyNodeForm = ({
     selectedRelationshipKey,
     currentFile,
     availableRelationships,
+    insertBacklink,
   ]);
 
   return (
@@ -568,6 +577,20 @@ export const ModifyNodeForm = ({
         </div>
       )}
 
+      {!isEditMode && showInsertBacklinkOption && (
+        <div className="setting-item">
+          <div className="setting-item-name">Insert backlink</div>
+          <div className="setting-item-control">
+            <input
+              type="checkbox"
+              checked={insertBacklink}
+              onChange={(e) => setInsertBacklink(e.target.checked)}
+              disabled={isSubmitting}
+            />
+          </div>
+        </div>
+      )}
+
       <div className="modal-button-container mt-5 flex justify-end gap-2">
         <button
           type="button"
@@ -606,11 +629,13 @@ type ModifyNodeModalProps = {
     selectedExistingNode?: TFile;
     relationshipId?: string;
     relationshipTargetFile?: TFile;
+    insertBacklink: boolean;
   }) => Promise<void>;
   initialTitle?: string;
   initialNodeType?: DiscourseNode;
   initialFile?: TFile;
   currentFile?: TFile;
+  showInsertBacklinkOption?: boolean;
 };
 
 class ModifyNodeModal extends Modal {
@@ -622,13 +647,15 @@ class ModifyNodeModal extends Modal {
     selectedExistingNode?: TFile;
     relationshipId?: string;
     relationshipTargetFile?: TFile;
+    insertBacklink: boolean;
   }) => Promise<void>;
   private root: Root | null = null;
   private initialTitle?: string;
   private initialNodeType?: DiscourseNode;
   private initialFile?: TFile;
   private currentFile?: TFile;
   private plugin: DiscourseGraphPlugin;
+  private showInsertBacklinkOption?: boolean;
 
   constructor(app: App, props: ModifyNodeModalProps) {
     super(app);
@@ -639,6 +666,7 @@ class ModifyNodeModal extends Modal {
     this.initialFile = props.initialFile;
     this.currentFile = props.currentFile;
     this.plugin = props.plugin;
+    this.showInsertBacklinkOption = props.showInsertBacklinkOption;
   }
 
   onOpen() {
@@ -657,6 +685,7 @@ class ModifyNodeModal extends Modal {
           initialFile={this.initialFile}
           currentFile={this.currentFile}
           plugin={this.plugin}
+          showInsertBacklinkOption={this.showInsertBacklinkOption}
         />
       </StrictMode>,
     );

apps/obsidian/src/index.ts

@@ -236,6 +236,7 @@ export default class DiscourseGraphPlugin extends Plugin {
               initialTitle: selection,
               initialNodeType: nodeType,
               currentFile,
+              showInsertBacklinkOption: true,
               onSubmit: createModifyNodeModalSubmitHandler(this, editor),
             }).open();
           },

apps/obsidian/src/utils/createNode.ts

@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ export const createDiscourseNode = async ({
     nodeType,
   });
 
-  if (newFile && editor && editor.somethingSelected()) {
+  if (newFile && editor) {
     editor.replaceSelection(`[[${formattedNodeName}]]`);
   }
 

apps/obsidian/src/utils/registerCommands.ts

@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ type ModifyNodeSubmitParams = {
   selectedExistingNode?: TFile;
   relationshipId?: string;
   relationshipTargetFile?: TFile;
+  insertBacklink: boolean;
 };
 
 export const createModifyNodeModalSubmitHandler = (
@@ -34,10 +35,11 @@ export const createModifyNodeModalSubmitHandler = (
     selectedExistingNode,
     relationshipId,
     relationshipTargetFile,
+    insertBacklink,
   }: ModifyNodeSubmitParams) => {
     if (selectedExistingNode) {
-      if (editor && editor.somethingSelected()) {
-        editor?.replaceSelection(`[[${selectedExistingNode.basename}]]`);
+      if (insertBacklink && editor) {
+        editor.replaceSelection(`[[${selectedExistingNode.basename}]]`);
       }
       await addRelationIfRequested(plugin, selectedExistingNode, {
         relationshipId,
@@ -48,7 +50,7 @@ export const createModifyNodeModalSubmitHandler = (
         plugin,
         nodeType,
         text: title,
-        editor,
+        editor: insertBacklink ? editor : undefined,
       });
       if (newFile) {
         await addRelationIfRequested(plugin, newFile, {
@@ -84,6 +86,7 @@ export const registerCommands = (plugin: DiscourseGraphPlugin) => {
           nodeTypes: plugin.settings.nodeTypes,
           plugin,
           currentFile,
+          showInsertBacklinkOption: true,
           onSubmit: createModifyNodeModalSubmitHandler(plugin, editor),
         }).open();
       }
@@ -103,6 +106,7 @@ export const registerCommands = (plugin: DiscourseGraphPlugin) => {
         plugin,
         currentFile,
         initialTitle: selectedText,
+        showInsertBacklinkOption: !!editor,
         onSubmit: createModifyNodeModalSubmitHandler(plugin, editor),
       }).open();
     },