Automattic / Automattic/harper

Desktop with Obsidian integration reformats markdown and strips file properties and other key formatting

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bug desktop obsidian-plugin
Dominant language
Rust
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Forks
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Avg merge
1d 15h
Merged PRs (30d)
102

Description

**Describe the bug**
Harper Desktop with Obsidian as an integrated application removes YAML file properties and other document formatting, such as double carriage returns. Not tested exhasutively, but I note that if the error is already formatted - for example *ERRROR* then Harper also strips out the formating around the error.

**To Reproduce**
Install Harper Desktop
Add Obsidian as an integration
Write markdown with errors, accept the correction suggested by Harper

**Expected behavior**
The correction should be made without other reformating of the document.

**Screenshots**
Before accepting the correction:
Image

After accepting the correction:
Image

**Platform**
Mac OS X M4 Mini Tahoe 26.6.2, current version of Obsidian etc.

**Additional context**
I appreciate that there's an Obsidian plugin (which works as expected), however I want to share that dictionary with a system-wide dictionary to avoid duplications. I have a very extensive specialised dictionary and want to switch from languagetool to Harper.

Claude tells me that this is a consequence of Obsidian being Electron under the hood.

This is peripherally linked to a request a couple of months ago for the [Obsidian plugin to use an external dictionary](https://github.com/Automattic/harper/issues/3808#issue-4863069577).

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Reproduce the issue in Harper Desktop with Obsidian using a document containing YAML properties, blank lines, and formatted text, then compare the document before and after accepting a correction. Trace the Obsidian integration path that applies corrections; done means only the suggested correction changes while properties, spacing, and existing Markdown formatting remain intact.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
electron, markdown, rust
Domain
desktop
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Active
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
48/100

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