Name: Custom Syntax Highlights – Obsidian Plugin · Obsidian Stats
Rating: 51 (6 reviews)
Author: Outsiders17711

by Outsiders17711

Score: 51/100

Install Code

Description

Category: Note Enhancements

#syntax-highlighting #custom-file-types #code-rendering #reading-view

The Custom Syntax Highlights plugin enables syntax highlighting for files with non-standard extensions by mapping them to a chosen language. Users can configure extension-to-language mappings through settings, allowing files like .bib, .tex, or .py to be rendered as readable, colour-coded code blocks in reading view. The plugin ensures these files open directly in reading mode, offering a clean, formatted display ideal for reviewing source files without editing. It also includes an option to disable highlighting for certain extensions by mapping them to markdown. Markdown files themselves are excluded since they are already handled natively. The plugin draws inspiration from earlier work on custom file extensions but expands its functionality significantly.

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Latest Version

0.5.4

10 months ago

Changelog

Changed

Moved configuration-related files into config/ directory for cleaner project root.
Updated import paths in source code to reflect new configuration file locations.

Fixed

Plugin Review: Scoped plugin CSS to prevent conflicts with core Obsidian styles.
Plugin Review: Replaced unsafe type casts with instanceof checks for improved stability.

See all version on GitHub

README file from

Github

Custom Syntax Highlights

An Obsidian plugin that displays files with custom extensions as syntax-highlighted code blocks in reading view, with configurable extension-to-language mappings.

Features

Custom Extension Mapping: Configure any file extension to display with specific syntax highlighting
Auto-Switch to Reading View: Automatically switch configured file extensions to reading view when opened
Flexible Language Support: Map extensions to any supported syntax highlighting language
Clean Display: Files are rendered as single, properly formatted code blocks

Demo

Installation

From Community Plugins (Recommended)

You can install the plugin directly from Obsidian's Community Plugins browser:

Open Obsidian and go to Settings > Community plugins
Click on Browse and search for "Custom Syntax Highlights"
Click Install and then Enable the plugin

You can also install the plugin directly from its Community Plugins entry: Custom Syntax Highlights on Obsidian.

Manual Installation

Download the latest release from GitHub Releases
Extract main.js, manifest.json, and styles.css to your vault's .obsidian/plugins/custom-syntax-highlights/ directory
Reload Obsidian and enable the plugin in Settings → Community plugins

Configuration

Extension Mappings

Configure extension-to-language mappings in Settings → Community plugins → Custom File Extensions:

Extension: The file extension (without the dot)
Language: The syntax highlighting language to use (leave empty to use the extension name)

Example Configurations

Extension	Language	Result
`tex`	(empty)	LaTeX files with TeX syntax highlighting
`json`	(empty)	JSON files with JSON syntax highlighting
`bib`	`ini`	Bibliography files with INI-style highlighting
`py`	`python`	Python files with Python syntax highlighting
`txt`	`md`	Text files with normal editing (no highlighting)

Important Notes

Markdown files (.md): Not supported - handled natively by Obsidian
Normal editing: Set language to md or markdown to disable highlighting and enable normal editing
Auto-switch: Toggle whether files automatically open in reading view

Usage

Configure extension mappings in plugin settings
Open any file with a configured extension
File automatically switches to reading view with syntax highlighting

Development

Building

npm install    # install dependencies
npm run dev    # development build with watch mode
npm run build  # production build
npm run test   # update the plugin in the test vault

Release

npm run release        # automated patch release
npm run release:minor  # minor version release  
npm run release:major  # major version release

Requirements: Node.js 16+, Git repository with GitHub origin

Documentation

Release Process - Complete guide for maintainers
Changelog - Version history and release notes

Inspiration

Built upon the foundation of MeepTech/obsidian-custom-file-extensions-plugin for file extension registration. This plugin now implements a complete 2-in-1 solution with both file extension registration and syntax highlighting.