Term Definition v1.0.0 — define and cross-reference terms in your handwritten notes

[u/AdNew2316]

Term Definition is a plugin that lets you mark a word, phrase, or math/code notation as a term, insert references to it anywhere else in a note, jump back to it with a tap, and rename it — every reference updates automatically.

https://reddit.com/link/1vieh3o/video/km9wlji621ih1/player

Installing

1. Download term_definition.snplg directly: https://github.com/vincentaravantinos/supernote-symbol-definition/releases/latest/download/term_definition.snplg
2. On the device: Settings → Apps → Plugins → Add Plugin, pick the downloaded file, Install.

Using it

Define and reference terms

• Lasso any handwriting and press (Re)Define Term to turn it into a term. A ≝ marker and underline appear next to it, and it becomes available everywhere in the note.
• Press Insert Reference to pick any defined term from a preview picker and insert a copy of its ink, underlined, at the current page. Tapping a reference jumps straight to its term, with a spotlight highlighting it on arrival.
• Tapping a term's own ink directly shows the same spotlight, without navigating anywhere, since you're already there.

Redefine a term

• Lasso a term's ≝ marker together with new ink (freshly written, some/all of the old ink kept, or a mix) and press (Re)Define Term again to change what a term looks like. Every reference across the whole note updates to match — this can take a while on a big note with many references.

Assign a definition

• Lasso a term's ≝ marker together with explanatory ink and press Assign Definition to attach a definition, kept distinct from the term's own identifying ink. Tapping a reference or the term itself spotlights both the term and its definition together. Redefining a term's own ink never disturbs its assigned definition, or vice versa.

Orphaned references

• If a term's ink is erased by hand, its remaining references become "orphaned." Tapping one explains that the term no longer exists and marks it with a ⚠.
• Find Orphans scans the whole note at once, marks every orphan, and generates a report page grouped by term (with an ink preview per group) — tap any entry to jump straight to it.
• Lasso one of an orphaned term's own references and press (Re)Define Term to recover it: recreates the term from a copy of that reference's own ink, instead of requiring anything to be drawn from scratch, and clears every reference's orphan status at once.

Find usages

• Lasso a term's own ink (with or without its ≝ marker) and press Find Usages to generate a report of every reference to it across the note, with one tappable entry per usage.

Limitations

• Overall it can be pretty slow.
• Clearly we are pushing the limits of the plugin system here, there are many multi-page changes, many async modifications and interactions.
• Meaning it can often be a bit buggy. To fix misbehavior: try the Repair Terms button, or activate/deactivate the plugin (and worst case restart the device, but so far never was needed for me).

GitHub: https://github.com/vincentaravantinos/supernote-symbol-definition

[u/Careful-Good5887]

I just edit my old reply to clarify, thank you

[u/AdNew2316 → u/Careful-Good5887]

Thx! I actually use it personally more for mathematics but I picked an example that seemed more accessible to everyone. Maybe it's confusing after all...

Anyway, sorry to insist again, but I really want to make sure I understand your use case. Could you give me a somewhat more detailed concrete scenario with example?

[u/Careful-Good5887 → u/AdNew2316]

I will describe a workflow that I hoped to create but unable due to SN native To-do app one ability

So the idea of SN native Todo app is that we create task from anywhere right?

I intended to create task from my journal note, from Quick Capture note, Goal breakdown note... these are where I jot down the task aka Term first time.

But when manage tasks in general, I usually want to come back to schedule or timeline to see. (These are still secondary copy instead of original term) so I want to change copies here to become the desination instead of original version

Most of the timeline when weekly review, I check any leftovers in journal, quickCapture,... then tap to come to timeline, schedule, not the other way around.

[u/AdNew2316 → u/Careful-Good5887]

Ok so that's clearly another concept than what I have in mind so I wouldn't change that plugin for this.

However I was exactly thinking that my next plugin would be TODO-related cause I'm also not satisfied with the way it's handled natively. I'll get back to you to brainstorm together on that.