# Chronos Cheatsheet After installing the Chronos Timeline plugin for Obsidian, copy and paste this whole markdown file into a file in your vault to play around and learn the syntax. Hover on a timeline and click the Edit button in the upper right to play with the data. ## Date formats Chronos can visualize dates from the year down to the second level, using the syntax `YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss`. The only required component of a date is the year (`YYYY`). Beyond that, you can specify additional time granularity as needed for your use case. If not explicitly provided: - The month and day default to `01` (January and the 1st) - The hour, minute, and second default to `00` (top of the hour or minute) ### Examples ```chronos - [2020] A year - [2020-02] A month - [2020-02-28] A day - [2020-02-28T12] An hour - [2020-02-28T12:30] A minute - [2020-02-28T12:30:09] A second ``` ## Events **Full Syntax** ``` - [Date~Date] #Color {Group Name} Event Name | Description ``` - The second Date, Color, Group Name, Event Name, and Description are optional - Description appears when you hover on an event in the timeline ### Examples #### Single Date **Syntax** ``` - [Date] Event Name ``` ```chronos - [1879-03-14] Einstein born ``` #### Date range **Syntax** ``` - [Date~Date] Event Name ``` ```chronos - [1991~2001] Time I believed in Santa ``` #### Date range with description **Syntax** ``` - [Date~Date] Event Name| Description ``` ```chronos - [1991~2001] Time I believed in Santa | ended when my brother tried to videotape Santa with a hidden camera ``` #### With color See available [Colors](#colors) **Syntax** ``` - [Date~Date] #Color Event Name| Description ``` ```chronos - [2001~2009] #red Bush - [2009~2017] #blue Obama - [2017~2021] #red Trump - [2021~2025] #blue Biden ``` #### With groups **Syntax** ``` - [Date(~Date)] {Group Name} Event Name| Description ``` ```chronos @ [1892-10-08~1941-08-31] {Marina Tsvetaeva} 1892-1941 - [1916] {Marina Tsvetaeva} "Подруга" - [1928] {Marina Tsvetaeva} "Поэма концов" - [1941] {Marina Tsvetaeva} "Записки о поэзии" @ [1899-08-24~1986-06-14] {Jorge Luis Borges} 1899-1986 - [1944] {Jorge Luis Borges} "Ficciones" - [1949] {Jorge Luis Borges} "El Aleph" - [1962] {Jorge Luis Borges} "Labyrinths" ``` ## Periods **Full Syntax** ``` @ [Date~Date] #Color {Group Name} Period Name ``` - Color, Group Name, and Period Name are optional ### Examples #### Basic ```chronos @ [-300~250] Yayoi Period - [-100] Introduction of rice cultivation - [-57] Japan’s first recorded contact with China ``` #### With color See available [Colors](#colors) ```chronos @ [-300~250] #red Yayoi Period - [-100] Introduction of rice cultivation - [-57] Japan’s first recorded contact with China @ [250~538] Kofun Period - [250] Construction of keyhole-shaped kofun burial mounds begins - [369] Yamato state sends envoys to Korea ``` ## Points **Syntax** ``` * [Date] Point Name | Description ``` ```chronos - [2024-02-26~2024-03-10] Tournament * [2024-02-26] Game 1 | Austin * [2024-02-28] Game 2 | Los Angeles * [2024-03-06] Game 3 | Tokyo * [2024-03-10] Game 4 | Jakarta ``` ## Markers **Syntax** ``` = [Date] Marker Name ``` ### Examples ```chronos = [1440] Invention of the Gutenberg Press - [1455] Gutenberg Bible Printed @ [1501~1600] The Spread of Printing - [1517] Martin Luther's 95 Theses ``` ## Advanced example ```chronos - [1945-07-17] {Europe} Potsdam Conference | where post-WWII Europe is divided - [1947-03-12] {USA} Truman Doctrine | committing the U.S. to containing communism - [1948-06-24~1949-05-12] {Europe} Berlin Blockade | and Airlift in response to Soviet actions in Berlin - [1949-04-04] {Europe} Formation of NATO # Early Cold War @ [1957~1969] #cyan {USSR} Space Race @ [1957~1969] #cyan {USA} Space Race - [1950-06-25~1953-07-27] {Asia} Korean War | between North and South Korea - [1955-05-14] {USSR} Warsaw Pact | in response to NATO - [1957-10-04] #cyan {USSR} Sputnik launched | initiating the Space Race - [1961-04-17] {Cuba} Bay of Pigs Invasion | in Cuba # Height of Tensions - [1962-10-16] {Cuba} Cuban Missile Crisis | a peak confrontation between the U.S. and USSR - [1963-08-05] {Global} Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty signed - [1969-07-20] #cyan {USA} Apollo 11 Moon landing | U.S. wins the Space Race - [1972-05-26] {Global} SALT I signed | first Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty # Détente Period - [1979-12-24~1989-02-15] {USSR} Soviet-Afghan War | straining Soviet resources - [1983-03-23] {USA} Reagan announces the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) - [1986-04-26] {USSR} Chernobyl nuclear disaster - [1987-12-08] {Global} INF Treaty | signed, eliminating intermediate-range nuclear missiles # Late Cold War - [1989-11-09] {Europe} Fall of the Berlin Wall | symbolizing the end of Cold War tensions - [1991-07-31] {Global} START I Treaty signed | further arms reduction - [1991-12-26] {USSR} Dissolution of the Soviet Union | officially ending the Cold War = [1991-12-26] End of the Cold War ``` ## Ordering **Order by start date** ```chronos > ORDERBY start - [2026~2028] Event D - [2024~2028] Event B - [2025~2030] #red Event C - [2020~2030] #red Event A ``` **Order by start (descending)** ```chronos > ORDERBY -start - [2026~2028] Event D - [2024~2028] Event B - [2025~2030] #red Event C - [2020~2030] #red Event A ``` **Order by color and start** ```chronos > ORDERBY color|start - [2026~2028] Event D - [2024~2028] Event B - [2025~2030] #red Event C - [2020~2030] #red Event A ``` ## Default view dates Use the `> DEFAULTVIEW start|end` flag to specify default start and end dates for your timeline's initial load ```chronos > DEFAULTVIEW -3000|3000 - [2024] AGI ``` ## Colors - `#red` - `#orange` - `#yellow` - `#green` - `#blue` - `#purple` - `#pink` - `#cyan`