Usage

This document provides comprehensive usage examples for both implementations.

Bash Script

The bash script (scripts/vcf-to-obsidian.sh) provides functionality with zero dependencies:

# Convert a single VCF file
./scripts/vcf-to-obsidian.sh --file contact.vcf --obsidian ./obsidian-vault/contacts

# Convert all VCF files in a directory
./scripts/vcf-to-obsidian.sh --folder ./contacts --obsidian ./obsidian-vault/contacts

# Process multiple sources
./scripts/vcf-to-obsidian.sh --folder ./contacts1 --folder ./contacts2 --file ./special.vcf --obsidian ./vault

# Enable verbose output
./scripts/vcf-to-obsidian.sh --folder ./contacts --obsidian ./vault --verbose

Python Script

After installing with pip or pipx:

vcf-to-obsidian --folder <source_vcf_directory> --obsidian <destination_obsidian_folder>

Or using the Python script directly:

python scripts/vcf_to_obsidian.py --folder <source_vcf_directory> --obsidian <destination_obsidian_folder>

Examples

Convert all VCF files from a directory:

vcf-to-obsidian --folder ./contacts --obsidian ./obsidian-vault/contacts

Convert a specific VCF file:

vcf-to-obsidian --file ./contact.vcf --obsidian ./obsidian-vault/contacts

Process multiple sources to single destination:

vcf-to-obsidian --folder ./contacts1 --folder ./contacts2 --file ./special.vcf --obsidian ./vault

With verbose output:

::

vcf-to-obsidian –folder ./contacts –obsidian ./obsidian-vault/contacts –verbose

Command Line Options

--folder: Source directory containing VCF files (can be specified multiple times)
--obsidian: Destination directory for generated Markdown files (required, single directory only)
--file: Specific VCF file to process (can be specified multiple times)
--verbose or -v: Enable verbose output
--help or -h: Show help message

Note: You must specify at least one source (either --folder or --file) and exactly one destination (--obsidian).

Template Output

The script generates markdown output with a fixed template that is compatible with the obsidian-vcf-contacts plugin format. The template includes:

YAML frontmatter with all contact metadata extracted directly from the VCF file
Structured markdown content optimized for Obsidian

The template works directly with the VCF data structure to ensure maximum compatibility and reduce complexity. No custom templates are supported - the built-in template ensures consistent, reliable output.