feat(format): add format:spaced for comma-space multi-select

docs/src/content/docs/docs/FormatSyntax.md

@@ -401,8 +401,10 @@ from where the placeholder appears:
 - `|format:markdown` writes a vertical Markdown bullet list. Put the placeholder
   on its own line: `{{VALUE:Alpha,Beta|multi|format:markdown}}` becomes `- Alpha`
   followed by `- Beta`.
-- `|format:inline` always writes the existing comma-separated text form:
+- `|format:inline` always writes the compact comma-separated text form:
   `Alpha,Beta`.
+- `|format:spaced` writes the same text with a space after each comma:
+  `{{VALUE:option a, option b|multi|format:spaced}}` becomes `option a, option b`.
 - `|format:auto` is the default and preserves the context-sensitive behavior
   described below.
 
@@ -752,7 +754,8 @@ defaults as single-value FIELD prompts:
 `{{FIELD:topic|multi|folder:Projects|tag:active|default:Inbox}}`.
 
 FIELD multi-selects support the same explicit output formats as VALUE:
-`|format:yaml`, `|format:markdown`, `|format:inline`, and `|format:auto`.
+`|format:yaml`, `|format:markdown`, `|format:inline`, `|format:spaced`,
+and `|format:auto`.
 For example, `topics: {{FIELD:topic|multi|format:yaml}}` always writes a native
 YAML list, including in template-backed captures.
 
@@ -890,7 +893,7 @@ Good to know:
 - In a one-page input form, single and multi FILE pickers appear inline. Search matches the friendly title, file name, and full path. Selected files remain exact path-backed values internally, so commas in file names or labels are safe.
 
 FILE multi-selects support `|format:yaml`, `|format:markdown`,
-`|format:inline`, and `|format:auto`. The format composes with `|link` and
+`|format:inline`, `|format:spaced`, and `|format:auto`. The format composes with `|link` and
 `|path`, so `{{FILE:People|multi|link|format:yaml}}` writes a native YAML list
 of links without relying on the capture context.
 

src/engine/CaptureChoiceEngine.ts

@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ function isCaptureContentEmpty(content: string): boolean {
 const MULTI_SELECT_TOKEN_REGEX =
 	/\{\{(?:VALUE|FILE|FIELD):[^}]*\|\s*multi\s*(?=[:}|]|$)[^}]*\}\}/gi;
 const EXPLICIT_MULTI_FORMAT_REGEX =
-	/\|\s*format\s*:\s*(?:inline|yaml|markdown)\s*(?=\||}})/i;
+	/\|\s*format\s*:\s*(?:inline|spaced|yaml|markdown)\s*(?=\||}})/i;
 
 function hasContextualMultiSelectToken(input: string): boolean {
 	return Array.from(input.matchAll(MULTI_SELECT_TOKEN_REGEX)).some(
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ export class CaptureChoiceEngine extends QuickAddChoiceEngine {
 				hasContextualMultiSelectToken(this.choice?.format?.format ?? "")
 			) {
 				log.logWarning(
-					"QuickAdd: {{VALUE:…|multi}}, {{FILE:…|multi}} and {{FIELD:…|multi}} in this capture write comma-separated strings by default. Add |format:yaml, |format:markdown or |format:inline to choose the output explicitly.",
+					"QuickAdd: {{VALUE:…|multi}}, {{FILE:…|multi}} and {{FIELD:…|multi}} in this capture write comma-separated strings by default. Add |format:yaml, |format:markdown, |format:inline or |format:spaced to choose the output explicitly.",
 				);
 			}
 

src/formatters/completeFormatter.test.ts

@@ -1819,6 +1819,7 @@ describe("CompleteFormatter - remote prompt provider routing", () => {
 		["yaml", '["a", "c"]'],
 		["markdown", "- a\n- c"],
 		["inline", "a,c"],
+		["spaced", "a, c"],
 	] as const)("renders VALUE multi-selects with |format:%s", async (format, expected) => {
 		const suggesterMulti = vi.fn(
 			async (_display: string[], _actual: string[]) => ["a", "c"],
@@ -1830,6 +1831,33 @@ describe("CompleteFormatter - remote prompt provider routing", () => {
 		).resolves.toBe(expected);
 	});
 
+	it("keeps format:inline compact when the option list has spaces", async () => {
+		const suggesterMulti = vi.fn(
+			async (_display: string[], _actual: string[]) => ["a", "b"],
+		);
+		const f = providerFormatter({ suggesterMulti });
+
+		await expect(
+			f.formatFileContent("{{VALUE:a, b|multi|format:inline}}"),
+		).resolves.toBe("a,b");
+	});
+
+	it("joins format:spaced with a comma and a space, including spaced option names", async () => {
+		const suggesterMulti = vi.fn(
+			async (_display: string[], _actual: string[]) => [
+				"option a",
+				"option b",
+			],
+		);
+		const f = providerFormatter({ suggesterMulti });
+
+		await expect(
+			f.formatFileContent(
+				"{{VALUE:option a, option b|multi|format:spaced}}",
+			),
+		).resolves.toBe("option a, option b");
+	});
+
 	it("routes anonymous {{VALUE|type:checkbox}} to the provider's suggester, not the Obsidian modal", async () => {
 		mocks.genericSuggesterSuggest.mockResolvedValue("false"); // modal answer (should be unused)
 		const suggester = vi.fn(async () => "true");

src/formatters/formatter-field-title-regression.test.ts

@@ -231,6 +231,20 @@ describe("Formatter FIELD and TITLE namespace handling", () => {
 		expect(formatter.getAndClearTemplatePropertyVars().size).toBe(0);
 	});
 
+	it("writes format:spaced as comma-space text inside a collection scope", async () => {
+		formatter.setMockFieldResponse("topic|multi|format:spaced", [
+			"Alpha",
+			"Beta",
+		]);
+
+		await expect(
+			formatter.runFormatWithPropertyCollection(
+				"---\ntopics: {{FIELD:topic|multi|format:spaced}}\n---\n",
+			),
+		).resolves.toBe("---\ntopics: Alpha, Beta\n---\n");
+		expect(formatter.getAndClearTemplatePropertyVars().size).toBe(0);
+	});
+
 	it("collects FIELD multi arrays from YAML list item token positions", async () => {
 		formatter.setMockFieldResponse("topic|multi", ["Alpha", "Beta"]);
 

src/utils/FieldSuggestionParser.test.ts

@@ -121,6 +121,14 @@ describe("FieldSuggestionParser", () => {
 			expect(result.multiFormat).toBe("markdown");
 		});
 
+		it("parses |format:spaced", () => {
+			const result = FieldSuggestionParser.parse(
+				"topics|multi|format:spaced",
+			);
+			expect(result.multiSelect).toBe(true);
+			expect(result.multiFormat).toBe("spaced");
+		});
+
 		it("warns on |format: without |multi, even |format:auto", () => {
 			const warnings: string[] = [];
 			const result = FieldSuggestionParser.parse("topics|format:auto", {

src/utils/fileSyntax.test.ts

@@ -52,6 +52,12 @@ describe("parseFileToken", () => {
 		expect(parsed?.multiFormat).toBe("yaml");
 	});
 
+	it("parses |format:spaced", () => {
+		const parsed = parseFileToken("People|multi|format:spaced");
+		expect(parsed?.multiSelect).toBe(true);
+		expect(parsed?.multiFormat).toBe("spaced");
+	});
+
 	it("warns on |format: without |multi, even |format:auto", () => {
 		const warnings: string[] = [];
 		const parsed = parseFileToken("People|format:auto", {

src/utils/multiValueFormat.test.ts

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import {
 } from "./multiValueFormat";
 
 describe("multi-select output formatting", () => {
-	it.each(["auto", "inline", "yaml", "markdown"] as const)(
+	it.each(["auto", "inline", "spaced", "yaml", "markdown"] as const)(
 		"parses %s",
 		(format) => {
 			expect(parseMultiValueFormat(format, "token")).toBe(format);
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ describe("multi-select output formatting", () => {
 		const warn = vi.fn();
 		expect(parseMultiValueFormat("table", "token", warn)).toBeUndefined();
 		expect(warn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-			expect.stringContaining("auto, inline, yaml, markdown"),
+			expect.stringContaining("auto, inline, spaced, yaml, markdown"),
 		);
 	});
 
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ describe("multi-select output formatting", () => {
 		).toBeUndefined();
 	});
 
-	it("renders inline output with the legacy comma separator", () => {
+	it("renders inline output with the compact comma separator", () => {
 		expect(
 			renderExplicitMultiValue({
 				input: "value",
@@ -42,6 +42,17 @@ describe("multi-select output formatting", () => {
 		).toBe("Alpha,Beta");
 	});
 
+	it("renders spaced output with a comma and a space", () => {
+		expect(
+			renderExplicitMultiValue({
+				input: "value",
+				matchStart: 0,
+				values: ["Alpha", "Beta"],
+				format: "spaced",
+			}),
+		).toBe("Alpha, Beta");
+	});
+
 	it("renders a quoted YAML flow sequence that preserves string values", () => {
 		expect(
 			renderExplicitMultiValue({

src/utils/multiValueFormat.ts

@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 import { quoteYamlDouble } from "./yamlScalarQuoting";
 import type { WarnSink } from "./warnSink";
 
-export type MultiValueFormat = "auto" | "inline" | "yaml" | "markdown";
+export type MultiValueFormat = "auto" | "inline" | "spaced" | "yaml" | "markdown";
 
 const MULTI_VALUE_FORMATS = new Set<MultiValueFormat>([
 	"auto",
 	"inline",
+	"spaced",
 	"yaml",
 	"markdown",
 ]);
@@ -21,7 +22,7 @@ export function parseMultiValueFormat(
 	}
 
 	warn?.(
-		`QuickAdd: Unsupported multi-select format "${raw}" in "${tokenDisplay}". Supported formats: auto, inline, yaml, markdown.`,
+		`QuickAdd: Unsupported multi-select format "${raw}" in "${tokenDisplay}". Supported formats: auto, inline, spaced, yaml, markdown.`,
 	);
 	return undefined;
 }
@@ -46,15 +47,25 @@ export function renderExplicitMultiValue(args: {
 	format: MultiValueFormat;
 }): string | undefined {
 	const { input, matchStart, values, format } = args;
-	if (format === "auto") return undefined;
-
 	const strings = values.map((value) => String(value));
-	if (format === "inline") return strings.join(",");
-	if (format === "yaml") {
-		return `[${strings.map(quoteYamlDouble).join(", ")}]`;
-	}
 
-	if (strings.length === 0) return "";
-	const indent = currentLineIndent(input, matchStart);
-	return strings.map(renderMarkdownItem).join(`\n${indent}`);
+	switch (format) {
+		case "auto":
+			return undefined;
+		case "inline":
+			return strings.join(",");
+		case "spaced":
+			return strings.join(", ");
+		case "yaml":
+			return `[${strings.map(quoteYamlDouble).join(", ")}]`;
+		case "markdown": {
+			if (strings.length === 0) return "";
+			const indent = currentLineIndent(input, matchStart);
+			return strings.map(renderMarkdownItem).join(`\n${indent}`);
+		}
+		default: {
+			const _exhaustive: never = format;
+			return _exhaustive;
+		}
+	}
 }

src/utils/valueSyntax.test.ts

@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ describe("parseValueToken", () => {
 		expect(parsed?.multiEmit).toBe("linklist");
 	});
 
-	it.each(["yaml", "markdown", "inline"] as const)(
+	it.each(["yaml", "markdown", "inline", "spaced"] as const)(
 		"parses |format:%s separately from |multi item emission",
 		(format) => {
 			const parsed = parseValueToken(