Aliases & Variables

Concepts rarely have exactly one name, and the same word doesn't always mean the same thing. Aliases and variables handle these two cases.

Aliases — one concept, many names

With aliases, you can refer to the same Concept Card using different synonyms, abbreviations, or languages.

Example: "AI", "Artificial Intelligence", and "人工智能" can all link to the exact same Concept Card.

Aliases example: one concept with several different names

Benefit: build connections naturally, without worrying about using the exact same wording every time.

Variables — one name, many meanings

Sometimes the same word means different things depending on context. Variables act as namespaces that keep identical terms apart.

Example: Apple 🍎 (the fruit) vs. Apple 📱 (the company).

Variables example: two different concepts both named Apple

Benefit: identical terms in different contexts stay completely separate, so your notes never get mixed up.

Advanced naming syntax

You can type the full syntax directly in the concept area or the first-line heading:

PrimaryName / Alias1 / Alias2 (Variable)

For example, AI / Artificial Intelligence / 人工智能 defines a concept with two aliases, while Apple (fruit) and Apple (company) define two separate variables of "Apple".