Docs/Refactoring/Safe delete & dangling links

Safe delete & dangling links

When your notes link to each other, deleting one can leave others pointing at something that no longer exists. Before a delete goes through, Minerva checks for exactly this and warns you first.

The warning before you delete

Whether you're deleting one note, several at once, or a whole folder, Minerva looks for any other notes — outside what you're removing — that still link to it. If it finds none, the delete proceeds as normal. If it finds some, a warning appears listing the notes that would be left with a link going nowhere.

From that warning you can:

Cancel
Keep everything. Nothing is deleted.
Open the first reference
Jump to a note that links in, so you can fix or remove the link before deleting.
Delete anyway
Go ahead with the delete, accepting that those links will be left pointing at nothing.
The warning listing a few notes that still link to what you're about to delete, with Cancel, Open first reference, and Delete anyway options.
Screenshot — The delete warning
Deleting doesn't fix the links for you

If you choose Delete anyway, the notes that linked in are left exactly as they were — their links now lead nowhere. Minerva won't rewrite or remove them automatically, so it's worth cleaning them up when you get a chance. Using Open the first reference before you delete is the easiest way to handle them ahead of time.