Logseq Flashcard Bug: Inherited Tags Not Appearing

Hey guys! So, I ran into a bit of a snag while trying to set up my flashcards in Logseq, and I thought I'd share the issue and how to potentially fix it. I'm hoping this helps you avoid the same headaches I had! Basically, the problem is this: when you create a tag that inherits from the #Card tag (so it's a sub-tag or a more specific type of card), it doesn't always show up for flashcard practice. Let's dive deeper into this issue, and the workaround.

The Problem: Sub-Tags of #Card Not Appearing in Flashcards

Okay, so the main issue here is pretty straightforward. You've got your flashcard setup using the #Card tag, which is what tells Logseq that a particular block is supposed to be a flashcard. Smart, right? But what if you want to be more organized? Maybe you want to create different categories of flashcards – #vocabulary, #definitions, #questions, etc. – and have them all still function as flashcards.

That's where the inheritance comes in. You might create a tag like #vocabulary and have it extend or inherit from #Card. This way, #vocabulary blocks should automatically be recognized as flashcards, right? Well, in my experience, that wasn't always the case. The blocks tagged with #vocabulary would show up on the #Card page, meaning Logseq recognized the connection, but they wouldn’t actually appear in the flashcard practice sessions. Super frustrating, because it defeats the purpose of categorizing your flashcards! This bug means you have to use only the #Card tag to use the flashcard feature properly.

I tried different approaches, double-checking my tag structure, and making sure everything was linked correctly, but the issue persisted. It seemed like Logseq wasn't fully recognizing the inherited relationship for the flashcard functionality. I was really hoping to use sub-tags to create a more organized system for my language learning. I wanted to separate out the vocabulary flashcards from questions and general knowledge flashcards to make studying more targeted and efficient. This bug forced me to keep all the cards under a single tag, which made it harder to manage and review the cards. If you're anything like me, you love a well-organized system. So, you can imagine how annoying this was!

I spent a good chunk of time trying to figure out what was going on. I started to wonder if there were any hidden settings, or maybe I had missed something obvious. I scoured the Logseq documentation, hoping to find a clear explanation of how inherited tags should work with flashcards. I also checked out some Logseq forums and online communities, to see if anyone else had encountered the same problem. Unfortunately, I didn't find a direct solution to the issue, which meant I had to start experimenting and find my own workaround. It turned out, the workaround was pretty simple.

Reproducing the Bug & Steps to Take

Let's break down how to reproduce this bug. It's important to understand the steps involved so you can see if you're experiencing the same problem, or if you can follow along if you want to test the solution. Here’s a simple guide to reproduce the issue:

1. Create the Sub-Tag: First, create your sub-tag. Let's say you're like me, and you want to create a #vocabulary tag. In Logseq, you would create a new page or block and simply type #vocabulary. Now, to tell Logseq that this is a type of card, you'll need to create the inheritance by adding #Card to the same block. This tells Logseq that #vocabulary is, in essence, a kind of #Card.
2. Create a Test Block: Now, create a test block in your journal or any other page. Tag this block with #vocabulary. This is the flashcard you're expecting to see.
3. Check the #Card Page: Go to your #Card page. You should see the block you tagged with #vocabulary listed there. This means Logseq recognizes the connection between #vocabulary and #Card.
4. Test Flashcards: This is where the issue appears. Go to your flashcard practice session. Does the block you tagged with #vocabulary show up for practice? In my case, it didn't. This is the bug!

If you followed these steps and found that your inherited tag isn't showing up as a flashcard, then you are experiencing the same bug! You’re not alone, and there is a solution.

The Expected Behavior & The Bug Explained

What we expect is that anything tagged with #vocabulary (which inherits from #Card) should automatically be included in flashcard practice. That's the whole point of creating these sub-tags, right? We want to categorize our cards while still being able to use the flashcard feature. The bug is that this inheritance isn't fully working as intended with the flashcard functionality.

Logseq should ideally recognize the relationship and include all inherited tags in the flashcard practice session. But the reality is a little different. It's likely an issue in how Logseq processes the tag hierarchy for flashcards. This is just a guess, I am not a developer, but it seems that the flashcard feature doesn't fully understand the inheritance of tags, or it is not implemented properly. So, it is only looking for direct #Card tags.

In my testing, I found that even after refreshing Logseq, restarting the app, and making sure everything was up to date, the issue remained consistent. It really seemed like the inheritance of the #Card tag wasn't being recognized by the flashcard engine.

Workaround & Potential Solutions

So, how do we get around this? Well, I have a workaround that is pretty straightforward. You might need to adjust your workflow a bit, but it gets the job done until the bug is fixed.

Workaround: Instead of inheriting from #Card, directly tag your sub-tags with #Card as well. For example, your block would have both #vocabulary and #Card tags. This means that every time you create a card with #vocabulary, also add #Card. It is a bit more manual, but it ensures that Logseq sees the block as a flashcard.

Potential Solutions: The best solution would be for Logseq to fix the bug directly! This would involve the developers making changes to how the flashcard feature handles tag inheritance. This might involve modifying the code to correctly identify and include any tags that inherit from #Card in the flashcard practice. There are some ways the developers might approach this issue, such as:

• Refactoring the Tag Processing: The Logseq team could potentially refactor the way tags are processed in the flashcard system. This might involve revisiting the code that determines which blocks should be included in flashcard practice and making it more robust in handling tag inheritance.
• Testing and Validation: Thorough testing would be crucial after any code changes. The Logseq team would need to make sure that the flashcard system correctly identifies and includes blocks with inherited tags. This would involve creating test cases to cover different scenarios.
• Community Input: Involving the Logseq community could also be beneficial. Users who understand the flashcard system and tag hierarchy could help identify and test different solutions. This collaborative approach could lead to a more effective solution and improve the overall user experience.

Files, Platform & Additional Context

I included the images in the original post, but here are the key details:

• Files: I added images to show the tag structure, the test block, and how the cards appear on the #Card page, but not in the flashcard practice.
• Platform: MacOS Tahoe 26.0.1, Desktop App: c03b55b
• Additional Context: There wasn't any specific additional context, other than the frustrating nature of this bug!

Conclusion: Keep on Practicing, Guys!

So, there you have it, folks! The issue with sub-tags not appearing in Logseq flashcards. It's a bit of a bummer, but the workaround of directly tagging with #Card as well gets the job done. I hope this helps you if you are also encountering this issue. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the Logseq developers will fix this bug soon! Happy flashcarding, and keep on learning!

If you have any more insights, or if you know of a better solution, be sure to share it in the comments. Thanks for reading!